"He Wants 100% Attention": India Olympic Equestrian Hope Anush Agarwalla Compares Horses To Humans

It does not take long for Anush Agarwalla to understand if his horse, Sir Caramello, is feeling nervous, excited or happy. After all language is not a barrier, if a relationship is built on harmony and trust. The 24-year-old Anush is the first Indian equestrian to qualify in individual dressage event at the Olympic Games, beginning July 26. As he gears up to compete in Paris, Anush is not worried about the results. He just wants to "fly" with Sir Caramello when he enters the arena. Such is the bond between the two that taking care of his horse is more important than taking care of himself.

"Without the horses, we are nothing. Of course, you need to be a good rider. You need to have a good coach. But without the right horse, you are nothing," Agarwalla told PTI from Germany.

Agarwalla moved to Paderborn in Germany as a 17-year-old and his weekend hobby of horse riding with no real competitive aspirations soon turned into a passion. With hard work and proper guidance he climbed the podium at the 2018 Asian Games twice -- individual bronze and team gold.

The Kolkata-born rider said he shares a superb bond with his horse but it took a long to develop that trust. It's been five years that Agarwalla has been riding with Sir Caramello.

Initially the horse would not trust Agarwalla but consistent feeding, cuddling, riding, cleaning, taking him out created that trust. He had to work hard to win over Sir Caramello.

"Building relationships with horses, it's just like building relationships with people. It takes time. Relationships are not built over a matter of a couple of hours or a couple of days. I spent a lot of time together with him.

"I would say that he always wants me to give him 100% attention. That's the most important