HORSES THAT HEAL: A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE FOR THE UNWANTED
They used to race for money. Now, man and horse help heal the human spirit
No longer wanted as race, polo or riding mounts, these horses found a home at EQUAL – where ex-jockeys like Shamri Shamsudin show them how to provide therapy to folks in need.
SINGAPORE: As a race jockey, Shamri Samsudin’s eyes were set on only one thing: The winning post.
Everything else – from the pounding of hooves, to the shouts of other riders as their mounts jostled past one another – faded into a blur around him, his horse, and the finish line. “When you win, the happiness is something I cannot describe,” he said.
But these days, after almost 30 years on the racecourse, 52-year-old Shamri’s eyes are fixed on a different kind of prize.
It’s the delighted smile of a young child from a troubled family. The spark of wonder in the tired eyes of an elderly nursing home resident, as he strokes a horse’s mane for the first time. The stroke victim who gets up from her wheelchair to kiss an equine muzzle.
