Hi! My name is Hawk, and I am a registered Miniature Horse. I am 9 years old, and 2012 is going to be my 6th Aggie Days!
Miniature Horses have to be 34 inches and under, and I’m 33.5 inches, so I’m almost as big as I’m allowed to be. I’ve been a show horse since I was three years old, and have won lots of ribbons in halter classes (which is like a beauty contest), jumping (my favorite!), and all sorts of driving classes.
Once I got a little more experienced at driving I started competing in Combined Driving Events. Those are fun because I get to compete right alongside horses and mules and donkeys of every size!
Aggie Days is always the first event of the year for me, so the first thing that happens is that I get a haircut. I live outside in the winter time, in a big pasture with all my buddies, so I grow a lot of winter hair to keep warm. Since Aggie Days is in the spring, it’s not quite warm enough outside for me to have shed that winter hair yet, but once I got into the warm Aggie Days Barn I’d be too hot. I get body clipped in the week before Aggie Days, and I always feel so much more handsome afterwards – like a show horse instead of a scruffy pony. Don’t worry though – when I get home from Aggie Days I wear a warm blanket and sleep in a cozy barn to stay warm until the weather is nice enough for my new hairdo.
First thing, when I get to Aggie Days, I have to catch up with my friends! There’s Zoe and Silk, the miniature donkeys, who are friendly girls but never share their hay with me. Dolly is a Welsh/Hackney pony, and she’s a fancy driving pony. Ole is Norwegian Fjord, a breed of light horse with lots of history and a unique hairdo. And Jamie is the biggest of our Aggie Days family, a Black Clydesdale.
We all have a bath and are carefully groomed so we look our best before our first visitors arrive. And once they do, things get busy!
The first three days of Aggie Days are for school groups. We do several demos each day in the horse display, and each one of us comes out so the kids can see us and learn about each type of horse. I also teach them how to approach a horse safely and about how horses see. Did you know that horses can see almost every direction? We have a blind spot right behind us, which is the real reason why you shouldn’t run up behind a horse – we can’t see you and you’ll scare us! And a scared horse will defend himself – that’s where the kicking part comes in. But horses don’t want to kick people – trust me! – and we only kick when we are very frightened or upset.
Ole and I also like to sneak in a few tricks during the demos, so be sure to come and watch us show off!
Even though I don’t like strangers touching my face, I know that the kids all want to pet so I keep my bum or side near the front of the stall so they can reach me. Some of those kids are very good at scratching my itchy spots, which is much appreciated after my haircut!
Later in the afternoon, when the kids have to go home, I get out to stretch my legs. I go for some exercise in the Corral with one of the other horses, or sometimes I just go for a walk around the Aggie Days hall and say hi to all the other animals.
Saturday morning things get underway early, starting with Giddy Up Aggie Days. This is a favorite part for lots of us at Aggie Days! Our visitors this morning might be in wheelchairs, or need to touch because they can’t see well, and I make sure to stand extra still and be extra good. It’s also the morning when the Stampede Royalty stop by to take pictures with our visitors … and maybe visit a handsome little horse as well!
After that it’s time for Family Fun Days to start! On the weekend, Aggie Days is open to the public, and admission is free! Not only do lots of families come down to have fun and learn about agriculture, but there are other events going on – the Canadian Horseshoeing Championships, the Stockdog Trial, and even an Extreme Cowboy Race, so there is lots of fun things to see!
In addition to our regular horse demos, starting last year 1I also volunteered at a new feature at Aggie Days, the Story Corner! I was the only non-human celebrity reader, and I practiced lots to be ready. There are lots of great celebrity readers, so stop by the Book Corner to see who’s reading during your visit!
I’m counting down to the start of Aggie Days, I can’t wait to see everyone! Be sure to stop by my stall in the horse display and say hello on your trip to Aggie Days!
Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 10am – 5pm
Sunday, April 22, 2012 from 10am – 5pm
Tails from the Hawk's Nest 