‘So many carrots. So many kisses’: Beloved Hilton Head Clydesdale horse, Harley, dies at 17
Editor’s note: This story was originally published March 21. It was updated April 16 with new photos shared with The Island Packet and information about how Lawton Stables is remembering Harley.
There’s a nose on Hilton Head Island that everyone knows.
And it’s the only one you don’t mind nuzzling your neck.
It belonged to Harley, the larger-than-life Clydesdale horse who lived at Sea Pines’ Lawton Stables.
He was over 6 feet tall, and you couldn’t miss him, whether you were approaching the stables or simply driving by.
If you were anywhere near the fence, he’d make sure you didn’t miss his nose — up close and personal. The loving horse often strode to the fence, poked his nose over and stood parallel to it to ensure maximum petting opportunities for adults and children.
“Harley has always been a highlight of our trip. He was a gentle giant, and we all loved his soft muzzle and fuzzy chin whiskers,” Virginia resident Jen Gates said.
On March 15, Harley’s reign at Lawton Stables ended. The Clydesdale passed away after suffering from gastrointestinal issues commonly referred to as colic. He was 17.
“So many carrots. So many kisses. Watching my daughter grow next to him in annual photos was such a joy,” Chesnee resident Jessica Wilson said of Harley.
Early days as a Clydesdale
Harley was born Otter Creek Master Harlequin on April 20, 2003.
The official and formal name hardly suited him. A descendant of Budweiser’s famous Clydesdale team, he never marched or traveled with the group. But his massive presence and friendly demeanor made him loved by generations of visitors on Hilton Head.
He came to the island in March 2009 to pull a carriage through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. He marched in the Hilton Head Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade just once. After discovering he had arthritis, his caretakers moved him to a more ceremonial role, but one no less important: Official greeter.
He stationed himself at the entrance to Lawton Stables and greeted each visitor with a wet nose and confident acknowledgment: Yes, he was beautiful.
“He certainly knew he was the king. He was very well behaved, but he understood he was very important,” Lawton Stables general manager Haley Zimmerman said of Harley. “He was just so loved here.”
Harley towered over the ponies and other animals at the stables, and required special attention to keep his “feathers,” or long hair at the base of his legs near his hooves, clean and tidy.
He had a special pink hair dryer in the barn just for drying his legs off.
“He was just very trusting and very sweet,” Zimmerman said. “We never had to worry about him biting someone.”
For a horse that weighed nearly a ton, Harley had incredible senses and showed care, even when interacting with the island’s tiniest visitors.
“He ate a lot of treats in his lifetime,” she said, “but he never bit a child’s finger off.”
Surrounded by love until the end
Even more stunning than Harley’s temperament was his ability to brighten lives.
When Lawton Stables shared the heartbreaking news of his death in March, over 500 people posted photos and videos of their memories with him.
In the comments section of the post, photos showed children with Harley as they grew up — first petting his feathers, then his belly and then his long, black mane as they grew closer to adulthood.
His kind eyes and gentle smile seem to come through the screen. Just looking at photos of Harley interacting with babies or groups of visitors elicits a smile.
In a year when so many lives have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic and people have been forced to stay home, looking at photos of Harley — some grainy, some photos of photos — reminds us of sunny, relaxing and carefree days on Hilton Head that seem to be a thing of the past.
“It’s incredible,” Zimmerman said of the memories and photos. “It’s really helping all of us. We were aware that he was more special to everyone, ... but it took me two hours to figure out what to write. Exactly what I wanted to happen happened.”
Zimmerman was open about Harley’s death. It was unexpected, and it happened quickly. Harley felt fine on March 14 night, but when staff came to check on him the next morning, they saw he hadn’t eaten his food.
Noticing he was uncomfortable, staff brought a veterinarian to see Harley that morning. He was diagnosed with an impaction colic, which meant his organs were displaced. The staff hydrated him and took him on small walks around the stables in hopes of breaking up the blockage.
When he grew worse on March 15, staff decided to put him to sleep to end his suffering. Surgery for the impaction would have been too hard on his body, Zimmerman said.
“You never get used to it,” she said after 10 years at the stables. “We’re so in touch with the fragility of these creatures, we never take anything for granted.”
Harley died surrounded by love. Even in his final moments, he was treated like the superstar he was.
“If there’s any solace in his passing, it is seeing how much love he had from around the country, how cherished he was, and how many vacation memories he cemented with his loving antics,” Gates, the visitor from Virginia, told The Island Packet.
Wilson, from Chesnee, wrote a small love letter on behalf of herself and her 10-year-old daughter, Sadie.
“Harley, thanks for always loving my girl. We will miss you and always think of you fondly. Rest In Peace, big guy.”
On April 15, Lawton Stables announced it would sell shirts with Harley on them to commemorate his life on the island. Proceeds from the shirts will be donated to Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue in Maryland, according to the Facebook post.
This story was originally published March 21, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
