Hooda has been associated with theatre since the beginning of his acting career; he is an active member of Naseeruddin Shah's Motley Theatre Troupe. In an interview with Daily News and Analysis he said, "My first stint with theatre was in school, where I was asked to wear a lion mask and roar for several minutes. My parents came to see me with a lot of expectations and sadly, they couldn't even recognise me on stage because of the mask." During his film career, Hooda has participated in theatrical productions. He said, "Juggling between the two [theatre and films] does get difficult, but I don't see myself ever give up Theatre. It's got a deeper connect with who I really am. So, if films give you the wings to fly, Theatre is a reality check, it keeps you grounded. Films can give you the satisfaction of feeling like a hero, but theatre gives you the real satisfaction of being an actor." Hooda has appeared in Kali Shalwar Aur Kuchchh Kahaniyan (a play based on Saadat Hasan Manto's short stories), To Teach His Own, and Arms and The Man. He described the latter as a typical George Bernard Shaw play; "It is complete with elements to entertain an audience. It delves into true love, heroism and some confused relationships that are pretty baffling even in the current social structure." Hooda made his theatrical debut as a writer, adapting Lee Blessing's A Walk in the Woods into an Indian context. Ratna Pathak directed the play and Naseerudin Shah appeared in it. Equestrian sports Hooda is the only Bollywood actor who regularly participates in professional equestrian sports, including polo and show jumping. He started competing at a professional level after the release of his film D. Hooda was coached by Colonel SS Ahalawat and Brigadier Bishnoi in show-jumping and dressage. He described riding as his "passion"; "My first stint with horses happened when I was in class eight at the Motilal Nehru School of Sports in Haryana, but thereafter I didn't ride horses for 17 years". He owned eight horses, but gave away two of them to new trainees. He keeps his horses at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai. In December 2008, Hooda underwent surgery after suffering a severe ankle injury in a fall from his horse during a polo match in Mumbai. The following year, he won a silver medal at an