Katherine Winny resigned from her high-profile law job after two cases of deep vein thrombosis landed her in hospital. Despite leading a less stressful life and qualifying as a life coach soon after, Winny found that her personal life kept following the same behavioural loop, and she decided to turn to a rather unusual source for relationship help: a horse.
“I booked a joint session with a friend to really explore that space,” says Winny. She went to the Emirates Equestrian Centre stables for a one-off session, met the horses, and identified one she thought she clicked the most with. A long-time horse rider, Winny began petting the animal’s head and then walked across the ring, expecting the horse to follow.
“I was surprised he didn’t. The coach explained that everything was lovely, then I spun around and walked away, and I hadn’t communicated it with the horse. I realised I was doing that in my relationships: walking away, and expecting the other person to follow me and be a mind reader.” It was, Winny explains, a breakthrough. The horse had revealed a pattern she had been unable to spot.
Winny is now a qualified Equus coach. This growing field has already taken off in the US and UK, and is starting to expand to the Middle East.
How it works
Proponents say horses are less intimidating than humans, and are able to mirror and reveal emotions yet act without judgment. “If you’re high-energy, the horse will be high-energy. If you’re timid, the horse will be timid,” says Winny.
There is an element of science behind this; horses are able to hear the human heartbeat within four feet, and research has revealed a horse can synchronise its heart’s rhythm to that of a human’s.
When someone is introduced to the “herd”, horses tend to feed off the physical and emotional responses that govern the person’s behaviour and respond accordingly, giving clues that trained therapists are able to pick up on to know more about their client’s mindset and behavioural patterns.
As a client is interacting with a horse, Winny asks a series of questions and observes. “The idea is that the way we do anything is the way we do everything. So the way you approach something with the horse for the first time, is how you’d approach other things for the first time in other areas,” she says.
Horses can also reveal the stories people tell themselves, such as “this horse is bullying the other horses” or “the horse doesn’t like me because I’m this way or that way”, notes Winny. “I’m there to pick up on things, like, you are telling me this but the horse is reflecting something different, so which feels right in this situation? The horses give honest feedback. They don’t tell us what we want to hear; they reflect what they’re seeing.”
The benefits of pet therapy
Winny shares the story of a couple who came to her for help. They were planning on a move after leaving their previous jobs. “But they were concerned their paths weren’t really aligned,” she says. The woman had all this drive and energy for what was coming next. The man, who was going through a tough exit from his former company, did not.
“When they came, they both tried to do the same activity with the same horse. She got the horse cantering in perfect circles effortlessly. He came into the ring and couldn’t get the horse to move. He was trying and trying … and she realised he was completely exhausted, just drained from his job situation,” says Winny.
When the woman saw that, she understood their relationship tension wasn’t personal. “The next day, he had negotiated the settlement and they were leaving to start their adventure.”
With horses and other animals, the client will feel calmer, more open and more comfortable to let their guard down.
Madeeha Afridi, counselling psychologist at The Lighthouse Arabia Centre for Wellbeing in Dubai, notes there can be benefits to using pets in therapy, and it’s something she has recommended to clients.
“For clients presenting PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder], anxiety or depression, or mental or physical disabilities, they might feel sensitive or triggered around other individuals,” says Afridi. “With horses and other animals, the client will feel calmer, more open and more comfortable to let their guard down.”
However, she stresses the importance of ensuring the client is well-informed, and says equine therapy isn’t for everyone. “Not all clients are open to pets in therapy, and not all psychologists are trained to use horses or pets. The psychologist [must have] specialised training.” It’s also crucial to make sure the client and horse share chemistry. “Otherwise, it might have a negative impact on the healing process.”
Helping people of determination
This form of therapy is also increasingly being used to help people of determination. While it’s a developing field, proponents note that for individuals with mental disabilities, equine therapy can help them work through various emotional difficulties. It can assist with concentration, the ability to follow instructions, and simply becoming comfortable around others.
For those with physical disabilities, the therapy can bring health benefits. Studies presented at the International Congress of Equine Facilitated Programmes indicated that equine therapy can even help with multiple sclerosis; when practised alongside standard care, it reduces fatigue and improves balance and the overall quality of life.
Vikram Kumar, a UAE resident with autism, first started equine therapy in 2016. He was a student at Al Marmoom Initiative, a non-profit organisation that offers horse therapy classes free of charge for individuals with special needs. “It took a good year before he would get on the horse, because from the start he was so afraid and very shy,” says Yana Shuhaylo, stable manager at Al Marmoom, which is located on Al Qudra road in Dubai.
The process was a gentle one. First the team moved Kumar to a stable. Then they helped him pet a horse. “Slowly, he became more comfortable and started to open up to people,” says Shuhaylo. Eventually, Kumar began grabbing a helmet and waiting quietly while the other students were riding.
“We saw he was ready,” Shuhaylo says. So they helped Kumar on to a horse. “And he had this smile, this big, huge smile … now he has been riding for over a year. He’s listening better, responding more and is much more comfortable with people. He’s really amazing.”
In addition to working with private clients, Winny assists at Al Marmoom. “The students put their attention on one thing and it builds their confidence, helps with their neuro-skills and even their speaking,” she says. “The horse isn’t there telling them what to do or not to do. It’s just there. They can explore that and really connect.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pathaan
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Specs
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How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”
A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.
Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.
Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5