The fairytalesque Friesian! Throughout the month of February, we are featuring Friesians and Friesian crosses.
Did you know… dressage riders who compete with a member of this stunning breed are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the Friesian Heritage Horse & Sporthorse International, Friesian Horse Association of North America, Friesian Horse Society, Friesian Sport Horse Registry, and Friesian Sporthorse Association are all participating organizations!
After experiencing a cascade of loss within a short period of time, an adult amateur shares how a golden Friesian cross stepped up to fill the void left in her life, and helped her find happiness again.
By Nicky Rheaume
My name is Nicky Rheaume, and while I’ve been around horses almost my entire life – including caring for five horses over the course of 20+ years at my family’s backyard farm in Rhode Island – I’ve somewhat recently come back into this era and privilege of horse stewardship, and it’s a whole new world. I had taken a several-years-long break from riding, as our family’s horses were retired and quite senior, and they required a lot of TLC. This put riding on the back burner for me while juggling my full-time job in the music industry.
After my family’s last two senior horses and my beloved senior chihuahuas passed – both in 2021 and then in 2022 – there was a gaping hole in my heart. It wasn’t long before I craved a way to channel all the energy I had spent looking after them into a new relationship with a younger horse. I also wanted a second shot at riding.
When I was in college, I rode on the Stonehill College Equestrian Team, but that only lasted two years. I realized I wasn’t cut out for showing as a young adult while also still figuring myself out. I never enjoyed being the subject of anyone’s attention – plus, it was stressful to be judged on my riding when, to me, it felt more like my sanctuary than a competition.
I needed a chance to test the waters with horses becoming a regular part of my schedule and routine again, and a lovely warmblood mare named Addie was available for a partial lease. I rode Addie under the direction of Dawn Zuchtmann at Satori Farm, thus beginning my introduction to dressage.
I was blown away by Dawn’s coaching, and remember feeling like I had everything to learn, which was a welcome challenge. As a child, I rode all sorts of disciplines – hunter/jumper, balance seat, trail riding, gymkhana, and team penning. But I decided I wanted to focus on dressage to become a better, more balanced rider. I was enamored by it as an art form – a beautiful communication display between horse and rider – and knew it would make me (as well as the horse) stronger.
I ended up partially leasing Addie, to dip my toes into dressage, and she totally brought my confidence back. I enjoyed sharing my new horse stories with my parents, who had been so dedicated to the care of our family horses over the years. They enjoyed all the updates I would send their way each week, and always supported my love of horses.
In August of 2023, while my wife and I were working (and horse-adventuring) in Montana, my dad became suddenly ill, and we rushed home. We quickly learned he had liver and pancreatic cancer, and he died in just over a week. After the cascading loss of my dogs, the family horses, and then my father, I felt pinned down with grief. It was so hard to process, and all I could do was turn to nature, observe every sign (the dragonflies, butterflies, the deer, and the birds), and continue pushing myself to do the things I loved.
I remember the first ride on Addie after losing my dad. I was weak, but she carried me and gave me purpose, and her sweet soul helped soothe my sadness. Every time I’m with horses now, I think about how much work my parents put into being able to keep horses in our lives; what they gave up for it; and how I want nothing more than to continue that mutually beneficial relationship we earn when we give our all to our horses – that sense of pride and purpose that we get in return.
In the spring of 2024, when I first started looking for a horse of my own to bring into my life, I was pretty open-minded; however, I knew I wanted a horse who had been exposed to many things, with a varied training background. At this point in my life, I was looking for a horse that made me feel safe and confident – much like Addie did.
I have always been drawn to bold colors, and was even considering an Appaloosa cross (we once had a bay blanket Appaloosa who was quite the character!). I wanted to be able to practice dressage by day, but also take my horse out on the trail or other adventures in a western saddle to unwind.
I had a bunch of horses I had dropped into my “potential dream horse” spreadsheet, but none of them were local. Just as I was considering booking travel to see a horse up north outside Montreal (an Appy/PRE cross), an old friend of mine (now a horse trainer) sent me a listing for a six-year-old, buckskin Friesian cross gelding named Chiron. He basically embodied true “dream horse” characteristics in my mind. I nearly fainted when I saw that he was local. He was at a reining and ranch training barn (and looked oh so handsome in his western tack), and my friend let me know that his trainer was very well regarded. So, I reached out immediately, and even when I found out he was way over my budget, I decided I needed to go see him anyway (because you never know). I usually run off instincts and excitement, so I was operating in true form.
