Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Aug / Sept 2017: The Kids & Family Issue | Page 24

HORSES HEALING HUMANS

You would never have guessed it , but horses make great therapists . From an early age , Liz Gray discovered that she could learn to live in the moment , heal emotional wounds , and improve the way she connected with others — all at her closest equestrian center .

Growing up on a farm in rural England , I was lucky enough to have my own pony , a grey gelding named Mouse . For 11 years , I groomed , rode , mucked out , fed , watered , and loved caring for Mouse ( and the horses that followed when I eventually grew too tall for him ). It was an experience that shaped me as a person .

Equestrianism taught me important life skills : responsibility , patience , love , courage and confidence . Perhaps more importantly , it provided me with an invaluable escape during difficult phases , like the divorce of my parents . I found the presence of my ponies incredibly healing . And I ’ m most definitely not alone .
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