Day in the life: Anantara's equestrian guide

Michelle Holroyd, equestrian guide at Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara tells Hotelier about a typical day at the Abu Dhabi island resort...

4:45am – Wake up and get ready for work.
5:20am – Prepare my safari car for the day ahead.
5:45am – Arrive at the lobby and greet guests joining me for the equine activities.

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6:15am – Guests are escorted to the tack room where they get suited, booted and briefed about the horse ride and associated safety.
7:15am – Whilst watching the sunrise, I share information about the island, its history and the animals that inhabit it.
8:15am – I drop my guests back to Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara.

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8:30am – I lead the beginner ride, pitching in some jokes to put the guests at ease.
10:30am – Collect next guests for a Sir Bani Yas Stables tour. I introduce them to each of the horses, giving the low-down on their personalities.
12:00pm – A little bit of “me” time. I head to the canteen for lunch and a nice cup of tea.

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1:00pm – Back to Sir Bani Yas Stables. I check emails, chase up pending orders and ensure all necessary office-based tasks are completed.
4:00pm – No guests this evening. I utilise the free time as an opportunity to train the new horse in the wildlife park. Taking a fully-trained horse with us as a companion, we start the de-sensitisation process with the giraffe and cheetah. Another month of training and she should be ready for guests to take on my favourite activity – the wildlife ride.
6:30pm – I check all of the horses are settled for the evening and leave for home..

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7:00pm – Dinner time.
8:00pm – Check work emails to see what guest activities are booked for the following day. Allocate horses according to guest details and relay information to the grooms; this is what I love about my job, that no two days are ever the same.