From America to Macedonia: Embarking on a Journey to Raise Horses

Maria Duda, the girl who has recently been very involved in helping our honey heroine "Atidže Muratova," tells us for our blog what life filled with horses is like. Maria is in love with horses and says that her life has changed since they became part of her story. She lives in two locations: one is New York, and the other is Macedonia, where she has been spending a lot of time recently.

Macedonia is a very attractive country for horse breeding and riding. The country’s relief offers truly adventurous tours, which are often organized in Western Macedonia, including places like: Galichnik, Mavrovo, Rostuše, Ohrid, as well as parts of Western Macedonia, such as the famous air bath of Berovo.

Maria laughs as she says that at the moment she has two and a half horses, as one of the mares is pregnant and expecting a baby.

She keeps the horses at her house in the village, where, in addition to the horses, she also takes care of four dogs and six cats. She says that the location of her house is well placed, being surrounded by fields and only three houses in the nearby neighbourhood, which can be said to make such villages in Macedonia ideal places for breeding horses.

She is considering organizing a horse tour soon, saying that 15 kilometers from her home lives a friend who also keeps horses, which is ideal for a larger tour. However, what is currently making her reconsider is that she prefers to focus more on programs aimed at animal therapy, and she wants her NGO, Pink Support, to host pilot events this summer.

Duda laughs as she tells how her family was against the life with horses because they’ve known her since she was little as the one who "stole" horses and donkeys to ride when she lived in the village. In 2012, she started taking professional riding lessons.

Two years ago, she went on an adventure to Africa, aiming to ride and learn about different breeds of horses.

Maria says that it is very easy to fall in love with and develop a passion for horses. She has adored them since she was little and never imagined that she would return to Macedonia or that Macedonia would make her childhood dream come true—to have a ranch, animals, and to do the work she loves, all while maintaining a social life in New York. By registering a horse breeding farm, she confirms that her passion for horses will not fade as easily as many people expected.

Duda says that one must be careful with horses. They can sense every positive or negative vibration in a person, such as anger and everything we carry within us, and this can be reflected in them.

According to her, more attention should be paid to how people in Macedonia treat them, and they should be valued more. She made a comparison with the West, where today there are excellent programs that are used by many patients suffering from various diseases and children with special needs.

Maria's goal is to bring this energy to Macedonia and make this country her second home, where she will implement such a program.

For her, horses are not just pets to watch and listen to obediently; they are partners who deserve trust as leaders if we want to earn their trust in return.

Maria is currently happy to be in Macedonia. Almost every sunny day, she goes out with the horses to graze. She brings along a thermos of coffee or tea, a book, and some biscuits. This is her routine at the moment.

Collecting hay in the summer is one of her favorite activities, all rounded off with horse riding at sunset. She has always had interesting experiences with the horses. She likes to mention the moment with the mare Fida, who loves to drink coffee from her cup.

Duda advises anyone who wants to breed horses that they should constantly improve by reading literature about them, learning from the older generations in the village, and having great patience.