www.HarrietsHydraHorses.com hosted by HydraDirect

About Harriet's Hydra Horses

Harriet Jarman

I am English and came to Hydra with my Mum on holiday when I was 10 in 2000. We loved it, so we stayed. I was educated on Hydra and so I am fluent in Greek. I grew up around animals and always knew that I wanted to work with horses and dogs.

My Mum put me on my first pony ride in England when I was only eighteen-months-old and I started riding lessons when I was three. After graduating from High School in Hydra, I had a three-year gap off the island when I joined the British Army. I returned to my Hydra home to think of ways that I could incorporate my love of the outdoors and work with animals. In 2014, I launched Harriet's Hydra Horses.

My horses are my pets and are my family, so I treat them as gently as I do my friends.They work hard, especially in the summer, and I rest them in shade with water and a bit of food in between treks to make sure that they are happy and enjoy my horse treks as much as my riders do.

Caring For My Horses

The well-being and happiness of my horses is a priority, and because there is no equine vet on Hydra, I am grateful to the team of volunteers from GAWF (Greek Animal Welfare Foundation), who visit Hydra annually, for their advice and reassurance so I can look after minor ailments myself. I particularly appreciate my first lesson in dentistry from Equine Dentist, Garry Draper. It's wonderful to be self-sufficient as it would awful for any of my horses to have to wait a year with toothache!

Passing on a love of horses

Surprisingly, for an island dependent upon equines, there are many children on Hydra who have nothing to do with horses and are a bit afraid of them. But now I regularly have 'little helpers' at the stables and I actively encourage positive appreciation and care of horses with sessions at the local school.

Horsing Around

Rather than being cooped up in stables during the winter months when it is quieter in Hydra, I take the horses to our home in Palamida where they have lots of space to roam, graze, kick up their heels and enjoy themselves! They work hard during the high season, and they would be bored if I left them standing in their stable, so they deserve a holiday especially when the weather is nice.
Vassilis Sarris - Horse treks on Hydra Island Greece with Harriet Jarman of Harrie's Hydra Horses

Vasilis

My husband Vasilis, is a builder by trade and didn't have a connection with horses until I launched Harriet's Hydra Horses.


He built our stables, repairs them and has extended them as our team has grown. He's even good a mucking out and feeding. Although he doesn't ride, he loves the horses as much as I do.


He supports and encourages me, and he frequently joins us on treks up the mountains, so together we can enjoy the countryside that we both love so much.

  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Anastasis joins Mum's team at Harriets Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Anastasis Our Son

Anastasis, my now 8yr old son, my hope for an early retirement, has been on a horse since being a bump. He's always around helping with their care.


Zeus was his horse but after we lost Zeus last year, now he owns Aris and already leads the rides making sure all of his riders are happy and comfortable.

The Team

My horses are medium-sized, sturdy, with good stamina and perfect for mountain trails as they are all surefooted. I don't use larger pack animals for my horse treks because they don't cope with the terrain as well as smaller, nibble horses, or as safely with regards balance, especially if they are being ridden by novices. This is one of the reasons why I have a weight limit. If the rider is too heavy for my small horses, it will unbalance them for parts of the treks that are steep. The risk of too much weight might cause an accident, so I sometimes have to refuse people for their own safety as well as my horses.

Chloe - Horse treks on Hydra Island Greece with Harriet Jarman of Harrie's Hydra Horses

Chloe

Chloe stands 1.47 meters, is 5 years old and was born in Ermioni.

I met Chloe when she was a foal. She belonged to my physiotherapist. It took me a while to convince her to sell Chloe to me. Chloe was lucky because she had a very good start in life and had never 'worked'.

Eventually, I brought her to the island and started breaking her in and training her myself. Chloe and I have a very special bond.

Chloe is particularly good with young children as she is very gentle, 'interested' and is very trusting of humans!

She is also a confidence builder for novice riders because Chloe knows what she is doing with very little need for rider input. 
Melina - Horse treks on Hydra Island Greece with Harriet Jarman of Harrie's Hydra Horses

Melina

Melina stands 1.37 meters and is 8 years old and was born on the Peloponnese.

