‘Anyone can ride a horse’

>Shahwaz Alam > Indian > Age:31 > Horse riding instructor

DUBAI— “Anyone can learn horse riding,” or so thinks Shahwaz Alam, who’s been riding his own horse since the age of 12.

Currently an instructor at the Mushrif Equestrian Club in Mushrif Park in Dubai, 31-year-old Alam has taken his love for horses from his grandparents back in India.

“My grandfather owned a horse he used to ride on, but he passed away before I was even born. It was my grandmother who always talked about it and encouraged me to try horse riding,” said Alam.

It took him only one ride, and he felt he was made for it. Coming to Dubai in 2009, Alam chose to spend his days with horses and pass the habit on to other people.

Now he spends most of his day feeding and training horses, before taking club visitors for rides even during the summer’s scorching heat. He spends the rest of his day in his room with colleagues at the club.

“This is Nasif, he’s a 25-year-old Arabian horse, and this is Khan, he’s 36,” he knew every single horse in the stable.

Asked about what he loves about horses the most, Alam said, “I love everything about them. Whenever I’m feeling down, all it takes is a 30-minute ride with a horse. They are like magnets that take out the negative energy from your mind, body and soul.”

He added that he doesn’t dread the summer horse rides, even when it reaches 50°C. “Visitors don’t stop coming even during summer, and it’s great. The best timings to go for a ride in summer is the sunrise and sunset. It gives you a chance to reflect,” he noted.

And despite the general misconceptions around the difficulties of learning horse riding, Alam said it takes only 10-15 classes, depending on our skills.

“You don’t need to drink Redbull or Vitamin C or spend hours at the gym to be able to ride a horse. Anyone can do it and even run with a horse,” Alam laughed.

Another myth Alam defeated: Horses cost millions. To that he said: “You can buy an Arabian horse for Dh15,000-Dh20,000, unless they participated in a race, that’s when they cost millions.”

The challenge is, however, taking care of horses. “Their food alone can cost up to Dh3,000 a month, that can be double what people spend on themselves,” he said.

As he rode a horse, holding the reins with a single hand, he looked behind him and called, “Come on Nasif,” as the horse decisively — and surprisingly — walked after him until they both faded away in the distance.