Palestinians in East Jerusalem cherish horses as family
‘A horse also always shares its own feelings with its human friend but you need to understand it’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Palestinian Fares Salem treats the horses he looks after at stables overlooking Jerusalem's walled Old City as though they were members of his own family.
The Salems have been tending horses for more than 30 years at their home in Arab East Jerusalem, and Fares and his friends prepare them for riding at weekends in the hills and open spaces near the city and in the adjacent Israeli-occupied West Bank.
“I was raised with horses around me and I started to ride them when I was three or four years old. We once had a pony that grew up alongside me and this created a bond that has made me want to devote my life to horses,” said 21-year-old Fares.
Mahmoud Montasir, a Jerusalem teenager who has his own horse, said he had achieved his childhood dream of turning horse-riding into a pastime.
“It is a great privilege to work with horses. A horse is a very clever animal and understands its human friend and his feelings. A horse also always shares its own feelings with its human friend but you need to understand it,” Montasir said.
Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments