Written for the Down's Syndrome Association of Oman, read out on the Radio Oman to advertise an event they were running. The initiative was aimed at using interaction with horses as a way of raising the confidence of children of various disabilities.
Only Kids and Horses
By Fahim Firfiray
Muscat, Oman, January 2010
In a quiet corner of Muscat
unheard and unseen
You’ll find a few boys and girls
fulfilling their dream
These kids are special
with challenging needs
Riding all kinds of horses
of all kinds of breeds
They meet them, befriend them
feed them some hay
Take them from stables
and ride them away
Walk, canter
gallop, trot
Jump, manoeuvre
they do the lot
They have Autism, Down Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy and more
But ALL of them have
tonnes of energy in store
In the world, these kids
are unseen and small
But once on the horses
they sit strong, proud and tall
In the world all around
people just stare
But the horses don’t judge
they simply don’t care
They simply accept
these kids as they are
And give them the confidence
that they need to go far
The trust and the courage
that will help them believe
That truly there is nothing
They cannot achieve