At her sun-drenched estate nestled amid the vineyards of California wine country, Ann Lesley Smith is building a life by design. A former radio host, passionate equestrian, and philanthropist, Smith has dedicated her life these days to helping others, whether by offering sanctuary at her estate-like ranch to people seeking rest and a place to reset or by the example of her prized Arabian horses.
For Smith, her horses are more than just companions; they are living reflections of her own journey toward peace. “Peace is not something you chase; it has to be something you allow,” says Smith. “It must be lived before it is spoken.”
It is this guiding philosophy that has opened doors and minds for Smith and continues to drive her plans for the future.
Reclaiming one’s peace and passion through a horse’s legacy
Smith’s own path wasn’t always so clear. Once mired in the often rough-and-tumble world of media, Smith has had a taste of the stress that success or notoriety can bring. After her husband, noted musician and mogul Chester Smith, passed away in 2008, Smith found herself at a crossroads. The silence of grief brought time for introspection and clarity.
Smith sought solace in her horses. Always a horse enthusiast, Smith had gathered a collection of horses, including Arabians, on her estate. They would roam freely, and guests to her estate could interact with them, finding peace in their presence and their example of freedom.
“People come to the estate and see how free, yet connected, the Arabian horses are,” explains Smith. “It stirs something in people. Something within visitors can realign when they connect with these horses.”
Harnessing the ancient wisdom and serenity of Arabian horses
One horse in particular has guided Smith toward peace and transformation: her rare Arabian stallion, Amir Fadjur Salaam. A direct descendant of The Fabulous Fadjur, one of the most legendary Arabians in modern history, Amir represents the best of the Arabian breed. However, it is not Amir’s pedigree that moves Smith the most — it is his incredible human-like empathy.
“They have an empathetic personality,” she says. “It feels like they can look into your soul and understand.”
Arabians are one of the world’s oldest and most revered horse breeds. Their lineage has been shaped over centuries, beginning with specialized breeding and training by the Bedouin tribes 4500 years ago. These horses were not viewed as simple beasts of burden but as members of the tribe, given special attention and a place within family units. Their expressive eyes and deep attunement make them mirrors for human empathy and emotion.
“These horses remind us how we can create harmony, even across deep divisions,” says Smith.
Smith has even drawn parallels between the natural intuition of the Arabian horse and how developers of modern technologies seek to make artificial intelligence more human-like. “Bedouins almost programmed empathy into their horses over centuries of breeding,” she offers. “Maybe there’s something for today’s AI developers to learn from that as they try creating a connection between technology and users that’s truly human-inspired.”
Authenticity and a journey toward peace
Smith acknowledges that modern society’s tendency toward synthetic performance and distraction has led her to lean hard into seeking peace and comfort. “Authenticity has become almost a radical act these days,” she says. Inspired by Amir, Smith has chosen stillness as her statement. “I don’t think the world needs louder voices; it needs truer voices,” she adds.
Amir and her other Arabian horses embody this idea of stillness and authentic being. “When you rush or approach with any sort of fake affect, they feel it,” she explains. “They only respond to what’s real. I think we can learn a lot from that example.”
For Smith, Amir can be a symbol of how to live authentically and choose awareness instead of reaction in a time of division and synthetic interactions — a true model and ambassador for peace.
An Arabian horse and a mission for empathySmith’s mission now is to let Amir’s story and his shining example transcend borders and act as a symbol of peace across cultures. “The breed has long represented goodwill and nobility throughout the Arab world,” Smith explains. She hopes to revive this ancient truth and message of peace, allowing Amir to act as an ambassador for global connection, education, outreach, and cross-cultural programs on empathy and understanding.
Through her personal faith, philanthropy, and connection to a very special horse, Ann Lesley Smith hopes people hear her central message: peace is participatory. Understanding this simple truth has allowed Smith to move forward with purpose, providing proof that even in a divided, digitally driven world, empathy can still move people toward change.
