Hopi

a complex personality

in early 2005 Hopi arrives at Hillesum Farm inside her Mom Sally. We are very excited to have a horse born here. The vet keeps telling us that it’s not quite time, not yet, maybe another week, maybe a few more days.

But one early morning, among the huddle of mares out in the pasture, there are four extra little legs. Sally deceived us so she could have her special moment among her kind, and not be bothered by humans ooh-ing and ah-ing at the new addition to the herd.

She’s a pretty kid, that mix of thoroughbred and Hanovarian. Her temperament is definitely more that of the spirited, intelligent and sensitive thoroughbred than that of the generally more level-headed Hanovarian.

At first she spends time in a larger group, but as some of the group members move on, she is partnered with Sundance, and the two are pasture-mates for quite a few years.

It is an interesting relationship: Sundance is a bit of a bully, always demanding all the attention and all the treats. But she is attached to him and misses him terribly when he is not near. When Sundance dies Hopi has to adjust to living with CC and Zorro, and occupying the middle between the ultimate boss-mare and the always-bottom-of-the-pecking-order little standardbred.