Empathy & Horses
Horse Whisperer
Since I was 10, I wanted to be a horse whisperer… And part of me still probably does.
Throughout my childhood, my plan was to become a horse whisperer. I had been so influenced by books I have read (especially the Heartland series by Lauren Brooke, and all of Monty Roberts’ books).
But as life went on, I had to stop riding regularly when I was 15 years old. In high school, I developed my interest for language and intercultural education. By the time I was a university student, I barely expected myself to come back to horses. Although still loving them for their majestic beauty and wisdom, by that time, horses had become a far away childhood hobby, I never could imagine myself connecting my professional work with horses. For me, the sense of contributing had become far more important than indulging myself in the expensive sport.
Mongolia
14 years on, now not just a pony-mad little girl but also an enthusiast to change education, I found myself on the great plains in Mongolia...and guess what? On horseback.
What was I doing there?
Well, it turned out to be not just my childhood dream coming true to ride horses in the open wilderness in Mongolia ー but a journey to reconnect with my soul and what I wanted to thrive for.
Life is very interesting- you never know what you loved in your childhood would chase you again when you are 24.
The understanding about the nature of both myself and horses was the largest gift the journey gave to me.
“Horses are smart animals. They know when you are relaxed or when you are nervous.” Said my Mongolian tour guide.
I learnt that what I am empowered by when I’m with horses is not the riding part. It was the experience of being with horses and communicating with them. It was the process of connectedness, empathy and learning.
The power of horses to Heal
My recent readings about horse therapy has revealed to me how horses can heal people with special needs (such as learning disabilities, PTSD, drug addicts, crime inmates) through their emotional intelligence. I won’t go into details but the book ‘Riding Home’ by Tim Hayes has inspired me to learn about equine behavior in order to understand deeper about human psychology.
What do I envision?
To this date I still imagine the time I struggled coming back into Japan. The collectivity and perfectionist school environment did not feel welcoming to me at all. And I still wonder, “How many more children are still feeling low esteem because of trying to be the same as others? What if empathy is there in the learning environment? Would there be less suffering and more thriving?”
I know there are so many outstanding methods and educationalists out there. But what if horses can become another answer to the rising suicide rates, bulling and depression?
That’s something I’m exploring now :)
