Skyrian horse
here it is used for therapeutic riding and equine assisted therapy
for children and adults with mental or physical disabilities. We are
told that therapeutic horseback riding brings about remarkable
benefits to its riders, such as improvement in flexibility, balance,
and muscle strength, through stretching both mind and muscles.
For someone who cannot walk, see, or communicate easily, riding
a horse allows that person to experience a new sense of freedom.
Interestingly, Sylvia herself studied child psychology under the fa-
mous Swiss psychologist, Dr. Jean Piaget – see text box on Sylvia
below.
Sylvia Dimitriades Steen
Sylvia Dimitriades Steen studied Child Psychology and teaching
At the stables, a short walk away from the main house, we visit
methodologies for students with special needs at the University
the Skyrian horses for the first time. They come in various shades
of Geneva under Dr. Jean Piaget. She later started Theotokos, a
of brown and black with no white markings. We learn that this
non-profit organization for people with special needs, which has
breed of mountain pony, found on the Greek island of Skyros, is
since become the largest educational centre for people with spe-
severely endangered and that there are only around 120 of them
cial needs in Greece. She continues to serve on its board today.
left on the island. This is what prompted Sylvia 12 years ago to
She has worked at training teachers in special education, and has
start the Silva Project, which not only provides lodgings for these
served as a board member of Melissa, an organization on Corfu for
horses, but has since become the most comprehensive Skyrian
older children and adults with special needs.
horse breeding programme in the world. Unfortunately, no breed-
ing could take place this year due to lack of space, but a new and
Mrs. Steen has loved animals since she was a child. She is a
pretty incredible, by all accounts, equestrian centre is under way,
founding member of Greek Animal Welfare and the Greek Canine
located in Kalafationes, a 20-minute drive south-west of Corfu town.
Society. She serves as president of the Ark, a group that rehomes
We ask Sylvia about it; she tells us that building work has been de-
stray dogs on Corfu, and collaborates with the Alkyoni bird centre
layed by the planning office, and that as a result a whole summer’s
of Paros for the care and rehabilitation of wounded birds.
worth of work has been wasted; now they will have to try and com-
plete the work in Corfu’s rainy season…
We witness a children’s riding lesson taking place; a group of cute
ponies being led around a paddock, a cheerful young woman, who
A big part of saving the Skyrian horse for Sylvia is helping it to
is apparently a well-known therapeutic instructor from Brazil, in-
find a place in modern society, now that agriculture, for which it
structing the kids to perform various fun exercises while on horse-
was used in the past, relies on machinery. The Skyrian’s calm tem-
back. We are impressed – this is not what we are led to expect from
perament and small size makes it an ideal mount for children as
our laid back, why-do-today-what-can-be-done-tomorrow island.
young as two years old, but what really gets our attention is that
As Sylvia shows us around the rest of the estate, we learn more;
that after Sylvia purchased the land on which to build the eques-
trian centre, she discovered it was an old kiwi farm and brought
it back to fruitful life – the organic kiwis are sold “everywhere”
now; that Silva Project and the kiwi farm are run with the help
of volunteers from abroad, who live in Sylvia’s house; that her ef-
forts through the Silva Project are constantly being thwarted by
the Greek system’s incomprehension of and incompatibility with
charities and organizations whose aim is not to make a profit – you
can almost see the bureaucrats scratching their heads in puzzle-
ment!
By the end of the morning, we have fallen head over heels for
Sylvia’s chaotic yet somehow peaceful corner of Corfu. It isn’t
just the happy horses, dogs, birds and cats that seem to be every-
where; this lovely, faded, grand estate feels as old as time and has
Riding lesson
The estate’s 1,400 year-old banyan fig tree
4 ISLAND ISSUE 9
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