...my treasures do not sparkle they clink,
they shine in the sun and neigh in the night...

 

 

ILARIA - July 2020

My experience with horses was not intentional. I was only looking for a volunteering camp suitable for my young age (I’m 17 years old), as I had a strong need to do something good for someone else. Then one day, as I was surfing the "net", I stumbled across this association and without thinking twice I immediately asked for more information on how to participate in the volunteering activities. Since the first phone call, IHP provided me with all the necessary information, and I understood it would be the perfect place for me. Unfortunately it’s been more than two weeks since I returned home. "Unfortunately" because this wonderful experience, if lived well, leaves a deep soft spot in your heart and a sense of melancholy when you have to leave, with the desire to come back soon...
I’ve always loved horses, ever since I was a little girl, and have frequented farms and riding stables. But it was only thanks to the month I spent at IHP that I have been able to deepen my knowledge of horses and their way of life, and the positive emotions they are able to transmit.
Living in a city, I have always seen horses in stables. When I arrived at IHP I noticed the difference in the way they are treated. To see horses always free in their natural habitat, as they always should be, carries a sense of serenity and tranquillity.
I admit it proved difficult at the beginning to adapt to the needs and demands for help of the 40 horses hosted at IHP, rising at dawn, getting used to the smell of horse that lingers on your clothes after long hours of work...but when you understand how the daily routine works, the days go by feeling totally relaxed and satisfied with what you’ve done. I wish to thank Sonny for the hospitality and care, Giulia and Benjamin for the more practical activities as well as all the volunteers I’ve met and with whom I’ve spent 24 hours a day, working, laughing and cooking new vegan recipes!