To work hawks and horses well together takes time, patience and a lot of understanding of both sides
We ask a lot from the horses, its not just flapping things arriving from all angles, its working with things that smell like they want to eat them, getting them relaxed enough that they’re happy to do this with people they haven’t met before, adapting to different riders without taking offence while guiding them in a completely new process
The reactive nature of thoroughbreds adapts them well to this as they are reacting and adapting to what’s happening as it goes on , very often without the rider even realising.
Reactive doesn’t just have to be a flight response, its also processing what’s happening quickly and responding in an appropriate way and this is why our boys excel at what they do once they understand the process, and why thoroughbreds are just the best horses for falconry in every aspect
Obviously a huge amount of work goes on to get the level of understanding of horses from the hawks as well, as they are having to work with a large animal that could hurt them so they have to learn horses are firstly no threat, and then secondly a continent and useful means to their ends (birds of prey are entirely self motivated, they do nothing to please us, our views on them and their behaviour are just not relevant in their scheme of things)
Once both sides understand each other and our parent as the link between them the relationship is amazing, and something we try to show in our teaching and displays.