I remember when I first met Chiron, he engaged with me like a giant friendly dog would. When I got on him, he was a total gentleman. He felt solid, sane, and surefooted. I learned he came from a ranch out west and had been used to pony colts. And after I untacked him and put him back in his paddock, I noticed he would rather hang out with me than eat his lunch. He was a true “people person” of a horse, which I really enjoyed.
I went home that night and tried digging up more info about where he came from, since the folks who were selling him had bought him from an auction less than a year prior. It wasn’t hard to locate the old auction listing for a buckskin Friesian cross – because there aren’t many! I learned he had come from Bellevue, Iowa, and it just so happened that this small town of his origin was actually a huge highlight from my past.
In 2011, I rode my bicycle across the USA with a few friends, and it was in Bellevue, Iowa, where a small businesswoman took us under her wing for that day and night. She fed us, and let us set up camp in her yard so she could keep an eye on us. She was our guardian angel in Iowa and kept us safe. So by this point, I was freaking out that it was a sign.
His name, “Chiron,” in Greek mythology and astrology, is the “wounded healer,” which represents our deepest emotional and spiritual wounds and the potential to transform that pain into wisdom to heal both ourselves and others. Nothing ever felt so right after all the loss I had just been through. He was the one.
I set up a second riding date, where I brought the whole crew – my wife, Dawn, and two amazing women who were interested in partially leasing Chiron, Hannah and Tara. He didn’t have any complaints with most of us hopping on for a spin. That to me spoke volumes about his personality, and there was no way I wasn’t going for it… so I did (with some help – you know who you are).
Hannah had a truck and trailer, so she drove me to pick him up and hauled him home for me.
The whole community at Satori had already been so welcoming to me as a new rider, and they really made me feel at home with Chiron. Hannah and Tara also partially leased him, so we all shared him from the start. Hannah suggested we pick a show name for him, and we decided “On The Mend” was suitable, since we both were on our healing journeys. We continued taking dressage lessons with Dawn, and I couldn’t believe what a workout it was for bothof us. We had some fitness levels to achieve, which was the first hurdle, but each week we got stronger.
There came a point where Chiron was struggling with locking stifles, which was a bit of a roadblock for us for what felt like too long. Despite efforts that included veterinary care, consults, and treatment, I ultimately made the difficult decision to move him to another barn in August of 2025 so that he could have 24/7 turnout. Making a change from a great situation, especially involving your horse, is a very emotional decision. I was so happy at Satori and the amazing community there, so this decision did not come easily. I had been losing sleep over it all, and at one point, ended up seeing a psychic to help me make the final call.
We ended up moving to a barn that came highly recommended by a friend. Within three weeks of the move, Chiron’s stifle issues were in the rearview mirror, and giving him freedom of movement has unlocked his potential. We are in love with our new community at Singing Winds Farm in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, with trainer Juliane Dykiel and her partner Nick Iarussi. They put their horses’ care and happiness before anything else, and it really makes the horses shine in the ring. Juliane’s instruction has been so enlightening as well. She loves what she does so much that it’s contagious and motivates me to want to learn more about dressage.
I was always drawn to the precision and harmony found in dressage, and Juliane’s approach makes the discipline feel more accessible. She has a way of supporting and calling out her students’ strengths, plus she is a brave rider herself – all qualities which give her students confidence to try new things. It’s been so much fun, that I am considering showing in the near future!
Photo by Maya Drakulich
Chiron is schooling Second Level (big thanks to Hannah for pushing him with me), and we still enjoy hacking out on the property at Singing Winds, and going on group trail or beach rides when we can. I feel like allowing his brain to tackle things outside the arena helps him focus better during a dressage training session. He’s also such a curious horse that I feel it’s important to feed that curiosity by giving him access to the world as best as I can.
I am beyond grateful to have Chiron in my life. It is such a privilege to spend any time with him, and he provides me with the balance that I need for my own personal happiness and strength. If I show up to the barn anxious or upset, I always leave feeling the weight has lightened. Even a good grooming session with him is enough to turn my day around. He really enjoys being groomed, and it’s visibly obvious, which is one of his most adorable qualities. And he has a heart of gold – he is willing to try anything, and he’s so gentle.
I was never on the hunt for a Friesian or a Friesian cross, but he’s everything I could have wanted in a horse.
