By Amanda Reseburg
Amid the rolling hills and picturesque vineyards of wine country lies philanthropist and equestrian expert Ann Lesley Smith’s California estate, a place of serenity and respite for her and now for visitors seeking the same. As she enters her seventies, the former chaplain and radio host has been inspired to help others find the repose that she has found, and her inspiration has come from the most unlikely of places.
When Smith first came across her rare Arabian stallion, Amir Fadjur Salaam, she knew something about him was special. “It’s in his eyes,” she explains. “He has empathy, and you can tell he understands you.”
Amir is a direct descendant of one of the most celebrated Arabian horses in recent history, The Fabulous Fadjur. Known for his particular personality, which has allowed him to forge deep connections with humans, Fadjur began a bloodline that continues today in horses like Amir, who inherited the same traits.
A higher calling inspired by empathy
Smith has spent her life driven by faith and the desire to help others. That desire increased tenfold when Amir came into her life. His ability to empathize with humans inspired Smith to open her estate to those in need of a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. She saw firsthand the transformative power of being around Amir and the other Arabian horses on her property.
“You can see people relax in real time,” Smith explains. “They are not used to seeing that level of freedom.”
Through a simple horseback ride or even just getting in touch with a horse like Amir, Smith has seen faces light up and transformation take hold. She hopes that forming a connection with Amir and her other Arabian horses will help people get in touch with what truly matters in life: our bonds with others and our search for understanding, respect, and love.
Smith allows people to come ride her other horses amid the free-roaming Arabians, to rest on the grounds of her estate, and to experience Amir’s intuitive nature for themselves. For her, the changes she has witnessed in her estate visitors have been remarkable.
“We live in an age where much of what we experience is synthetic,” Smith says. “Amir is pure authenticity. People who experience that are changed by it.”
A broader message of peace
Outside of her estate, Smith also has a broader vision for how Amir can help bring about a more peaceful world. Thousands of years ago, the Bedouin tribes who roamed the Arabian deserts bred these horses to be empathetic companions, not just simple beasts of burden. That purposeful breeding has persisted in the Arabian breed, eventually evolving into the highly intuitive horses of today.
“Arabian horses were given as gifts of goodwill between countries for thousands of years,” Smith explains.
Smith believes that the history of the Arabian horse as a symbol of peace can inform how the breed is used today.
“I believe Amir could be the new ambassador for peace in a time that has become deeply divided,” she says. “Amir carries that ability in his blood. He has the same ability to show empathy and understanding that generations of Arabian horses before him had.”
Smith has also seen the potential for Arabian horses to inform modern technology. Current developers of AI tools have long struggled to embed more empathetic and human-like characteristics into the technology.
“The Bedouin people managed to ‘upload’ these traits into their horses thousands of years ago,” says Smith.
She feels that this history could help modern developers learn how to program AI technology to have a more human-like understanding and response to users.
A new purpose inspired by Amir
Throughout Smith’s life, she has always come back to striving to help others. Whether it was talking about her faith or opening her home to people who simply needed time to reset, she has been inspired by the empathy that was extended to her through her prized Arabian horse.
“We live in a divided world, and I just want to be a small part of helping make that better,” Smith says.
Smith is aware that we are living in a world that often feels short on peace and kindness. She is hopeful that, through a blend of her passion for these exceptional horses and her desire to help others, she can create a space where the enduring spirit of the Arabian lineage, faith, and philanthropy combine to restore lives and inspire hope.
