Jaipur, a hamlet in the suburbs of Kanke, Ranchi, is a bit of a dark horse. Not many know it has a horse-riding school.

Jannat Hussain Riding Club, tucked in a small, verdant neighbourhood around 9km from city limits, has as many as eight equines, four horses and an equal number of mares. And, its owner, 25-year-old Jannat Hussain, says the five-year-old institution has already trained over 100 students.

"My students are businessmen, salaried persons, aspiring models, a professor or two. Many are fitness freaks, animal lovers and adventure junkies," says Jannat, adding his father, four brothers and nephews, "especially Shiraj Hussain" help him in his venture.

Right now, Jannat has 10 students. "I charge Rs 4,000 per month from each learner," he adds. "And, I'm a hard taskmaster, my student has to come to Jaipur for an hour every day without gap for practice."

So, how much time does it take for a person to look stylish on the saddle?

"Three months are enough to get a good grip on horse-riding," Jannat, who loves a good trot himself, says. "And, it's not just about understanding techniques, you have to understand the animal and trust it. A horse is a noble animal, very loyal and loving," he avers.

Apart from teaching people to ride horses, Jannat allows his trained students to enjoy riding. For that, he charges Rs 1,000 a month.

The small placard on a brown gate is not too noticeable, but Jannat's riding school is getting known in certain Ranchi circles through word-of-mouth publicity.

And, the animals, brought from the famed animal fair at Sonepur, Bihar, and kept in stables at the school itself, look well fed and healthy as they briskly gallop around or stand and gaze at the world lazily.

On how the youth, then barely 20, thought of opening a riding school, Jannat said they, as a family, had always been associated with horses and riding.

"Riding and training riders has been our traditional vocation, our forefathers were associated with Chotanagpur kings. We also lend mares to grooms in weddings. But, the idea to start my horse-riding school came in 2010 when I went to Indore to meet a friend. He'd started his own horse-riding school which was doing well. I thought, why not try it out in Ranchi?"

A Ranchi University professor, who learnt to ride from Jannat, vouched for it.

"Great ambience, great fun and great exercise too," said the academic in his 50s who got to know about the school from a relative whose son is into modelling.

From kings to polo players, men have always looked handsome on horseback. So, who does Jannat feel looks best on a horse? "My dad, Guldad Hussain, is 75 now, but you should see how smart he looks while riding."

Does Jannat have any regrets? Not really, but he does point out that no woman ever came to learn horse-riding these past five years at his school. "We haven't yet put a woman on horseback."