Melina was my first rescue horse.

Unfortunately, she didn't have a very kind start as her previous owner beat, starved and overworked her!

Although she is, naturally, a lot more cautious about making new friends than my other horses, she has responded well to kindness and is a very safe horse.

She won't want to give you a kiss like the other horses do, but Melina is utterly reliable, bombproof and loves working with the team.
Dennnis - Horse treks on Hydra Island Greece with Harriet Jarman of Harrie's Hydra Horses

Dennis

Dennis stands 1.34 meters, is 9 years old and was born on Hydra. He has always been well-treated and didn't come to me with any bad habits other than him being inquisitive to the point of being nosy! He likes to join in with everything.

He is a cheerful horse who is the smallest of the team but thinks he is the boss. He is very proud to lead the treks and also works as my bridal horse for weddings.

Dennis is cheeky but gentle and safe. He is always the favourite of children who have nicknamed him 'Dennis the Menace' and he loves posing for 'selfies' with you!
Roulis - Horse treks on Hydra Island Greece with Harriet Jarman of Harrie's Hydra Horses

Roulis

Roulis stands 1.50 meters, is 6 years old and was born in the Peloponnese. He is my second rescue horse and sadly had his tail docked. He was starving when I first got him and took a while to put on weight. But his character is amazing, he loves the other horses, doesn't like being on his own and loves working as a team. Within a short time of me having him, I trusted him enough to give the reins to riders who don't want to be led.

Roulis is turning out to be the best of my team. Fortunately, he hadn't been beaten, so he is always interested and confident around people.
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Aphrodite and Aris two of the trekking horses you will meet with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Aphrodite & Aris - Mother & Son

I bought them 2-for-1 last August to join out team after we lost our beloved Zeus.


Afroditis (mum born 2003), was just for the personal use of one of my friends who has two daughters. Aris (son born 2010) was born in their arms. Having been around kids all his life he loves attention and has lots of love to give. One of the kindest horses I've ever met. And with Afroditis his mum, he has the best teacher at trail rides due to her calmness.

  • Sera one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sera one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sera one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sera one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sera one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sera one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sera one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Sera one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Sera

This is Sera, she was born in 2012 and stands 1.55 meters, so she is my tallest horse now.

I swapped her with a friend in Tripoli, so I gave Hercules and got Sera as she is a little faster than Hercules.

Sera has a lovely character. But very protective of her stable.
  • Louis of Harriet's Hydra Horses - horse treks on Hydra Island Greece

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus was born in 2013 and stand at 1.40 meters.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Louis of Harriet's Hydra Horses - horse treks on Hydra Island Greece

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Louis of Harriet's Hydra Horses - horse treks on Hydra Island Greece

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Louis of Harriet's Hydra Horses - horse treks on Hydra Island Greece

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Louis

Louis was born in 2017 and stand at 1.40 meters. He is an easy-going Haflinger, who join the team June 2023 as I had a horse injured and need more help. He came from a friend who also had Sera.

When Anastasis saw his pictures he thought it was Zeus, and really wanted him. So I contacted my friend and he brought him over to me the next day.

Louis temperament is exactly like Zeus, he is easy going, happy, confident and he went to work straight away as he is very trustworthy. He is suitable for all riders and ages.

  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Zeus one of the horses you can ride with on a horse trek with Harriet's Hydra Horses on Hydra Island Greece.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

RIP Zeus 2013 - 2022

Zeus passed away 12th August 2022 due to a bad colic. After vets from Athens being with us for two days, he passed away on the 3rd morning in my arms. He was always a loved horse and I don't want him to be forgotten


Zeus was born in 2013 and stand at 1.40 meters. He hadn't been on Hydra long before I got him. Only two other people had him on Hydra briefly. He originally came from the mainland and just sat around all day, that's why he is one of the laziest horses I've ever met. All he wants to do is eat! But what he makes up for in lack of speed is that he is an amazing swimmer in the sea. He is also a very sturdy horse for beginners or young children.

Share this page