Redefining Success by being a Rider to Horse Whisperer | Rasika Reddy | TEDxIBS Pune Women

25 Sep 2024 (2 months ago)

Early Life and Passion for Horses

(47s) Rasika Reddy was born in 1967 and had a supportive upbringing with her father, Major Sharat Kane, and her mother, Kavita, who provided her and her sister with a solid education and self-belief.
(1m46s) Rasika started riding horses at the age of six and had a memorable first experience with a pony named Jungle Queen.
(2m15s) At around 12 or 13 years old, she had a serious accident during a riding lesson, breaking her tailbone, but her parents continued to support her passion for horses.
(3m22s) Her passion for horses influenced major milestones in her life, including meeting her husband, Dr. Ravi Reddy, a veterinarian specializing in breeding horses, through an arranged marriage.

(4m0s) After marrying in 1988, Rasika moved to Bangalore, where she helped with her husband's veterinary practice and learned various skills from her in-laws.
(4m20s) In 1992, they had a son named Arnav, and in 1994, they moved to Pune for her husband’s new job managing a modern stud farm.
(5m4s) Rasika began riding young horses as part of the breaking-in process at the farm and was encouraged by a professional rider to ride on the racetrack.
(5m30s) In 1996, she applied for and received a license to ride as a track work rider at the Pune racecourse, where she trained horses for races.

(6m42s) After five years as a track work rider, she applied for a jockey license in 2001 but was denied without a clear reason, later learning it was likely due to her being a woman, wife, and mother, with concerns about the dangers of race riding.
(9m16s) Rasika Reddy was devastated and depressed after being denied a jockey license despite her efforts to meet the requirements.
(11m6s) Reddy decided to become a horse breaker and horse whisperer because she felt she was meant to do more with horses than just ride them.

(12m27s) Horse breaking is important because it introduces young horses to equipment and allows them to be ridden safely, while horse whispering, a method developed by Monty Roberts, uses natural horsemanship techniques based on horse behavior in the wild.

(16m45s) To pursue her passion for working with horses, the speaker had to travel overseas, which was a significant financial challenge.
(18m4s) The speaker secured a work opportunity with Julian Welch, a horse trainer in Australia, where she worked as a farmhand and rider in exchange for training.
(19m51s) Upon returning to India, the speaker established Basque Training Center and secured her first contract breaking in horses for stud farm owners and trainers.