Cultural outings come in many forms. Sometimes you stand in front of a painting and quietly consult the wall text. Sometimes you go for the architecture and stay for the exhibition. And sometimes the reason you came has four legs, excellent posture and considerably more discipline than you.

At Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts, or ADREA, on Jubail Island, horses are the starting point for a much bigger cultural excursion. Classical horsemanship sits alongside art, literature, craftsmanship and education, offering several ways into a world that can seem rather exclusive from the outside. You don’t need a horse, a riding history or an opinion on dressage to find your way in.

To understand how it all fits together, we spoke to Reem Al Mubarak, ADREA’s Head of Culture, about unexpected interests, living heritage and the particular pleasure of watching a place become part of other people’s lives.

ADREA is dedicated to preserving and advancing classical horsemanship, guided by Furusiyya: a tradition bringing together equestrian skill, intellect and chivalry. That gives the institution plenty to explore beyond what happens in the saddle. Horses have shaped poetry, visual culture, craftsmanship and collective memory; following their story means encountering the people who have lived alongside them.

“What makes ADREA particularly special is that all these disciplines have a natural relationship with one another,” Reem explains. “Horses have been part of our history, poetry, art, and collective imagination for centuries.”

Seen that way, a library beside an arena makes perfect sense. One gives you the performance; the other lets you follow the questions it raises.

A reassuring approach for anyone whose cultural itinerary usually begins with “let’s have a look” and becomes an entire afternoon.

For a first visit, Reem suggests a guided tour followed by Furusiyya: The Return to Origins. The show brings the relationship between horse and rider into focus, with the indoor arena providing a 1,200-seat setting for classical horsemanship.

You don’t have to identify every movement to appreciate what you are watching. Most of us know how difficult it is to coordinate our own limbs. The precision of two living beings working together is another proposition entirely.

“Even without understanding the technical aspects of what you are seeing, you can recognise the patience, trust, discipline, and years of practice behind every movement,” Reem says.

The appeal is that you can appreciate the beauty immediately, then choose how much further to investigate. There is no entrance exam.

The Furusiyya Gallery follows the relationship between horses and people across cultures and centuries. Its collection of 176 objects includes arms, manuscripts, textiles and riding equipment, opening up stories of craftsmanship, identity and the role of horsemanship in everyday and ceremonial life.

An object that once served a practical purpose can tell you about the tastes, skills and values of the person who made or used it. Reem sees that human connection as central to the gallery.

“Each one tells us something about the people who made it, used it, or preserved it,” she says.

That is a useful invitation to look more closely. You might arrive interested in horses and leave thinking about metalwork, textiles or the extraordinary amount of attention someone once gave an object you would otherwise have walked past.

If your preferred cultural activity involves books and a comfortable period of silence, ADREA has considered you too. Its equestrian library holds more than 14,000 volumes, bringing together writing and research on horsemanship, rare collections and a dedicated UAE heritage section.

The interior, created in collaboration with Beirut-based design duo David/Nicolas, provides another reason to linger: handcrafted furnishings and flowing shelves make the room itself part of the experience. Architecture and design enthusiasts have a perfectly legitimate reason to visit before they have read a single page.

“I have always believed that libraries are among the most important spaces within any cultural institution,” Reem says. “They preserve knowledge, of course, but more importantly, they make it possible for that knowledge to continue growing.”

Consider it permission to follow a passing interest further than intended. We have all lost an evening to an internet rabbit hole. This one comes with better furniture.

After watching the riders and exploring the collections, the atelier brings attention to the hands behind the equipment. Traditional saddlery and leatherworking are explored through demonstrations and workshops, connecting the finished object to the skill required to produce it.

Here, the links between ADREA’s spaces become especially clear. Equipment seen in the gallery has a relationship to something being made in the workshop and used in the arena. The craft remains part of a working world.

For anyone who has ever examined a beautifully made leather bag and declared it an investment, there is plenty to appreciate.

Behind the visitor experience is a substantial educational undertaking. ADREA’s programmes include a four-year Rider Degree, equine care training, horse development and specialist clinics. The degree programme is reserved for Emiratis, while Mastery Clinics welcome equestrian enthusiasts of different nationalities.

That matters even if your ambitions begin and end in the audience. Training riders, developing horses and teaching care are how the expertise behind a performance continues into the future.

For newcomers, though, Reem is keen to remove any sense that participation must mean riding. She admits that horses were once among the animals she least expected to find herself interacting with.

“Not everyone who visits ADREA will become a rider, and that is perfectly fine,” she says.

A return visit might instead mean a talk, a workshop or more time in the library. Nobody needs to purchase an entirely new wardrobe.

Check the current programme before visiting and book guided tours in advance. Dining is also part of ADREA’s wider offer, with spaces overlooking the outdoor arena, although individual venue availability is worth confirming when planning your visit.

For Reem, ADREA’s place in Abu Dhabi’s cultural landscape comes from bringing an existing heritage into people’s present lives.

“We are building upon something that has always belonged here,” she says. “There is both an honour and a responsibility in preserving that legacy, but I also believe preservation should never mean keeping something still.”

Her own connection goes back to April 2024, when she saw the arena without its roof or seats. Watching it fill with audiences now gives the institution’s ambitions a very personal scale: what once existed in drawings has become somewhere people spend time together.

That is a compelling reason to put ADREA on your Abu Dhabi list. Come for the horses, the books or the craftsmanship. You can decide which one brings you back afterwards.