I would stop by and just say hi and strike up a neighborly conversation. Ask a few questions like how many horses do you have? Are you a breeder or do you train them for others?
That one sure is pretty, what is its name? Tell him you walk by in the evenings and admire them greatly. Compliment the areas you can sincerely appreciate.
Tell him if he ever gets in a bind he can always call on you for help. The next time or time after that is when you want to express interest in helping with the horses. I wouldn't do it on a first meeting or you are likely to get a no.
First, you have to establish some kind of relationship.
Go for it! As you say, the worst that can happen is a big fat 'no', and if that's the case, just force yourself to wave and smile as usual in future, don't scurry by all embarrassed. It's a really good exercise in life to force ourselves to ask those difficult questions, and what better way to try than with a question that could come up with his saying 'yes'!
Tell him when you chat that you have experience with horses and that you've been longing to ask for a long time. It's up to you whether you go so far as to ask to be paid for your help. If you are happy to help as a volunteer, you could just ask for that.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.