It has been a dreadful journey for the Indian Equestrian team to Jakarta after they got their accreditation only a day before they were scheduled to leave for the Asian Games. To add to the problems, their horses - flown in from Belgium and then Chennai - reached the Games venue without their grooms, creating a situation where they were ushered into the stables here, unattended for hours. The grooms (stable boys) - who take care of the horses - were not allowed to tend to them as they had no clearance for more than five hours, leaving the horses at the mercy of the stable keepers and rivals, who could potentially spike their fodder with banned substances.

“I would not be surprised if someone tomorrow someone says that Indian horses have tested positive for banned substances. And if something like this happens, it would be a huge embarrassment not just for the riders but also for the country. The horses should never be left unsecured as they can inadvertently consume something and fall sick in the stable or fed something spurious. That’s why every rider ensures a groom always accompanies a horse.   Dope testing has become so advanced that even micrograms of banned substances can be detected in the system. So, one needs to be wary of leaving horses untended, ” said Hasneyn Mirza, who is accompanying his son, show jumper Fouad Mirza.

“I was told to collect accreditations hours before our departure to Jakarta. I don’t know why such a mess is created by authorities concerned just before a major competition, knowing well that equestrian can always bring a medal. Because of the hassles involved in grooming horses, we are forced to keep them in Europe. Why don’t people here understand that horses are also athletes? Keeping them in unhygienic and claustrophobic stables is detrimental to their health,” Mirza said.