Rasheeka
Adopted by Tia Marotto-Potvin on 1605398400
How Rasheeka Found Her Unicorn
Sometimes a person who’s a horse lover searches spends years looking for their perfect “unicorn.” And sometimes the reverse may be true. This is the story of Willows Rasheeka, a marvelous horse who spent years searching for her “unicorn” owner. Rasheeka is a striking 19-year-old registered Arabian mare with ancestral bloodlines going back decades to international and national champions, including the renowned Arabians Ruminaja Ali and Thee Desperado.
At the age of one, Rasheeka left the farm in New York where she was bred and began living on a farm in northern New Hampshire where she led her new owner on many enjoyable trail rides over the next 14 years. Rasheeka may not have been a flashy show horse like her ancestors, but she was loved and well cared for. Her owner was the only rider she had ever known. As Rasheeka aged, she began showing signs of illness. In 2015, she foundered for the first time. Not long after, she was diagnosed with Equine Cushing’s disease. Her medication was costly and it was unclear if Rasheeka would stay sound enough to ride. Unable to properly care for Rasheeka any longer, her owner surrendered her to Hidden Pond Farm Equine Rescue in Brentwood, New Hampshire.
While at the Rescue, Rasheeka developed laminitis, a complication of Cushing’s disease that the grassy pastures there made worse. The Rescue looked for a more suitable home where Rasheeka would have access to a packed dirt paddock that would not aggravate her medical condition. In August 2019, Boulder Brook Stables in Lee, New Hampshire, agreed to foster her. Although Rasheeka had excellent care, she was missing her person and didn’t have a job nor someone to make her feel special. It had been at least 5 years since she had been worked or ridden. Memories of those enjoyable trail rides and the owner she had bonded with for so many years were quickly fading, and Rasheeka was losing her trust in humans.
Tia Marotto-Potvin began helping out at Boulder Brook Stables in the Spring of 2020, during the global Covid-19 pandemic. Working outside seemed safe during a pandemic, and it would be an understatement to say that horses are Tia’s passion. Tia is a young woman who experienced much physical and emotional trauma as a child, enduring a seven-year stay in the foster care system. This affected her ability to form relationships with people. Eventually, she came to live with a family who discovered that Tia could naturally bond with animals, and through those bonds, come to trust the people in her life once again.
Tia’s family introduced Tia to horses the very first summer she came to live with them. The fear and excitement of that first pony ride changed her life forever. She began taking lessons and then leasing horses. Quickly, Tia became an excellent rider and competed in local dressage and eventing competitions. Eventually, it became apparent that Tia’s developmental disabilities and medical diagnoses would impede her ability to compete at higher levels. Instead, her abilities were recognized in a different arena when she won first place in dressage at the State’s Equine Special Olympics, in addition to excelling at other Special Olympic events.
Tia’s parents can’t remember a time when she hasn’t talked constantly about owning her own horse. She spent hours, days, weeks, months, (perhaps years?)… pouring over horse websites each evening looking for her “unicorn.” She had a long list of criteria: must have good conformation, a “good looker,” be at least 16hh, well-schooled in dressage and jumping, healthy and taking no supplements, AND be affordable! She and her mother checked out a few horses, but nothing came of her efforts.
Then, in the Spring of 2020, after Tia had been helping out at Boulder Brook Stables for a couple months, she spotted Rasheeka, who was usually in her outdoor shed or alone in her paddock. No one seemed to be working her or paying much attention to her, but she perked up whenever Tia approached her. Tia was told Rasheeka had some medical problems and had been surrendered to Hidden Pond Farm Equine Rescue and was being fostered by Amanda Hanson, Boulder Brook Stable’s owner. Tia felt bad for Rasheeka. She understood what it was like to live in foster care and have medical problems that make others feel your potential is limited. Tia decided to befriend Rasheeka.
Amanda encouraged Tia to start working with the mare who hadn’t been ridden in over 5 years. A bond between Tia and Rasheeka began to form almost immediately. Tia started with just grooming the horse, but in a very short time, Rasheeka became acclimated to ground tying, entering the barn, being cross-tied, and eventually wearing tack again. Tia spent hours grooming and talking to Rasheeka each day. When Tia approached, Rasheeka would nod her head slowly and tilt her ears forward to welcome Tia. She would lean in to Tia while being groomed.
