Rare Ojibwe Spirit horse born at Ottawa’s Madahoki Farm

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Ottawa’s Mādahòkì Farm welcomed its newest resident last week with the birth of a foal that represents the renewal of a rare Indigenous horse breed that almost died out in the 1970s. 

“Each foal is so important, and this one even more so because it’s a new stallion for our herd of Ojibwe spirit horses,” said Trina Mather-Simard, who runs the urban farm in Ottawa’s Greenbelt. It’s an offshoot of her non-profit company, Indigenous Experiences, which has been showcasing Indigenous culture in creative and authentic ways for more than two decades.

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The little guy with the gangly legs is named Assema, which means tobacco, one of the four sacred medicine plants in Indigenous culture. For his mother, Sweetgrass, named for another sacred medicine, it’s her second foal born at Mādahòkì (she arrived pregnant two years ago), but the first to be conceived on site. Assema’s father is the herd’s young stallion, Migzi (Eagle); it’s his firstborn. 

Breeding is done with careful attention to bloodlines, Mather-Simard said, noting that genetics management is overseen by Canada’s Ojibwe Horse Society. Fewer than 200 of the ponies exist today, following a dramatic decline in the 1970s when the numbers dwindled to less than four because of loss of habitat and the culling of wild horses. 

Mather-Simard, who’s the mother of two equestrienne daughters, first heard about the Ojibwe spirit horses during the pandemic. News of the ancient breed came as a surprise even to her, a status member of Curve Lake First Nation, near Peterborough.

“I was blown away,” she said. “We are in the horse world and we are Ojibwe. How could we not know about these ponies? So we went on a mission to meet them.”

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It didn’t take long to fall in love with the horses’ gentle nature and willingness to engage with humans. Mather-Simard found herself with four geldings who needed a home, around the same time the National Capital Commission-owned property on Hunt Club Drive was up for lease. She jumped on it, establishing Mādahòkì Farm in 2021. 

Including the new colt, the herd has since grown to 10, with another foal due in a month or so. 

“We do hope to continue to play a role in preserving and strengthening and rebuilding this breed,” Mather-Simard said. 

Her understanding of the spirit ponies’ history is that they co-existed with Ojibwe communities, although were never domesticated. They remained wild, but allowed harnesses and could be used to move heavy loads. Hanging around humans also ensured feed in the winter. 

Today, the herd is the star attraction at the farm, which usually hosts Indigenous cultural festivals each season. However, with the addition of a second winter festival during Winterlude, there’s no spring festival this season. The next big event is the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival, June 21-23.

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The farm also uses the ponies in an equine-assisted learning program that teaches life skills to members of Indigenous communities, based on the seven grandfather teachings (love, respect, bravery, truth, honesty, humility, and wisdom).

For more information about how to visit the ponies, go to madahoki.ca.

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