• Asia’s cowboy and owner of the Double 6 Ranch in Apple Valley, California, Ty Nitti on Sri Lanka’s ancient horse culture

Did you know that a certain cowboy in Asia is Sri Lankan? Meet Ty Nitti, a horse loving, 10 gallon hat wearing cowboy with over three decades of experience in horse wrangling and training. Nitti schooled at Saint Benedict’s College, Kotahena, and spent his childhood years riding horses in Nuwara Eliya, prior to migrating to the United States (US) in 1984. Nitti spends his time riding, breaking, training, and schooling horses in his horse ranch, Double Six in Apple Valley, California. His equine services have been utilised by the Hollywood elite, including training horses for films, and he has even been on the silver screen. While we may think that Sri Lanka and cowboys do not mix, Nitti puts that theory to rest and is one of the greatest horsemen the world has seen. Kaleidoscope met up with Nitti at the Ceylon Riding Club (CRC) at the Port City, Colombo, watching him train and ride horses while also discussing Sri Lanka’s ancient horse culture, his work in Hollywood, and coming back to his roots in Sri Lanka.

The following are excerpts from the interview:

How does your horse training expertise influence your perception of Sri Lanka’s take on horse riding?

There’s a great number of opportunities in Sri Lanka to enhance its horse culture. All we need is a good platform to start off. This could be the return to a very rich horse culture, which I think is very necessary. 

You mentioned the 2,500-year-old horse culture of Sri Lanka. What can you tell us about it?

Most people aren’t aware that the earliest documentation of horses in Sri Lanka is from 200 Before Christ (BC), dating back to the Ptolemaic Egyptian times. There are etchings on vases which show that the Egyptians, the Romans, and the Greeks were trading horses with Sri Lanka for cinnamon, pearls, and peacocks. It is believed that this trading took place in what we now call the Gulf of Mannar. There was an ancient city called Kudiramalai there, which I believe translates to ‘horse city’ or ‘horse town’. Then, there’s historical evidence that the kings and princes from India brought their horses down here to travel. Pretty much every Sri Lankan kingdom had horse cavalries - the Jaffna Kingdom, the Kandy Kingdom, and Batticaloa Kingdom, to name a few. All these kingdoms had horse cavalries and not just elephants as vanguards. This is what I mean when I say that Sri Lanka has a very rich heritage with horses. A part of my journey here is to tell the story about how we used to be great horsemen at one time, and I want to get it back. 

What pushed you to take up horse training and wrangling as a profession?

It was my affinity for horses ever since I was a child that drew me to this profession. I used to ride horses in Nuwara Eliya and Kandy. When I immigrated to the US, I got the chance to be a cowboy at a very young age. I worked with a lot of cowboys and got smitten with that way of life. I then decided that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My dad would always say, ‘If you want to do a job, do something you love; if that’s the case, you’ll never work a day in your life’, so, although I work hard, I never work a day in my life. 

How did you connect with the CRC?

Chance favours the ready mind. I don’t believe in luck, but I believe in that. In 2018, I was able to visit the CRC, which was in Piliyandala then. There, I met Ineke Pitts, who is a wonderful lady with a passion for bringing horsemanship to Sri Lanka. It started with a simple chat and we kept in contact over the years. We thought that there was something I could do to help, and, with help from Pitts, I’m here now. I’m working hand in hand with the CRC and the Port City. Great things are coming. 

You are renowned worldwide for your work. What does that feel like?

It’s a humbling sensation because I get to travel the world and the US a lot, Stateside. Working with Hollywood is like a dream come true – you get to meet amazing people. Sometimes, you can be star struck, but you have to be a constant professional and do your job. You have to keep everybody safe. It’s a wonderful industry to work in. The sky is truly the limit. 

There’s much discussion about animal abuse when it comes to breaking and training horses. What’s your take on this? 

There’s much perception there. In any animal industry, any livestock industry, and in any field and industry, there’s always some form of abuse. Is there abuse in training horses? Absolutely. A majority of it has to do with a lack of knowledge or greed. Greed because people want to make money off their animals and will force the animals into a situation for that sake, which causes the animal to suffer. Lack of knowledge because people emulate what someone else is doing without any understanding of the entire concept of the training methods. Horses get injured. One of the things that I want to bring to the table is to help the horse culture here and show a better way of doing things. With horses especially, the least is the best.

The bond between horses and humans has been described as awe-inspiring. What can you say about this?

You better believe it. One of the things that makes a cowboy a cowboy is a horse. The cowboy is nothing without his horse and vice versa. To put it into perspective, there are stories of cowboys who will stay next to their horse even in the bitter cold. The cowboy can, if he wants to, leave his horse and be saved, but the cowboy will stay right next to his horse and die with his horse. That is the bond that you create when you truly understand horses. 

Do you think that the horse ranch business has scope in Sri Lanka? Could we have more cowboys of Sri Lankan descent?

Absolutely. My son Karnan is living proof of that and I think that there are great opportunities. You don’t have to be from Texas or from California to be a cowboy, you can be a cowboy anywhere in the world. As far as ranching goes, Sri Lanka’s flora is so amazing that it brings massive potential for ranching. It’s a great way for young people to start caring for livestock. Kids can work with livestock and stay out of trouble. I promise you that. 

Your son Karnan is also a cowboy. How does it feel to have the second generation share your love for horses?

Every father’s dream, I think, is to have their son following in their footsteps, so to me, it’s a trifecta. One is, he’s my son, the second is that he’s a cowboy, and the third, he wants to continue my work whether I’m here or not. There is no greater feeling or honour than to have your children want to take after you. I’m very proud of my son. 

What are some myths about horses that you would like to dispel?

There’s oodles of myths to debunk. One is that horses are colour blind. Horses are not colour blind, they see colour, but not in the same way that humans do. There is also a saying that horses with white hooves are weaker than those with black hooves. The biggest myth is that you have to be rich to own a horse. This is not true at all. 

What are the most memorable experiences that you’ve had while working in Hollywood?

I’ve met some really amazing people. I’ve met celebrities who are wonderful and I’ve worked with some incredible stunt coordinators and performers. The stunt people are the unsung heroes of Hollywood, they make the actors look really good. When we have to do horse stunts and we have to choreograph very dangerous stunts, these guys are always ready to give it all they’ve got, even if someone else is getting the credit for it. Seeing that aspect of it, how they are so selfless, has left a lasting impression. Overall, the production teams are quite amazing. People don’t realise that there are 100 to 1,000 people behind the scenes coming together to make the movies and television shows that we see on the screen. 

Any words of wisdom to aspiring cowboys in Sri Lanka?

Never give up. Always follow your heart. If someone tells you ‘no’, there’s always going to be someone who’ll say ‘yes’. Keep going and don’t ever stop. Quitting is not the cowboy way. We persevere. 

(The writer is the host, director, and co-producer of the weekly digital programme ‘Kaleidoscope with Savithri Rodrigo’ which can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. She has over three decades of experience in print, electronic, and social media)