Swank’s (aka Saraswatie) New Career

I adopted Saraswatie from MHARF in December of 2007. Saraswatie, or “Swank” as I call her, is a chestnut OTTB mare. I went to the rescue to find a horse that I could show in dressage. I have a 22-year-old Arab whose showing days are over and although I could have looked for a more “conventional” dressage horse, I wanted to adopt a horse from the rescue.

I remember seeing Swank for the first time on that day in January when it was about 20 degrees below zero. A dark, shaggy horse came towards me and I thought, “this isn’t the horse from the website.” I rode her briefly and a couple weeks later was back to take her home. She has been such a valuable addition to my life. She has taught me so much and tries so hard for me.

In 2009 we went to our first recognized show. She won every class and didn’t score below 64%. We even won a benefit class and came home with a gorgeous clock! In 2010 we continued to show in recognized shows and she continues to amaze me.

However, she isn’t just a show horse for me. She loves my old Arab and has become a great pasturemate to him. She has even taken over as my “trail horse” and together we rode the trails in Medora, ND, this past fall. She is no pushover, though! She demands respect, but she is also more than willing to try her heart out for me. We have good days (and some not so good) as we continue our dressage journey together, but she has and will continue to teach me more about not only horses, but also about life for many years to come. I can’t thank MHARF enough!

– Pam Harris