Southern Stallions is the first of its kind in Maldives. A small startup built on the unique idea of two brothers Mr. Adlyl and Mr. Aqlyl and a close friend. To introduce horses to the Maldives.

Upon our request Mr. Aqlyl, one of the directors of the venture introduced us to the Southern Stallions and their three horses.

The majestic male white horse was called Aslan while Gia and Sophie are female horses. Among the three, Gia is the youngest and more reserved. As expected of a male horse, Aslan likes to run around in the ranch and seems more content when Gia and Sophie are nearby. MNN asked a few questions to Mr. Aqlyl on the Southern Stallions.

How did you get the idea of introducing horses to the southern tip of the Maldives?

Mr. Aqlyl: Southern Stallions was Adlyl’s idea. It was his dream to bring horses to Maldives. The whole concept and business were finalized at a coffee table amongst us. But because it being a very unique concept and as none of us had any experience with horses, we decided to do research first. Likewise, a feasibility survey was done to check if it’s possible to keep the horses healthy in an environment like what we have here in the Maldives.

What kind of challenges did you face when you started?

Mr. Aqlyl: This whole thing was very new to us. Though we had some ideas about the challenges we would face, we were not aware of the depth of challenges. The more research we did the more we realized the depth of the challenges we had to face. We also received full support from governing bodies of Maldives when we launched this startup.

Major challenges are food, accommodation and medical requirements for the horses. Getting Food for horses and finding a spacious and safe place for the horse were two of the biggest challenge at the initial stage. Procuring food is still a challenge as horse food is imported and is not readily available for instant purchase in Maldives. Proper feeding is critical to the overall health of the horse. Therefore, we provide good quality food for our horses.

Proper pasture management and good grooming is really necessary for horse health. As we do not have local qualified horse trainers, a licensed veterinarian was hired who is specialized in caring for horses. He will also be treating horse injuries and other medical issues.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic effect the business?

Mr. Aqlyl: The most unexpected challenge we faced was the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial plan was to take the horses to public places and offer the public horse rides. However due to the pandemic and restriction implemented due to the surge in COVID-19, we were unable to do that and we are currently closed for public.

How did the public react to horses in Addu city?

Mr. Aqlyl: The support received from public was very positive and more than what we expected. We still receive many requests from the public to see and ride the horses. However, due to the current COVID-19 situation Southern Stallion is closed for now. As soon as the situation gets better Southern Stallions will be reopened for public in line with HPA guidelines.

That being said, along with positive comments we also received negative and harsh comments too. Despite all that we moved forward and made this happen.

Do you intend to advertise Southern Stallion within the local tourism sector?

Mr. Aqlyl: Yes, we do. Our initial plan was also to enter local tourism with horse riding packages for tourists. Now also we do get calls from resorts from different parts of Maldives, but due to pandemic it is on hold.

Any plans to introduce horse racing?

Mr. Aqlyl: Our future plans involve introducing horse riding and racing in Maldives. To make it happen, we first need to learn horse riding.

In August 2021, if the COVID-19 situation in Addu subsides and the restrictions are eased, Southern Stallions horse riding trainings sessions will be opened for public.

Training session will be held for a period of one month. It will be open for all age categories however starting age limit is 7 years. Classes will be scheduled for 30 minutes duration per day and a fee will charged.

Training will consist of riding, pasture management, grooming, feeding, and caring for horse. We will also be giving opportunities to our students to work at Southern Stallions.

In future we look forward to hiring local horse trainers.

What are your plans for the future of Southern Stallions?

Mr. Aqlyl: Based on the public demand and with training sessions coming up in August, we will be requiring more horses. Our initial plan was to breed more horses, however due to lack of space, resources and the process being time consuming, we will be bringing more horses for our business expansion and to meet the demand from public.

For now, the space is small for the horses as it needs for horse training. We have requested Addu City Council as well to provide us with land and feedback from our Mayor is very positive.

What is your message for all the young entrepreneurs reading this?

Mr. Aqlyl: My message to youth is to take risks. Business itself is a risk. Regardless of the size of the task, one should be daring and work hard to execute the plan. Starting small itself is a step towards success. Fear will always be there. Go for it and overcome the fear.