Personal story CASE 1
Came to Urakawa, from a school in Chiba Prefecture, for the horses
Yuuka Suzuki (20 years old)
From Kanagawa Prefecture.
After graduating from a vocational school,
for animal-related professions, in Chiba Prefecture,
joined “AERU” (overnight/day use facility to enjoy horses and nature)
in April, 2015 as a horseback riding instructor.
1-1First-hand experience/tourist facility featuring horses
Full of expectations.
Tackling each challenge with my youth!
Tenma Road splits off of National Route 235 toward Hidaka Mountains.
Horse pastures line both sides of the road for a while.
Several Thoroughbreds are found within the regulated fence.
Perhaps one of them will become a star at Chuo Keiba or regional horse racing tracks in a few years.
At “AERU,” where I spend most of my day now,
retired famous race horses, with superior records, are enjoying the rest of their lives.
In addition, over 10 horses are being raised.
However, the types and purpose of rearing greatly differ from the other surrounding farms.
“AERU” is a tourist facility with overnight accommodations,
where you can observe, touch and enjoy time with the horses.
Many horse-lovers, of beginner to intermediate levels, visit throughout the year.
The staff’s job includes caring for, maintaining, and teaching the horses,
and welcoming the visitors as horseback riding instructors.
There are many expectations from us,
as the ones dealing with the horses all day long, and liaison between horses and visitors.
I understand.
I am still only 20 years old. But I will work hard.
1-2Sense of fulfillment and responsibility I sought from “AERU”
Jiro, my current No. 1 partner
“You still have lots of room to grow.”
There is a warm-blood horse named Jiro.
(One of the ways to classify horses is hot-blood (like Thoroughbreds) and cold-blood (like Bretons) horses.
The product of their breeding is warm-blood horse.)
He and I started at “AERU” at about the same time.
In actual age, I am slightly older.
Due to these things, he is a horse I end up thinking about and like, even though he gives me problems at times.
He might be my best confidant in the company, after 1 year of being there.
I liked animals since my childhood, and thought “being a zookeeper would be fun,”
and enrolled in an animal vocational school in Chiba Prefecture.
“AERU” was one of the facilities I was assigned to as a trainee.
The training program was extremely hard, but being able to connect with the horses everyday,
and the regional environment shaped by possibly having Japan’s greatest “horse population density,”
rather than human population density, became the reason to seek employment here after graduating.
During the first year, I gained much experience in my own horseback riding training, and caring for the horses.
Also, I feel more comfortable dealing with visitors,
who come for beginner to intermediate horseback riding experience.
My boss says, “You still have lots of room to grow.
I hired you for your energy fitting for entertaining the visitors.”
I work hard everyday with these words of encouragement.
1-3What the customers want from this facility and us
There are things you can learn from the horses
There are times you are moved by the customers
From feeding at 6 in the morning, follows the morning exercise,
preparing for assisted horseback riding and trekking,
and lecturing and serving the visitors.
For the intermediate level riders, trekking is not limited to “AERU” premises,
but could also extend in to the “JRA Hidaka Training Farm.”
“JRA Hidaka Training Farm” offers visitor tours,
and is popular among visitors.
There is no time to rest between tasks,
as I have to clean the stable and do my own horseback riding training.
A shift system is employed to complete the tasks with other staff.
After a year, I can finally say that I am getting the hang of it.
Children are wide-eyed and excited about their first experience with horses.
There are regulars, who have much more experience with the horses,
and teach me things instead.
A bicycle racer told me about the commonality between horseback riding and bicycles.
There are many visitors, who develop interest in the surrounding fauna and flora,
along with riding horses.
I asked the company to buy me a book about the plants and animals of Hokkaido.
1-4What “AERU” can do in Urakawa
Go visit a shrine on a horse!
I believe I can still do something.
There was a time when the children from a nearby facility for special needs people came by.
I was impressed to see a dramatic change in the expression of an autistic child trying horseback riding.
It is not easy to officially offer equine-assisted therapy,
but I believe it is in the realm of possibility.
Horses are categorized with “bicycles” (non-motorized vehicles) on public roads.
Therefore, it is relatively easy to go out of the facility.
In conjunction with the “Regional Revitalization Supporters” from the town office,
we visited “Nishicha Shrine,” located close to “AERU,”
for the New Year this year.
“AERU” was established with an expectation to become the tourist spot in Urakawa.
Could it collaborate more with the local people for a wider range of activities?
I am only in my first year, but I would like to gradually think about that.
I became friends with a woman who works for a nearby farm.
I have more opportunities to go out with young people of Urakawa on my off days.
Urakawa is where I can find my beloved horses everywhere.
The place I had no ties to
has now become a very important place for me.
First, I must acquire first level instructor certification by National Riding Club Association of Japan.
Moreover, to have the visitors experience the joy of “AERU,”
and the amazing city of Urakawa.
These are my current goals.
