In 2002, Red Earth Riding School took on the responsibility of 10 acres of Auroville land to build a riding school. When the founding members of Red Earth arrived with only three or four horses, it epitomized its name with hardly a tree or a bush to be seen across the barren red soil. Nonetheless, the team set to work developing the grounds and even hosted a competition that very same year, drawing riders from all over South India.

Over the subsequent years, the riding school has grown considerably to encompass stables and paddocks for over thirty horses and ponies, four riding arenas, and hospitality facilities, all interspersed with beautiful gardens and shaded by the foliage of the now matured trees.

In its aim to express the Auroville ideology of unending education, Red Earth offers to the Auroville community and visitors from around the world a unique focus that balances classical English riding with the nonverbal communication techniques of modern horsemanship. The riding school offers equine-assisted programs on nonverbal communication, riding lessons for all levels, natural horsemanship sessions, and master classes with a particular focus on dressage. Red Earth’s annual riding competition continues to attract some of South India’s best show jumping and dressage riders and the riding school also organizes smaller in-house competitions in dressage throughout the year.

At Red Earth, riding is not just a sport for the rich, and the riding school has a long history of opening the sport to economically disadvantaged riders through work-training exchanges and sponsorships.