Riding in Dubai and around the UAE

[Kryss]

I'd be very grateful of anyone's experience of riding schools, establishments in and around Dubai. A career move may take me this way soon, but there have to be horses to ride regularly. I know the rulers love their racing, so wondering if there's a grass roots level, for average school jocs

Which leads me to a secondary question. What do horses in desert countries get fed?

 

[Trio]

my friends moved to Dubai and she' s into polo so she gets to ride occasionally as she's very good.
However, keeping a horse in Dubai is very very expensive- they live in all the time (no there is no grass out there!!) in air condiitoned stables, hay etc all flown in so i'm not sure that grass roots level riding really exists.
Going out there myself to visit in December so will see first hand but i think its a bit limited to the super wealthy
As far as riding goes i think there's hacks out into the dunes on a regualar basis as alot of tourists want to do this but i 'm not sure about anything else there.

 

[Gruntfuttock]

Its not just for the super-wealthy (though racing and polo obviously are !) . There are lots of ex-pat riding clubs and there is a HUGE equestrian centre in Dubai. They do dressage, jumping, etc and lessons from beginner children right up to more expert adult. There is a nice riding club in Abu Dhabi as well.

As Trio said, the horses eat hay and hard feed. Lots of it. There isn't anything else.

 

[Trio]

hiya- sorry to hijack post here! how expensive is it to ride in Dubai then at an equestrian centre? would love to go when i go out there but i was warned off as its so expensive to keep them out there due to no turnout/aircon/feed issues that most people are priced out of the market.