ANIMATED ZEAL
[Nazak Chenoy, Horse Trainer]
There’s no course in India that trains people in equine management,” confirms Nazak Chenoy who hails from a family of horse trainers. Determined to follow in their footsteps, she set off to England to return on the completion of her Bachelor of Science in equine studies and management. Currently working with her father, 24-year old Chenoy is among the only four women horse trainers in India and is diligently working towards making her mark in the circuit.

At the crack of dawn, she begins an arduous day tending to her “little puppy dogs,” as she refers to them. Feeding, exercising and doing anything that will boost the overall performance and career of these racers follows through the course of her day. Early nights mean no living the highlife with friends, but this seems to be an easy sacrifice for Chenoy whose life revolves around the upkeep of her brood. Because horses are such sensitive animals, accidents are not uncommon. But I am assured that being sensible while working with them and wearing the required protective gear greatly reduces the risks.

It’s a tough sport to break into. Being a woman makes it even more difficult. You have to be confident, patient and ruthless at the same time. Months of training an animal does not guarantee a win. And even when a horse does gallop to victory, there is little or no recognition for the trainer. Stress is something every trainer has to deal with and when it gets too much to handle, she turns to her friends off the field to get away from it all and regain her sanity. Chenoy laughs, “Sometimes a horse can make a fool out of you, while other times you just can’t seem to get a break, but watching one of your horses sprint across the finish line first makes up for all of it.”