Hi! My name is Sebastian. I am a Hanoverian Percheron thoroughbred horse. I was born in Manitoba, Canada, and when I was a foal, my sister and I came to live with our new family and four other horses on a farm in a small town in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Time seems to have stood still in this part of the world. The town I live in has not too many people spread over a very wide area, and out where we live I don’t see very many of them, usually only my own family each day. It takes fifteen minutes by car to travel to town from my house. Nowadays horses don’t take people into town any more very much. But they could. In the old days they did. By the old days, I mean as recently as in the 1970s and even 1980s, so some other horses have told me. Did you know in New Hampshire a horse always has the right of way? Cars must take care. One time my friend and trainer Karin stood in front of a speeding logging truck and made it go more slowly because of me.

The first white settlers came here “above the notch” to the North Country to explore life in the mountains more than 250 years ago. They were trappers and hunters and sometimes just walked here from the big towns in Massachusetts and New York. Some of them brought horses of course. Living in the northern mountains was and still is not easy. The winters are long and cold. It is common for temperatures to fall below minus twenty or even minus thirty degrees in January, February and March. Many years ago there were no roads to drive up from the southern part of the country. The ground is full of rocks, which is why they call New Hampshire the Granite State. Dynamite had to be used to open access for roads to be built. In the old days most farmers traveled to town once a week by horse and buggy to satisfy their shopping needs. It took many years to build roads to where I live. Some days my friend and trainer Karin and I ride up the dirt road near my house into beautiful Pleasant Valley.

This is my home; I am deeply rooted here now, like the people who settled here long ago. The early settlers worked very hard to make the land and the towns the way they are today. Horses worked hard too. Life back then was hard but a lot simpler. Many things remain the same. I learned a long time ago that the mountains rule and shape the people and animals that live here. Luckily, being from Canada, I love snow.

I live with my family, Karin and Doug, a flock of geese, and five other horses. I also befriended a chipmunk that loves to come to our barn and eat the leftover grain that we horses have dropped onto the ground. I call him Chippy, and I think he is the cutest little fellow I have ever seen. His little tail sticks up into the air and he loves to make a big entry and attract everyone’s attention. All the horses know him by his squeaks, for he is a really happy fellow. My trainer Karin and I often see him run across the barn into the other horses’ stalls. He can climb up into the rafters of the barn and back out to the open field in a flash. But he’s realized we’re all friendly so he lingers to look at us and scout about. At first we horses were a little leery of him but we have gotten used to him and we welcome his daily visits now. He’s pretty small compared to a horse all right. But he is fast. There is a skunk too that often visits. I don’t know his name yet but he’s friendly too. Some people think skunks smell bad, but that’s only if you are not nice to them.

I love the mountains, and the wildlife, black bears, moose, deer, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, fisher cats, beavers, and the other animals. Often my trainer Karin and I ride through the river and stream valleys, admiring the tranquil landscape of the mountains. Now and then we see a blue heron fishing in the stream. At times we come across deer or moose and occasionally even encounter a black bear that likes to keep close to the edge of the forest.

When I was a foal, bears and other wildlife used to frighten me, but as I grew older, I learned I didn’t need to be fearful of the animals that live free around us. I realized some of them were scared of me too, as I am very tall and black, but they don’t need to be. I wouldn’t ever kick them unless they attacked me first.

My life is deeply embedded in this landscape; but my heart follows the call to the show arena, too. I have a dream that someday I will be the best dressage horse I can be! But I find peace and comfort in knowing that my sanctuary will always remain the northern White Mountains, a place I know I can always return to and call my home.

I often imagine myself in front of a big crowd, demonstrating a beautiful musical freestyle in the show ring. Everyone is holding their breath as my partner and I flow gracefully through the arena. Our freestyle is so well performed that the crowd is mesmerized and can’t tell who is leading, the horse or the rider, me or Karin.

Everyone is cheering; my flying changes on the center line are perfectly straight. Our transitions from the flying changes to the trot are very smooth. I know the aids for the canter perfectly well; the canter is one of my favorite gaits to be in. My canter is effortless. The double pirouette is balanced, and my steps are right on track. The music echoes through the dressage arena as we approach the center line to halt and salute the judges. There is a long silence and then the crowd breaks into loud clapping and cheering. I feel a great purpose to do something very special with my life and to bring a lot of joy and happiness to everyone around me. This is my dream and I know it will come true!

I am a very happy horse, and for the most part I am quite easygoing. I like to be playful too. I like to play with my brothers and sisters, the other horses on the farm. Sometimes if they are far away, they call to me, and I throw my head back and gallop as fast as I can to be with them. Horses like to be with their brothers and sisters. People call our horse family “a herd.” Did you know a horse family is called a herd?
I love to eat apples, carrots, and mint candies. I also enjoy my horse grain with lots of fresh corn and molasses. If I was allowed, I would eat mint candies all the time, but the sugar is not good for my teeth, and my equine dentist would not be happy if I developed a lot of cavities. Did you know that horses have to go to the dentist just like you do?

I love sports and enjoy learning new things. It’s fun to learn new curriculum and I love to jump over obstacles. But did you know, just going around a corner isn’t that easy either? You could trip if you are a horse. Recently I learned a “half-halt.” It’s a way the rider calls me to attention to signal an upcoming change of pace or direction like going around a corner. A half-halt is a communication between horse and rider. Did you know there is no “halt” in a half-halt? What it is, when the rider gives a half-halt, that means she closes both her legs and her outside hand. This alerts me and helps me keep my balance going around the corner. If my head bends a little too much to the outside, the rider wiggles her inside hand on the rein very gently to bend my head lightly to the inside. This keeps me from falling onto my outside shoulder. That could hurt.

I am a very punctual horse and am happiest when I have a set training schedule. Recently I started to keep a personal diary, so now I can remember my personal goals for the show ring, plus all my feelings, experiences, and dreams. I call it my Diary of a Champion. My friend Karin helps me write it all down. This diary helps keep me on the path to reaching my goal of becoming the dressage horse I know I was born to be, the best in the mountains. My diary constantly reminds me of the goals I have set for myself. I write down what I accomplished and what I saw each day. Did you ever keep a diary?

competition in the ring, and my trainer Karin to help me learn all the special moves I have to have in the ring. It’s fun to be a horse when you have a good human friend!