Did the last hotel you stayed in come with a swimming pool, a beauty salon, a gym, personal trainers, a maternity ward, and performance arenas?
Of course it didn't.
Which means that in Qatar, the horses are probably enjoying better amenities than you are.
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At Al Shaqab, a vast horseshoe-shaped complex on the outskirts of the Qatari capital, Doha, horses live in refined surroundings that feel more like a five-star spa resort than a traditional stable.
They enjoy runs on a private racetrack, daily grooming sessions, and fitness programs tailored to each animal. At night, or during the midday desert heat, they rest in spotless air-conditioned stalls.
If they had hands instead of hooves, these thoroughbred beauties would probably be phoning room service.
Built on the site of historic stables, Al Shaqab is a gleaming, ultra-modern equestrian complex that reflects both Qatar's obsession with horses and the tiny, oil-rich nation's appetite for luxurious status symbols.
It's a worthy stop for horse lovers arriving in Doha or passing through. Public tours can be arranged through the center's website, and even travelers who aren't horse enthusiasts are likely to find a visit fascinating.
Peak cuteness
There's a chance to watch some of the world's finest show and sport horses being groomed for success. And, with a bit of luck, you might dial the adorableness up to maximum by meeting a newborn foal.
Al Shaqab, not to be confused with Doha's other major equestrian complexes such as the Racing and Equestrian Club, is part of Qatar Foundation, a sprawling campus on the city's northwestern edge dedicated to advancing culture and education in this desert nation.
Founded in 1992, Al Shaqab was created to build a world-class equestrian center and to preserve Qatar's historic tradition of breeding Arabian horses.
Getting around its extensive grounds is done in golf carts, much like the ones that glide guests silently around five-star resorts for people. They're a big help in covering the long distances between buildings, especially once the scorching summer arrives.
They loop around Al Shaqab's central arena and glide along the long straight of its racetrack before stopping at the breeding and show department, one of the highlights of any visit.
Natural-born swimmers
Here, around a sandy open paddock where the horses can frolic when the weather allows, sit some of the training and care facilities of Al Shaqab, a world-renowned center that has raised 420 competition and breeding animals from birth to date.
In the late-winter morning sun, a white mare gallops across the sand. One of the onlookers points at her rounded belly and suggests she might be pregnant. Her trainer shakes his head. As it turns out, she's simply overweight.
In warmer weather she'd be indoors, using an air-conditioned treadmill where horses can get a 30-to-45-minute workout on a hot day, an essential part of training for show horses, which, unlike jumping or racing horses, usually aren't ridden under saddle.
On the other side of the paddock, in yet another cool and spacious building, is the swimming pool, a circular water route similar to a lazy river, in which horses are trained from a young age to get their hooves wet, gradually building the routine up to five or six laps.
"Every horse is a natural-born swimmer, but we teach our horses techniques so they build up muscle," says Zaid al-Hashmi, head of stable management at Al Shaqab. "We make sure they enjoy it; we don't push them too hard.
"We take our time. We start teaching them when they're young. Once they turn a year old, it becomes easier.
"Some of them love it."
Also on hand is a "horse jacuzzi," a therapeutic tub with a sprayer that, according to Al-Hashmi, the horses like a little less. They generally prefer a human touch when it comes to massaging strained limbs.
And since no self-respecting horse would ever turn up with a damp mane after a swim, there's a row of heat lamps by the pool to dry them off.
All that's missing is a fluffy robe.
Behind the training center stretch long, cool rows of covered stables, home to some of the 740 horses currently living at Al Shaqab. The curious heads of these elegant animals peer over the gate of every roomy stall to greet visitors.
Atmospheric surroundings
In some of them, newborn foals rise to their feet and nuzzle their mothers in search of milk. A one-day-old, still-nameless foal wobbles unsteadily and bumps into a wall as it tries to coordinate its long legs.
Most of the horses are born in the Amiri stables, a private zone of Al Shaqab belonging to Qatar's ruling family. On top of keeping the center's most exclusive area for themselves, the royals get the right to name the newborns.
After visiting the breeding center, the electric cart zips over to an older part of the complex beside the old fort, a dusty, low-slung building that stands on the site of the original stables built decades ago, before Qatar's oil-funded transformation.
Still used to house some of Al Shaqab's horses, these Ottoman-era stables are a rare slice of history in a mostly modern country, and they're occasionally used as an atmospheric venue for corporate events.
The road back to the heart of the equestrian center passes horses being trained for endurance competitions. A popular sport in the Persian Gulf, these long-distance races see Arabian horses compete over distances exceeding 120 kilometers.
Al Shaqab is known for producing winners in endurance racing, show jumping, dressage, and Arabian horse shows alike. Most recently, an Al Shaqab horse named Falah Al Shaqab was crowned unanimous gold champion stallion at the 2018 Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show in Arizona.
Beyond the hedges lie other facilities, including a veterinary medical center with ambitions of becoming a regional hub for equine treatment, something that may or may not be affected by the ongoing sanctions imposed by the country's neighbors.
There's also an equine education department, where young Qataris aged six to 18 come to learn every aspect of horse life in the hope of raising the country's next generation of riders, breeders, and experts.
Twin arenas
The main attraction of a tour of Al Shaqab is the elegant, expansive performance arena at the center of the horseshoe-shaped layout. Here, a curving white-and-gray shell wraps around both an open-air arena and, almost as its mirror image, a covered arena for use in summer.
The grounds also feature a fine-dining restaurant and a four-star hotel, which opens during events to accommodate participants.
Looking ahead, Al Shaqab plans to build a genuine seven-star luxury hotel to cater to horse lovers and others who want to soak up the equestrian atmosphere of the center's lush, green estate.
No doubt the hotel rooms will be fully equipped with every high-end comfort to keep guests happy.
But if there's no hairdryer, there's probably a horse nearby that could lend one.
