Feature
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f you spend time at Buccoo Bay, you’ll probably see groups of people on horses coming slowly down the road and wandering among the trees, and even wading through the sea. What you are seeing is either an activity called Being with Horses, or one known as Healing with Horses, respectively the commercial and therapeutic wings of an operation run by Veronika Danzer La Fortune and her husband, Lennon. Originally from Germany, Veronika visited Trinidad, met Lennon, fell in love with both him and the country, and settled in Tobago. A lover of horses, Veronika had taken part in equestrian events in her homeland, culminating in a lengthy spell with a horse-based travelling show. She noticed unhappily that there weren’t many horses here in Tobago. But one day, while walking in the rainforest, Veronika chanced upon a horse living wild. She set about befriending the creature, gradually forming a bond. She came to the point where she felt she could take the animal home to Buccoo, but no horses on the island meant no trailers, so they walked home together — a journey that took 23 hours. The horse, by then named Jennifer, was to be the first member of an equine team that now numbers six. All are “rescue” horses, having outlived their usefulness for previous owners. One is a retired racehorse. The thing that strikes you immediately on meeting Veronika and Lennon with the horses is that this is not a master-andservant relationship. Their philosophy is that the horses are the equal of people and we can learn as much from them as they can from us. ”When we approach a horse, we bow low and offer a hand,” Veronika says. If this sounds like new-age whimsy, you have to be there and experience it. The horses don’t have hard, heavy saddles, but just enough of a soft seat to give a sense of security. The bridles don’t have a metal bit that lets the rider assert his or her authority by causing discomfort. It’s very much a partnership: “The horse trusts you and you trust the horse,” as Veronika puts it. This almost spiritual experience led quite naturally to the idea of the horse as therapist for differently-abled people, many of them children, who come to enjoy the simplicity of gentle horse-riding. Many derive such confidence from the experience that they function better on the horse than they do otherwise. “We get children with ADHD, and autistic children are drawn to animals, especially horses,” Veronika explains. “It helps some with their motor skills, too. They learn how to do the greeting and it gives them a sense of responsibility and taking care. Horses don’t judge.” “We have a young girl who has to be strapped into her wheelchair. On a horse, she sits upright,” says Marjorie Linglet, who undertakes much of the administration. Marjorie is one of a host of volunteers who simply want to be part of the operation. Every year there is a summer camp in which children spend time in this serene environment. It’s so popular that this year they took over the goat-racing arena at Buccoo. For the differently-abled, Healing with Horses can be a priceless source of enjoyment and comfort. When I mention to Veronika that what springs to mind is the film The Horse Whisperer, she points out that, again, that presupposes that the humans are calling the shots. “More like the horse listener,” she says.
Photo: Inken Janning
Horses help heal body, mind, and soul By Chris Morvan
Photo: Chris Morvan
Ins & Outs of Trinidad and Tobago
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