They can often be the best of therapists, for those who bring them their troubles. In fact, you sometimes wish that we could all be as human as horses.In the case of Scott Mawaka, however, equine engagement has become just as much about giving as receiving. Which is saying plenty, as his Mo Speed Racing is receiving the biggest of thrills from West End Kid (Twirling Candy), who continued his ascent in the GIII Pennine Ridge Stakes at Saratoga on Belmont weekend.Mawaka, over a decade after renouncing a dependency of his own, selected Will Walden to train this colt after reading the young trainer's candid accounts of his return from the brink following years of addiction. But his determination to give something back, through horses, further extends to his chairmanship of Hope Meadows, a non-profit equine therapy program near his Ohio home.“The horses on the farm are trained and utilized to work with people that are struggling with more traditional forms of emotional health recovery,” Mawaka explains. “That may mean children, first responders, veterans, victims of domestic abuse, people who have suffered personal tragedy. And the therapy has proved to be life-changing for many different people. So, for me, that's become another kind of tie with the horse, and just deepened my appreciation of what an amazing creature God created for us.”It has become a far more profound relationship, certainly, than he could remotely have envisaged when, as a young businessman in Cleveland some 30 years ago, a new client introduced him to a different kind of hobby.“Traditionally, when you got a new account, and wanted to build a relationship with somebody, you'd invite them to lunch or golf,” Mawaka says. “But this gentleman had no interest in either. His thing was watching and handicapping the ponies. So, I said, 'Sure, let's go.' We went to Thistledown racetrack, and I just loved it. I was with all the stereotypical old school handicappers, with their papers and cigars and draft beers, and just fell in love with the whole experience: the horses, the analytics, the visuals, the thrill of the race. I was immediately hooked.”He tested the water as an owner with a couple of cheap claimers, but it was only later, as resources allowed, that he embarked on something more purposeful through a minority partnership with another Clevelander, Alistair Fyfe of Alifyfe Racing. Five years ago, they landed on Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem), a New York-bred sprinter beaten by a single rival in her first six starts, including a couple of stakes wins. It was her retirement that prompted Mawaka to the next level, enlisting Marette Farrell to help him develop a longer term, more strategic program.“I got into breeding because of Fingal's Cave,” he explains. “I didn't want to lose her. She was the one that really elevated me from just enjoying being part of the raceday experience, to wanting to be more involved. So, she was my first broodmare, and now I have five broodmares, and six offspring and probably 12 horses in training. And I still have some growth expectations. I'd like to build out a racing stable with a little more depth, and certainly if we breed a filly I really like, I'd be inclined to race her.”Even as it is, you can judge that he means business, covering his mares with stallions like Curlin, Into Mischief, Gun Runner, Not This Time and Nyquist.“So, our hope is either great results on the track or good commercial viability,” Mawaka says. “And all credit to Marette. She has been my eyes, ears and brains since I made that commitment. She's helped to find the stock, build my broodmare band, do all my matings. Because I know what I don't know, as an owner, which is pretty much everything–except for how to enjoy the races, and pay the bills. I try to put the right people around me that do know what they're doing, and not get in their way.”That's an attitude many professional horsemen will find refreshing, and one that has found due reward in West End Kid, a $350,000 juvenile purchase at OBS last year. He was named for Mawaka's father, as a native of the rougher, tougher end of Chicopee, Massachusetts.“I was not at the auction, but Marette was very high on him, so I gave her a lot of room to bring him home,” Mawaka recalls. “And when I first saw him, out at WinStar Farm, his physical was immediately just one of those that catches you. So, I was excited. And when he was being prepped, a couple of years ago, Will had a filly in the GI Kentucky Oaks, which really created a media buzz around his story of recovery. And I mentioned to Marette that I'd really like to try to do something with Will. Because I am a recovered alcoholic.”Immediately Mawaka corrects himself.“Recovering, I should say,” he says cheerfully. “Like they say, we're only ever one day away. But I'm 11 years sober and I'm 58 years old.”There were plainly times, during the previous 47 years, when he made wrong choices.