It’s always heartwarming to visit EQUAL, a unique organisation that uses horses to guide high-needs adolescents towards emotional regulation and prosocial behaviour.

Yesterday was my 4th time there, but it felt like a novel experience. Due to the rain, we ended up performing various tasks at the stables, which allowed us to spend quality time with the horses and trainers.

The most memorable task was being introduced to Costera and asked to interact with her. I apparently didn’t give off a great first impression because she fidgeted and hissed, her prominent huge white teeth a clear warning to retreat. I thought I was chill but maybe I stroked her the wrong way. Anyway, the trainers suggested that I stroke her between her eyes. It worked! She stood still like a statue - and our moment of connection felt profound.

I put myself in the shoes of my 13-year-old students and imagined how scary it would feel for them to undergo the same experience. And what great lessons it entailed - being sensitive to your inner state, calming yourself down and staying chill. Basically, mastering yourself.

“Chill” was a word used often by the trainers to describe the horses. How horses are neither really happy nor sad, just relaxed. It resounded like an admirable demeanour to cultivate.

“Chill” is also what I will describe the trainers. Their job requires a unique skill set. They must not only be good with horses and people, but also be discerning to match horses that exhibit particular temperaments with people who will take well to them. An equine-human matchmaker, so to speak.

Moreover, their passion for horses is respectable. They have fallen down and/or been kicked by horses before, but they still remain in this line of work. It was a good opportunity to reflect on the extent to which I would be willing to endure things in order to sustain my passion. I don’t have an answer yet!

I’m not sure how I would evolve in 2024, but definitely I aim to incorporate more “chillness” into my psyche.