FEEL THE PULSE

The Spring Term of the National Defence Academy (NDA) witnesses chilled out mornings. The temperatures dip and there is a cold nip in the air in the NDA campus which is located south-west of Pune city, north-west of Khadakwasla Lake. It spans 7,015 acres (28.39 km²) of the 8,022 acres (32.46 km²) donated by the Government of the former Bombay State. The site was chosen for being on a lake shore, the suitability of the neighboring hilly terrain, proximity to the Arabian Sea and other military establishments, as well as the salubrious climate. Aptly, NDA is also located in the hunting grounds of the legendary Shivaji, with the Sinhagad Fort as a panoramic backdrop.

The 2^nd Term had just begun and the training started rolling. The two highlights of the 2^nd Term are the beginning of the Foreign Language Capsule and the Equestrian Training. On a cold morning, both these classes turn out to be nemesis of many a Cadets as the vagaries of previous day’s training continues to reel them under thick and thins of life. It was the first class of the Equestrian Training for the newly inducted 2^nd Term Cadets. Located 2.5 kms away from the living areas (Squadrons), the Horse Shoe entrance of the Equestrian Bay gives a magnificent look. A bicycle is a boon for the Cadets but for 2^nd Termers it can be a bane as its maintenance and availability teaches many a greenhorns the correct value of time. Military expects timeliness and this trait takes a lot of gut and resolve from the motley humans. The budding riders had to be at the Horse Shoe entrance by 0630 hours. The lucky ones with bicycles had a comfortable ride while the not so lucky ones warmed up to the new training by running in squads of 4s/6s to the riding ground.

The sight of the tall and well bred horses standing in perfect harmony tends to be gut spilling. Each horse has a name and with each name is associated a fable. These fables are miraculous and have already breached the minds of young Cadets as they arrive on the first day to begin their training with these horses. The tall horses appear harmless and the instructors are already atop their mounts when Cadets line up in front of their horses. Each horse has a name and also a fable, but there is no way that a rookie rider can recognize its name. He can only pray that his horse is the one whose fable is only of kindness and old age has matured the horse well to a rookie’s desire. Again, a few Cadets are lucky and many are atop the horses which can create new fables this term too. As we got on top of our mounts, the Instructor moved the Squad into a line. The basic classroom training had made us familiar with the various terminologies and now was the time to carry out the practical. With a prayer in the heart and mind, each cadet follows the Instructor’s horse. A new fable had to be born and it was a fogged out morning.

The Officer-in-Charge (O i/c) was on his favorite mount and he was an acclaimed rider known for his prowess in Show Jumping. He sat with great ease on top of his mount and one could see that his body weight was centered around his mid body and he held the horse firmly between his thighs. The instructor was making the group go in a circle wherein each cadet was supposed to do a gentle rise and fall keeping the thigh pressure to hold the horse. He as explaining that a horse can feel the rider’s pulse and can gauge anxiety levels of their rider. The class was going on smoothly and the Sun was trying to break out of the fog barrier when the Horse decided to edit his fable. In one sharp move, he raised his forelegs and tried to dismount the rider. The thigh pressure and the stir upped feet helped to fend off the first attempt. A sharp rebuke from the Instructor kicked up the Horse’s ante. He cut loose with rider on top and began its majestic gallop out of the riding school and on the “Hack Ride” path. The O i/c sensed the trouble and galloped his horse behind the rookie rider. Both the majestic horses galloped at their full, albeit the rookie rider’s heart was in his mouth whilst the O i/c had a Cadet to save from a potential accident. The rogue horse turned towards a mountain trail and did not care for any command from the trailing O i/c. A fall in the rising hillock could have proved fatal and the rookie rider just plopped himself tight on top of the horse and tried to keep his mind’s gyroscope settled in the center. At top of the rocky hillock, the rogue horse lost its steam and stood calm. The O i/c caught up with the rookie rider and the fable had been edited. The chill was gone and the thrill of the ride on top of a galloping mount was trying to sink in to the Cadet’s mind. The view from the hillock top was magnificent and he just shifted his weight into the mid portion of his body. Both O i/c and the Cadet trudged their horses back to the riding school and the pulse of the Cadet and the horse matched perfectly. The anxiety was gone and the horse’s pulse was firmly under the control of the Cadet.

The lesson of feeling the correct pulse matters in every sphere of life. The pulse is in many ways like a barometer that can help determine many types of symptoms and help to defuse potential hazards. On-board a ship, the seasoned Officers and men feel the vibrations of the machinery with hands on their daily rounds. Each night, on a sailing vessel, we start our walk from one end and see each equipment for its functionality. The fingers on the rotating machine’s body give a fair idea of the machine’s health. A worn out bearing or a scored shaft starts making a different impact on the fingers and majority of times; the test equipment enabled health check reveals the potential problems. A monitored machine or a human generally tend to reveal their future trends. The regular feeling of the pulse leads to prediction of the forthcoming patterns. This can then help to devise mechanisms to overcome the beyond the horizon issues which can suddenly loom up like a Titanic iceberg.

An organisation can thrive if the pulse is felt right in time. This activity needs a thorough practice and clear understanding of the past, prevailing and future circumstances. Humans who can feel the pulse are equivalent to Zen Masters. They overcome their own anxieties and fears and can balance their thoughts to feel and analyse the pulses of men, machinery and environment around them. They are never in a hurry and never ruffled by the changing times as they have the pulse under their control. Their organizations and circles around them thrive and grow outwards.

What must go up has to come down- is an old adage. It comes true in most circumstances as fatigue sets into its spiral and disrupts momentum. Everything in this World faces the barrage of fatigue and change. A possible remedy to slow the process and to take the corrective steps is to feel the pulse. Let the signals of the pulse control the spiraling momentum’s centripetal or centrifugal forces. Keep calm, retain the composure and let the thought process analyze the pulse. If the weight is centered correctly, the galloping horse’s fable can be your own story of an exciting adventure.