Saddle up for a children's pony camp in Dubai

Children learn stable management skills, but are also able to swim with and paint the animals

The children's pony camp at JA Equestrian Centre, where swimming with horses is the highlight of the two-morning session. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A child jumps off one of the horses into the calm sea

Michelle Coetzee, equestrian manager at JA Equestrian Centre, is originally from South Africa and has been working at the stables for more than two years

Painting the horses is another popular activity

The ponies are painted with non-toxic, pet-safe, washable finger paints

Children can ride in pairs during the swim, which is a 'novel experience', says Coetzee

Grooming time for the horses. The camp also teaches children stable management skills

The horses are well-kept and managed at the stables in JA The Resort, Dubai

The pony camp also features gymkhana, for which children can win rosettes

Parents watch as their children swim with the horses

Jumping off a painted horse in pairs, a highlight of the camp

Away from the stables, the camp's activities include mini-golf and the resort's Splash water park

Coetzee watches on as children enjoy swimming with the horses

A young girl swimming with a horse

The camp caters to children of all riding skills aged six to 12, as all rides are guided

Never work with children or animals, they say, but Michelle Coetzee does exactly that on a regular basis when she runs the children's pony camps at JA Equestrian Centre.

The equestrian manager at the stables in JA The Resort in Dubai hosts groups of children aged six to 12 for the two-morning camps, run throughout the year on long weekends and school holidays.

Highlights from the camp include stable management, painting the ponies and a gymkhana, but the main attraction is swimming with the horses.

"Everyone enjoys swimming with the horses," Coetzee tells The National of the activity, which is run as part of the camp or for groups of people of any age, as long as they weigh less than 75kg.

"It is tranquil, adults love swimming with the horses and floating in flat, warm water," she says. "Then the kids can dive in, swim with the animals and on top of them. If there are two of them, they can ride together. They have a blast.

"It's an novel experience. It actually sold me on my job here. I moved from South Africa for the role and when I saw the photos of the horses swimming among the boats, I thought, 'I can live there!'"

Another popular activity is painting the horses, which children do with non-toxic, pet-safe, washable finger paints. Coetzee deliberately chooses the white pony for children to get creative with, so that it stands out. She jokes that the light-furred stable dog Gemma also frequently gets in on the colourful action.

Children of any skill level can take part in the camp, as all rides are assisted and the gymkhana is divided into different skill groups, with rosettes handed out at the end.

Away from the stables, mini-golf, use of the resort's Splash water park and milkshakes at Smokin' Gun restaurant are all available at the camp.

The camp runs for two mornings in a row, from 9am to 12.30pm, and costs Dh400 ($108) a day. It runs annually from October to June, breaking for the hot summer months.