C E L E B R A T I N G equine S P I R I T We know him today as an award-winning actor, director, producer, musician and pitchman. Only a few may be truly aware that William Shatner is also a gifted champion rider and horseman. In his new book, SPIRIT OF THE HORSE: A Celebration in Fact and Fable, with Jeff Rovin, Mr. Shatner discourses on his long connection to horses, combining legendary myths and folktales with his own experiences, to produce a unique view inside the equine world. Stories ranging from Aesop’s The Horse, Hunter and Stag, and The Brothers Grimm’s The Fox and the Horse, to more contemporary tales such as Ambrose Bierce’s The Horseman in the Sky, and Jack London’s Four Horses and a Sailor lay the groundwork for Shatner’s poignant commentary and personal reflections. The result is a reader who is that much closer to the true spirituality of the horse. I have been a fan of William Shatner my whole life. I remember watching him in Star Trek when I was a child. Learning of his admiration for horses and accomplishments as a serious equestrian make him even more endearing to me. His new book “Spirit of the Horse” does indeed bring out the very essence of these noble creatures and celebrates our connection to them. I am honored that he granted me this exclusive interview for Elite Equestrian. -Noelle Vander Brink, Editor What gave you the inspiration for this book? I have been slowly evolving into understanding more about the spirit of the horse. Far more than being a beast of burden or a joyful plaything or an object d’art, the horse is an entity that has a soul and has a mystical way of communicating both with other horses and with human beings. I have begun to explore this with my horses and I seek to explore that in the book. How did you choose the books/chapters you referenced? The excerpts from the books are both applicable to the themes that I read about and some are just interesting in themselves. With all of the experiences with horses that you have had, is there anything you haven’t done that you wish you did or would still like to do? In another life, I think the Spanish Riding School would have been a superb experience but that’s another life. Can you expand on the conversation you mention on page 283 about your business manager realizing that having the horses is all worthwhile. Health, vitality, energy, etc. I think that will hit home with my readers. When I got into horses as deeply as I am, my business people said ‘don’t buy anything that eats while you sleep.’ I thought that was pre��y funny and obviously lacked the inner knowledge of what it is to have a horse. As I became motivated to compete in Reiners and show horses and Standardbreds, then the necessity of being physically fit became apparent. Riding horses with high motivation is a wonderful way to beat back the encroaching spider web of age. Can you tell us more about the spiritual connection with horses and how it has made you a be��er rider versus a mechanical rider as you talk about on page 291. Every year we put on the Hollywood Charity Horse Show. We have done so for thirty years. Thusly, we have raised millions of dollars for children and for veterans. Many of our charities are therapeutic riding charities. It becomes obvious what the benefits are to help the kids and the vets. That’s a beautiful spiritual connection. At the same time, as a horseman, if you can delve into the mind of the horse while you’re on its back and make that connection as a rider, then the unity of horse and rider which is the ideal, comes closer. 36 www.EliteEquestrian.us
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