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Joyce Siu

Horse riding is hot in Hong Kong as the SAR prepares to host the 2008 Olympic equestrian events.

To  let non-Olympians in on the fun, the newly-opened Hong Kong Equestrian Centre in Shek Kong offers courses in horse riding, horseback archery, show jumping and dressage.

Show jumping and dressage are two of the equestrian events at the Olympics. Show jumping involves jumping cleanly over a set course filled with obstacles and turns within an allotted time. Dressage, which is sometimes called 'horse ballet', involves the rider guiding the horse through a number of intricate manoeuvres.

While most Hongkongers' equestrian knowledge is limited to horse racing, Lionel Dunning, manager of the Hong Kong Equestrian Centre, hopes that will change.

The centre is targeted at the whole family, and has 18 horses, which are mostly ex-racehorses, and six new ponies are arriving from Australia.

Dunning has been an international show jumper for 25 years, and has trained professional riders in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

'Hong Kong people love horses because of the racing. Children are used to seeing horses in newspapers. Horses [are a] part of Hong Kong people's lives,' Dunning said.

But he said that, unlike reading about horse racing, horse riding can teach young people important skills.

Dunning said horse riding is a good way to keep fit and develop self-confidence. But the activity is not risk-free. Being thrown off is just one of the risks of riding, according to Dunning.

'You have to be prepared to fall,' he said. 'But it is important not to let a child fall in the first year, because this could make him nervous forever.'

Twelve-year-old Hannah Bryett is an enthusiastic rider. She said horse riding makes her a more confident person.

'I was a bit scared when I first rode ... because they [horses] are big animals,' said the Australian International School student.

But after falling off a horse a few times, Hannah said she got a better idea of how to balance and control the horse. 'You need to have confidence to be a good rider,' she said.

Developing a good relationship with the horse is important. 'If you trust your horse and it trusts you, it's easier for you to get it to do what you want,' Hannah said. 'When the horse trusts you, it shows its affection. It's in their body language. But if a horse doesn't like you, it won't stand still with you or let you pat it.'

Magali Tong, 17, who started riding aged four, is the winner of the Kuala Lumpur Grand Prix's Young Rider Competition. She said horse riding is an emotional sport.

'You're working with a live animal, with its own feelings and emotions but you can't communicate with them through language,' said the student from Sha Tin College. 'But this makes horse riding so exciting, because you can never predict what will happen next.'

Magali said horse riding has taught her values such as responsibilities, commitment and independence, especially as she has to travel a lot on her own for competitions.

'You don't always have to win, but when you know you've had a good round, you feel contented,' she said.

The Hong Kong Equestrian Centre offers special 10-week packages for groups of  students at HK$220 per person per lesson. For more information, contact Nicky Loiterton at nickyloiterton@yahoo.com



Saddle up