Here are all of the beautiful souls that have inspired this work in the first place! Each of them has a unique personality, we are still getting to know them every day and we will update this as we build deeper relationships over time.
Stella is Shreyasi’s riding horse. She is 17 years old this year, is a retired competitive reiner and broodmare. She is the first horse Shreyasi has ever known and loved, and has been the inspiration for her love of horses. She is a grande dame, loves her grooming and makes her opinions known to all. She is an alpha mare, queen, a wise teacher and heart horse all in one.
Romeo is Frank’s riding horse. He is an 8 year old buckskin quarter horse gelding. He is an old soul with a kind eye. He is usually near the bottom of the pecking order. He is easy going and loves rolling in the dirt. He could use a daily shower!
From left to right between Shreyasi and Frank: Gucci, Grace and Jazz
Three of our weanlings, from left to right in this picture between Shreyasi and Frank, are Gucci, Grace and Jazz. They are a playful bunch and it is wonderful to see their quirks and personalities emerging over the last few months. Gucci is an affectionate timid thing, who forgets how large she is and thinks that everyone’s personal space is her own. Whether this is weanling Gucci or just Gucci, time will tell. She is a quarterhorse/Friesien cross, who at times gets overly excited or anxious when she is in a new situation that she is unsure of. She settles quickly with encouragement and reassurance. She likes to gesture with her mouth that she is a baby and doesn’t want to be hurt. She is the baby of our herd. Grace is the prankster of the group. As you can tell, she is a gypsy cob and the most mischievous and friendliest of the herd. She runs up to greet anyone walking by her pen and tends to be the instigator among her fellow weanlings. Jazz, the blue roan quarterhorse, is full of fun energy just like her name; however, she can also be focused and responsive when working with people. She catches onto her groundwork extremely quickly. She is one of the first to come up to the gate with Grace for a friendly scratch and talk.
From left to right above, are Rhianna, Anise and Violet
The remainder of our gypsy cob herd is comprised of Violet (on the right above), Rhianna (on the left above) and Anise (middle photo). Violet and Rhianna are international horses, who arrived all the way in Alberta from the UK. Violet is an contrary young filly, who likes to hide among her friends yet also has a feisty side and tends to get her way with the younger crowd. Rhianna is a yearling gypsy cob, who we are hoping to learn to drive one day. She is kind and patient for her age. She is very tolerant when trying anything new and really likes to please her people. Anise, similarly, is a 4 year old gypsy cob, who we are learning more of. She has been at training for a few months now, is one of the smartest horses we know and shows a profound soul in her eyes.
Some adorable foal photos of Sammy, who is now 3 years old. More photos to come.
Sammy is another 3 year old mare (can you notice a trend here?! We seem to like the mares) of part Arabian descent. She is a sensitive smart horse. Here are a few photos of her as a foal:) We will post more recent images shortly.
Arya working through a groundwork session with Shreyasi and our Hawkstone instructor, Rhonda Bignell
Last but not least is Arya. Like Stella, she is an older mare and was rescued and brought to Canada through the Lipizzan Rescue Foundation, United States. Although we have known her only a short time, she is quickly burrowing into our hearts. She is a sensitive kind soul with an incredible capacity to bond, although she is also nervous and needs reassurance through various situations that we are starting to discover. She has had ample opportunity in the past to influence things her way, and we are also aware of our boundaries and being assertive with her. She will teach us many lessons for years to come!