Adil Ait Ougram (Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco)
Performing the Amazigh Horse
In the village of Aít Benhaddou near Ouarzazate, the Amazigh horse supports the local micro-economy in various ways: dressage riding lessons, guided trail rides, and excursions on horse track require spiritedness as well as stamina. But our horses are also travelers – they spend summers by the sea to serve tourists at a French luxury resort, and they travel to filming locations for productions such as Gladiator 2 or Game of Thrones. In our horsemanship, we rely and expand on classical French riding, as well as traditional practices of caring for livestock. At the center of all activity is our close connection to our working horses; we ‘read’ our horses as they ‘read’ us and the people who they serve.