“I didn't have legal troubles,” he says. “I wasn't losing my family or my business. I was functioning. But I wasn't living to the fullest, or even living well. I was hiding from a lot, escaping with alcohol. And it got to a point where I just knew that I didn't want to live that way anymore. So, I reached out to people I knew that could give me advice, including clinical assistance.”Scott Mawaka and Will Walden | courtesy Scott MawakaMawaka duly related to Walden's journey, and notes the final of the 12 steps in the renowned Alcoholics Anonymous program: namely, “to be of service to others, and give back the positives that you've been given.”Quite rightly, the bond between them remains their own business.“We've both been through tremendous personal challenges and at the moment we're both doing our best to right the ship,” Mawaka says. “We've shared a couple of stories and comments about recovery, but I wouldn't state it any more than just sharing experience. As we say in the program, it's about sharing experience, strength and hope: just telling a little of your story, recognizing the difficulty somebody else has gone through, and sharing whatever pieces of light that have been gleaned that help us be the best we can be today. That's all.”One thing's for sure, the horse that brought them together has certainly not diminished the optimism renewing their respective lives.“It's funny, because most trainers that I've worked with don't like to get their owners too excited about a horse's potential,” Mawaka says. “But Will really has been excited about this horse from the beginning. And even in his first race, when he was just tremendously green and immature, and had a tough trip, you could just see when his eyes opened, there was a lot of horse there.”The consensus in the camp is that “The Kid” remains a work in progress, both physically and in terms of his craft. Walden is now talking of riding the wave into elite company, back on the Saratoga grass, either in the GI Belmont Derby on July 4 or the GI Saratoga Derby a month later.“He came out of his race terrific,” Mawaka says. “It'll be Will and The Kid's choice on when he runs again. Everything tells you to be cautiously optimistic. But it's hard not to be excited.”Which, after all, is the object of the exercise. However professional the Mo Speed program becomes, not least with a couple of mares grazing the storied acres of Stone Farm, the abiding purpose hasn't changed.“Again, that's Marette guiding me to people of the highest level of character and intelligence,” Mawaka says. “She's done a great job connecting me to wonderful people. But the reason I'm involved is great raceday experiences. And The Kid winning the Pennine Ridge was as good as any. I had my mom and dad there, both in their mid-80s, and my wife and daughter, and a buddy of mine, and my cousins all in town. A night at Saratoga, pre-race, and the anticipation waking up that morning, and seeing the horse and engaging with Will and feeling the adrenaline. That, for me, is the return on investment.“That's why I talk about I empowering Marette or Will, or anybody else involved, so that they can be the smart ones. My best job is to listen and make sure I'm having fun. And, honestly, it's been the same just with a maiden running: to bring my friends and family, most of whom have limited Thoroughbred racing experience, and introduce them to that energy and share my excitement and joy. Everybody seems to be having a wonderful time, and that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for memories here, more than expecting a financial windfall.”That wholesome philosophy is consistent with the discovery of better priorities in life and also with an admiration for the still more direct ways in which horses can help others who have experienced times of trial.“I don't know what it is specifically about them,” Mawaka says. “I think there's something in the horse that wants to strengthen a relationship with human beings. But people are all unique about how they're willing to be vulnerable: like truly vulnerable, exposing the rawest of your inside. Some people can do that person-to-person, some person-to-God, some person-to-animals, some person-to-Nature.“There's a lot of different ways people allow themselves to open up. And in the case of the horse, there's this very willing, caring element which, for whatever reason, enables somebody to be vulnerable who struggles to communicate with a human being. The horse wants to participate and I think the patient can feel that.”His own equine “therapy” has been less intimate, less drastic perhaps, but actually dovetails perfectly with an acceptance of the gifts of life however they may fall. The recovered drinker knows to live one day at a time.“Which applies not only to drinking, but to everything I've learned how to deal with in life,” Mawaka concludes. “It's not that I don't plan or reflect, but I do try to enjoy the moment. Life is put in front of us. We don't control much. We control our reaction, which is about it.“And these horses keep you right in the moment. They can turn an ankle or kick a fence at any time. So, my expectations are nothing more than what's happening today. I've always told the trainers, 'If the horse is healthy and telling you he wants to run, let's run.' For me, sometimes it's less about target and accomplishments than enjoying the spectacular moment when the horse is ready and wants to run, and it's a beautiful day.”The post The Life Lessons That Made the Kid appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.