SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The UAE's deep-rooted love for horses was on full display at the recently concluded Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) 2025, where many booths and pavilions highlighted how heritage, Emirati values, and innovation converge in modern-day equestrianism.
One standout booth, The Royal Stables, embodied the UAE's core values of inclusion and empowerment by showcasing the talents of people of determination in horse dressage.
The Royal Stables is the first one to support people of determination and are also trying to build a dedicated pathway programme to the Olympics for Para Dressage hopefuls.
Wafaa Al Dahmani, one of two women shortlisted and training for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, said: "We have special equipment – including saddles and horses – depending on the type of disability, to provide comfort and ensure safety.”
This year, the team is focused on encouraging more people of determination to explore the dressage discipline in equestrian, with the aim of expanding participation and awareness. The initiative also has global aspirations.
"We've been ranked both internationally and locally," Al Dahmani added. "Our goal is to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics."
Another related stand, by The Ranch AD, at ADIHEX highlights innovations in saddlery. Among its exhibits, according to the owner, is the first western-style saddle redesigned for Arabian horses.
The Ranch AD claims to be the first Emirati equestrian establishment to train Arabian horses in western riding; it has introduced saddles tailored to their build and inspired by traditional cowboy equipment.
Providing the technical details, Omar Al Hameili, the founder, said: “The western saddles are specially made for the Arabian horse. We put a lot of effort to find the connection and the exact size for the Arabian horse’s withers [the ridge between a horse’s front shoulders] on the western saddle."
The store owner has carried out some "interesting modifications" for the saddle. “We changed the front cinch to a front girth, which is very unique in this industry. We have been training our horses on these saddles for nearly two-and-half years now on this method and it is working so well with the Arabian horses," he stressed.