Qataris ride the wave of horse-keeping hobby

The hobby of keeping horses has gained popularity in recent years among young Qatari men, for various purposes including sport and equine beauty contests, local Arabic daily Arrayah has reported.

Some young men love to own horses of authentic Arabian origin as part of their love to revive the heritage of the ancestors.They are keen as well to practise horse riding as it enhances good health and improve their physique.However, several of these horse owners have struggled to overcome the problem of limited number of horse stables by using some parts of the farm complexes for the purpose.The other main challenges are the limited number of horse training tracks and the high fodder prices.Ahmed al-Shemri said that he had incurred considerable financial losses when he started his hobby of keeping horses, but he continued to pursue his passion until he gained the necessary experience.Now he owns many horses for taking part in horse beauty contests.He pointed out that more and more young Qatari men go for this hobby, especially since the farm complexes provided a space for horse stables.Yet, they still face another major challenge as there is only one government veterinary clinic that takes care of horses' health.Accordingly, he has called for the establishment of such clinics.Saif al-Hajri said that horse keeping is a hobby deeply rooted in the Qatari traditions but there is a need for easily accessible horse training tracks to further promote it.Ajjaj al-Kubaisi recalled horse riding was his favourite sport even when he was a child.It is a part of maintaining and reviving the good heritage of the past."There should be more public support to promote horse riding by establishing modern, safe and easily accessible training tracks to help young people pursue their passions for horses and excel in local and international competitions," he added.