My Friend, Skymeadow Hawk
Toward the end of August 2009, I learned of an Arabian gelding that had been rescued late in 2008 by a woman in Sussex, NJ. He had been starved for eight of his 13 years. He was crazy from what I hear and in pretty bad shape. Nicole taught him ground manners and started getting weight on him. He was adopted during the year by someone who brought him back after a couple months. When I met him, he was happily living on Nicole's alpaca farm, Rip Tide Farm, going out in the pasture daily, and just being a horse in a safe place.
I met him on August 23 and even though he was skinny, a bit scrappy, never ridden, I fell for him. He liked me, too. Two days later, I got on him with Nicole leading me around like a pony ride. Hawk knew nothing about being a riding horse. Nicole offered to work with me since it looked like Hawk and I had a connection. Once he was trotting off the lunge line at the beginning of October, I continued on my own. By November 22, two days before more surgery for me, he was able to do all the trot transitions for Intro A & B dressage tests. Hawk is smart, he picks up things quickly, and obviously enjoys the attention.
During the fall, while I was feeling him out and deciding what to do about him, I had a vet check, Coggins test, his teeth were floated. I contacted his breeder, who was happy he was safe, and they promised to sign him over to me. The man who had neglected him so badly had never sent in his paperwork so it was pretty easy to get a duplicate and transfer. Hawk is well-bred; an Egyptian-Polish cross with Aladdinn as his grandsire on his bottom line. His grandsire on the Egyptian top line is not to shabby either, PRI Gamil Halim. Nicole and I eventually signed an adoption contract even though he had been mine in spirit for a couple months. I now hold his registration with the Arabian Horse Association.
On December 1, I moved him to Spring Valley Equestrian Center where Nicole once worked as a trainer. Her friend, Jess, is continuing with his training two days per week. I'm trying to ride three times per week although I couldn't get back on until December 12 due to my recuperation. Everything is new again for Hawk; like riding in an indoor arena. He also has to adjust to the noises and activity of a bigger, busy farm. He's taken a few steps back but that was expected. Little by little, though, he's getting back to where he was.
As a breast cancer survivor, Hawk and I have a connection. We have both gotten second chances. My dressage training has taken a backseat to the rewarding experience of knowing this gentle horse and giving him the chance to have a healthy, safe, and productive life. He has no reason to trust me or anybody else but he does. I'm not sure what direction Hawk and I will take; maybe dressage, maybe western pleasure and trails. We have a long way to go but I'm loving every minute of this journey.
I'm not going to post pictures on this site of Hawk and me and our progress as horse and rider. This is my art/photography site. However, I have been taking pictures along the way of him that needed to go somewhere. Here they are.
