Hayley - Swamp Horse

Hayley - Swamp Horse

Hayley is a very spirited creature in the swamp.

She lives with her herd on the outskirts of the marshes where they roam and graze. They are a fairly nomadic animal and tend to move around their territory a lot. This is partly a survival tactic and partly because they are a very flighty species who prefer to be on the move rather than staying in place.

As a herd animal they have very strong loyalties to those they trust and love. They don’t have a concept of personal space, so if you are going to befriend this creature you must be wary. They are big animals and can often underestimate their own strength and size. 

Hayley's sketchbook page

As I have said before, Hayley is a very spirited Swamp Horse which makes her both loveable and dangerous. She is very eager to make friends with everyone she sees. A little like an unhinged dog.

Her loyalty has gotten into various precarious situations, especially when she doesn’t realise that her ‘friends’ are not horses and so have different skills. There have been many occasions where she has strayed too far into the swamp and has found herself stranded, unable to turn back. On these occasions she has had to be rescued by other passing creatures. Thankfully, as of yet, she hasn’t gone so far as to be beyond rescuing.

As you can imagine, her mother is constantly worried about her.

It makes sense then that the young Hayley instantly took a shine to Bert and they became fast friends when he was trying to mimic their herd.

Whilst she always got along with the other horses her age, it was Bert she would choose to spend time with. They would run rings around the adult’s of the herd. It must be said that Hayley’s most dangerous moments were usually because of Bert. Not understanding the danger, he would often lead her deeper into the swamp than was safe for her. But they are a tale for another time.

Once Bert left, she took every opportunity to visit him. It was a challenge due to their nomadic lifestyle, but whenever they were nearby Hayley would go and visit Bert.

Thankfully, despite their distance, their connection to each other never changed, rather it evolved as they did.

Eventually, it was Hayley’s children who became Bert’s playmates. She would bring them to see him whenever she was able and would watch as her foals grew as close to Bert as she had been.