Remembering Aqua

We lost a beautiful young horse this week. Aqua, the 2019 filly out of Mare Sapphire by Ollie Jr. was found deceased on Friday. She passed away suddenly and her cause of death is unknown. As much as we would love to know all the answers, sometimes things happen in the Park that we don’t understand.

Each of us who follow the horses has our own special memories of Aqua but one thing I think we all have in common is witnessing first-hand the loving relationships she had with her siblings, Applewood and Jewel (Bockar). We watched as she and Applewood grew together and kept their mothers on their toes. She kept Applewood in line when he tried to push her buttons and wasn’t afraid to bite back! As they got older, the two of them were often seen standing off together, Aqua usually resting on Applewood, and proving that deep down she really did love him.

2020 brought her new little sister, Jewel. The two of them grew to be as close as she and Applewood. She protected her baby sister from early on and began to show us signs of what an amazing mare she would become someday. The bond she had with her sister was visible to all who passed by on the road this week when Jewel was found standing over and protecting Aqua’s body. I can’t even begin to imagine what that was like for her. Watching her stand there and occasionally touch her sister with her nose, possibly in an effort to wake her, was absolutely heartbreaking. Jewel is only a yearling and looked to her older sister for guidance while they tried to find their place in Arrowhead’s band. I went out this morning before sharing this post so that I could check on Jewel. She was with Arrowhead’s band however, it is apparent that she is not quite a part of the family. Hopefully, either they or another band will accept her as their own. We will keep our eyes on her and update you when possible.

Aqua was a wonderful addition to this herd and will be greatly missed. She was taken from us too soon and leaves a hole in more than just our hearts. Please keep her sister Jewel in your thoughts as she mourns this loss more than any of us. RIP Aqua and know that you were loved