On a blazing summer day in a village named Ushi, Davit Mamikyan, a resident of Jermik Ankyun, Armenia’s first home for physically and mentally handicapped adults, cautiously climbed onto a chestnut-colored horse named Salma.
The horse, barely saved from a cruel sendoff to the meat-packing factory, and renowned for her gentle demeanor towards new riders, stood completely still. With encouragement from his housemates, who were anxiously looking on, and direction from instructor Boris Podorovski, Mamikyan’s fears slowly gave way to a big smile. As he rode across the open field that led up to the mountains of Armenia’s Aragatsotn region, the 22-year-old seemed to be a long way from the difficulties he had endured earlier in his life, living on the streets with his mother who recently passed away. He became, even for a short time, a young adult enjoying an unforgettable experience.
