Young Saudi rides to the rescue of neglected racehorses

JEDDAH: Racehorses often face years of neglect or even abandonment when their track careers come to an end, but at Alyaa Al-Sharif’s family stables these majestic animals are promised love, care and protection.

Al-Sharif, who has spent her life around horses and trained as a showjumper for seven years, is spreading her message of animal welfare and ethical training through the Rise Equine Initiative.

“If I hadn’t taken these horses in, they would just stay in their stables, completely abandoned,” the 22-year-old trainer told Arab News.

During her time as a showjumper, Al-Sharif liked to connect with horses that were taken off the track.

“I would always return to the horses. Sometimes they were a little difficult to ride and I would fall off a lot, but I still kept trying,” she said.

“I belong to a family that specializes in breeding and racing horses in and outside the Kingdom. I grew up with racehorses all around, and I have seen how the horses get abandoned after their racing careers. Some don’t get the treatment they deserve.”

When Al-Sharif turned 18, she took matters into her own hands. “There were many people who disagreed with that, but so many more who would tell you to do unkind things,” she said.

“When I first faced behavioral issues with my horses, I didn’t know who to turn to. Most of the advice was to hit them or shout at them. People told me that I was too emotional. On the contrary, a horse that wasn’t scared of me worked better with me.”

• Alyaa Al-Sharif, who has spent her life around horses and trained as a showjumper for seven years, is spreading her message of animal welfare and ethical training through the Rise Equine Initiative.

• The Arab News team saw first-hand how the horses can reach