At home, Tia’s parents began hearing the word “Rasheeka” a lot. Tia always smiled when she said it. Tia was proud of how the horse was responding to her efforts. “Could Rasheeka be Tia’s Unicorn?” they wondered. When it came time for Tia to start working Rasheeka on a lunge line, she begged her parents to come watch.
Her parents visited the farm early that fall. They were told all about Rasheeka’s medical conditions and immediately knew Rasheeka did not meet Tia’s long list of criteria for a horse she could own. Yet, by the way Rasheeka looked at and responded to Tia, it was also apparent the horse was oblivious to that fact. If anything, Rasheeka appeared to be saying that she, too, had a list and that Tia met all the criteria on that list for an owner.
It wasn’t long before Tia began asking if she could adopt Rasheeka. When reminded by her parents that Rasheeka didn’t meet the criteria on her list, Tia nodded in agreement, but would look sad. Her parents reminded her that a horse with Cushings and a history of laminitis might not always be rideable and could have high vet bills. Soon, Tia countered with some very logical and heartfelt arguments agreeing to reduce some of those costs by helping Amanda with chores at Boulder Brook Stable. Tia’s parents noticed that her evening routine of scouring the internet looking at horses for sale was no longer a daily ritual. Instead, she scoured the equine catalogues that arrived in the mail looking for things she could buy for Rasheeka.
Finally, the big day arrived, and Tia invited her parents to see her mount and ride Rasheeka for the first time. When they entered the indoor arena, both Tia and Rasheeka were standing tall and proud waiting for them. Tia mounted Rasheeka, and both rider and horse immediately displayed an understanding of the potential significance and importance of this moment. The horse’s muscle tone was still being rebuilt, so her balance was a bit off. But Rasheeka did her best to please her rider. In the horse’s eyes, you could see the long ago memories of those trail rides with her former owner come back. On Tia’s face, you could only see a smile that stretched from ear to ear, pushing her cheeks to nearly rise above her eyes as well as a sense of pride swelling in her chest. It was clear to everyone that Rasheeka had bonded with Tia and that Tia had reciprocated. The love affair between the two was in full bloom.
Rasheeka was making progress very quickly now. About a week later, Tia’s mom received a text with a picture of Tia and Rasheeka on a trail ride on the Boulder Brook Stable’s property.
Without telling Tia, her parents decided to inquire about adopting Rasheeka. Phyllis Elliott, the founder of Hidden Pond Farm Farm Equine Rescue, explained the process and made it sound very easy. Amanda Hanson agreed to continue boarding Rasheeka at Boulder Brook Stables. The family decided not to tell Tia about the adoption that officially occurred on October 24, 2020 until Rasheeka’s registration papers from the Arabian Horse Registry of America arrived, listing Tia as the new owner. The papers arrived a few weeks later.
On November 15, 2020, exactly fourteen years to the day after Tia had joined their family through adoption, Tia’s parents arrived at Boulder Brook and surprised Tia with the equine adoption and registration papers. Tia and Rasheeka will forever share the same “Gotcha Day!” Together, Tia and her parents officially welcomed Rasheeka into their family. While Tia was shocked and happy, Rasheeka stood tall and calm on her cross ties gently nuzzling Tia’s arm as Tia grasped the paperwork tightly in her hand. Tia may not have found the “unicorn” horse of her dreams, but Rasheeka certainly found her “unicorn” owner. Tia met all of Rasheeka’s criteria for an owner: fun, loving, caring, responsible, and forever. Together, they share a truly beautiful relationship, a bond that will never be undone because as Tia has learned, “Family is Forever.”
Tia and her parents thank the following people for bringing these two unicorns together:
- Phyllis Elliott, founder & owner of Hidden Pond Farm Equine Rescue
- Amanda Hanson, owner of Boulder Brook Stables
- Emily Meister, Tia’s companion & coach
- Terri Warren, PDMS Supervisor at Community Bridges (Assistant Producer, “Fly High” video)
- Kelly Smith, Windrush Farm, Dawn Mar & UNH Equine Program who encouraged Tia’s dream
