NEW DELHI: While most of her schoolmates are still asleep, Stasya Pandya is already at the Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai, preparing for a morning in the saddle. With her day beginning around 4 am, followed by school, strength training and studies, the 14-year old equestrian from Mumbai is learning that progress in the sport demands more than just the ability to ride. It requires discipline, patience and, above all, an understanding of the horse beneath her.Having recently qualified for the Junior National Championship (JNC), scheduled for December, Stasya is looking to build on a season that has seen her take another significant step forward. But for the youngster, the focus is not simply on winning medals or clearing bigger jumps. It is also about developing the feel for the sport that she believes will help her become a better rider.“I really hope that I can do well. There are more competitions coming up in Nov and then the JNC in December. I really hope I can focus on my own riding and keep a calm mind instead of thinking, ‘I have to win this’,” she said.Her introduction to equestrian sport came shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic, when her father spotted a Facebook post about a riding school. Her parents, both of whom had been involved in sports from a young age, had encouraged her to try different disciplines, including swimming and taekwondo. None, however, held her interest for long.Her connection with animals proved to be the difference. “I was never interested in anything else. I used to leave things within two months. But I have always really connected with animals, whether horses, dogs or any other animal. When I tried horse riding, I really liked it. It was the one thing I actually stayed consistent with,” she said.That consistency has since extended well beyond the time she spends in the saddle. She rides four to five days a week, often beginning her training at around 5 am after travelling to the racecourse from home. She works with two horses, including a younger one whose training has taught her another dimension of the sport.After her morning sessions, she heads to school at 7.30 am and returns in the afternoon. The day is far from over, though, as she devotes another hour and a half to calisthenics to strengthen her legs before making time for studies.The demands of the sport are not limited to physical preparation. For Stasya, one of the most important lessons has been learning to understand her horse, particularly one that had not been treated well before she got him.Building trust required patience and small, consistent gestures, from feeding him treats before and after riding to bathing and grooming him. She also had to learn when to apply pressure and when to respect his limits.“You have to understand what the horse feels. You shouldn’t pull the reins too hard, and you should know the threshold of your horse because, in the end, the horse is definitely more powerful than you. You have to go according to their comfort. It is a balance between their comfort and asking them to do what you want them to do,” she said.That understanding is still evolving. Stasya recently jumped her first 1.30-metre course, an experience she found encouraging because it helped her identify what had gone right and where she needed to improve.Her progress has also been shaped by coach Bobin Tshering, under whom she has trained for two years. She credits him with helping her develop not only technically but also in handling the mental demands of competition. His ability to read a horse and anticipate problems has left a lasting impression on her.“When I first came to him, I did not ride well at all. I was falling all over the place. He knows exactly what to do at the right moment and can predict things by looking at the way you ride,” she said.Stasya believes Indian equestrian sport has talented riders but needs greater investment and wider reach to match the conditions available in countries such as Australia. She visited Australia in May for practice and was struck by the quality of the sand, the upkeep of the stables and the environment available to horses, including access to open spaces.She also pointed to the financial demands of competing overseas. At present, her parents bear the costs of flights, accommodation and participation unless an event invites her and covers the expenses.“I feel like the competitions don’t have that much reach and are not organised as well. Even when I went to Australia, I saw that the stables were in better condition and the horses were taken better care of,” she said.She added, “The govt could do more to support riders and protect facilities such as the Mahalaxmi racecourse.For now, her ambitions rest on the next training session, the next competition and the steady improvement of her partnership with her horse. Her approach is simple: learn from mistakes, stay composed and resist the pressure to chase results.In a sport where a rider cannot succeed through strength or technique alone, Pandya is discovering that the biggest strides often begin with trust, earned one early morning at a time.