By IANS/WAM,
Abu Dhabi : The healing power of horses will be used to help people with special needs, with a riding centre opening its doors next year in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) capital, Abu Dhabi.
The director of the centre, which is to be run by the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO), believes that horses can help people with conditions such as autism communicate more easily.
“In efforts to enhance physical, cognitive, social and behavioural skills for people who have disabilities a new horse centre will be launched in the capital next year,” Khulood Abdul Rahim told Gulf News.
“The centre will be provided with around 21 horses and stables in addition to some professional trainers brought from abroad, who can assist special needs and autistic people. Trainers will focus on therapeutic riding skills and the development of the relationship between the horse and rider,” she added.
Khulood is currently pursuing her master’s degree in special education at the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.
“As part of my studies in special education, I travelled to Germany and got to know the best practices used in the field of horse riding as a treatment for people with disabilities,” she said.
“I thought of applying the same therapeutic horse riding facility here in the UAE.”