17/03/2025
Jump high into the Heavens Sky,
KAMAL (Hillview Glen Illuzzion), son of the great Kyremi Illustraa.
16/12/1998 - 17/3/2025 (26 years old).
The torn feeling of doubt to end this horse’s life early, was with me in the past weeks. But I rather wear that over the haunting agony I will face if leaving it 1 day too late.
Kamal was at the start of a long slow but gradual decline in health. I gave him my final gift to live his last days in happiness in his herd of 4 geriatrics (him being the youngest) and leave us with dignity. His fantastic life was complete and all that was left to do for him, was to have a good death. I am so relieved that I could give him that today.
I bought Kamal a bit over 21 years ago, in December 2003, sight unseen, from a breeder in Toowoomba QLD. Kamal just turned 5-years old, a green broke pure-bred Arabian (Crabbet lines), light chestnut with flaxen mane and tail. I remember I had to persevere to be able to buy him, as the breeder said “he wouldn’t be any good” for my business. We proved them wrong.
A lean and wiry 15 hands, orange coloured Surfer Boy with a lot of S***k!! So much s***k in fact, that although he’s not the typical endurance horse “type”, he became my 20-thousand-dollar horse as this was the number offered to me when he was 7 years old, as an unqualified endurance horse who had only done a 40 km distance, to go to Dubai for endurance racing in the desert. The desert, we said, it will be perfect for him!! Kamal hated water. Needless to stay Kamal stayed at Kerewong, as they all do.
Kamal was Kerewong Horse Nr. 6 and he became my longest serving working horse, one of the Originals and the last of them to retire, just 5 years ago. He would not have lasted for as long in the Middle Eastern desert races. He’s a precious boy. In his early working years, in winter, we carried a fleece blanket with us on the treks to put on him during lunch stops. He always felt the cold. The only Kerewong horse who had a blanket on cold winter nights his entire life. But again, perfect for the desert!
I still see social media profile photos of him ridden by guest riders, the orange surfer boy was so much loved.
Kamal was unfortunate with his injuries and had a lot of sick leave. He is my horse with the most injuries (I hope it stays that way), and unusual injuries too, but he always healed.
Some of the things Kamal taught me: about facial nerve paralysis (after a head butt from his friend Copper), how to treat a stromal abscess (serious eye injury), how to NOT treat an open splint bone fracture and sequestrum, how to survive a backwards fall off a flooded concrete river causeway, how to treat the leg injuries of a horse that tried to jump back up a flooded concrete causeway, how to ride a frog-leaping horse across a creek, and that you are never too old to learn: a brave horse except when it comes to water, aversive of water crossings in all forms for most of his life (except bridges that keep him dry), Kamal unexpectedly decided at 17 years old that he does enjoy going into the ocean surf.
Kamals end of life story is one of a normal course of declining health in old age. In recent years, after his retirement 5 years ago, Kamal has been plagued by chronic and progressive post-traumatic arthritis in his hock, due to an old high splint bone leg fracture, a kick injury 11 years ago (thanks, Jaws). In the last 7 months, as his arthritis progressed, Kamal was on pain relief medication. He was coping. However, probably unrelated to this, 4 months ago he started to lose weight and muscle mass, whilst eating very well. He also has had a significant heart murmur for some time (> 1 year) and in recent weeks he had an alarmingly high resting heart rate. Blood results in December, ongoing monitoring, limitless food supply, just saw him slowly slip downhill. He wasn’t going to get better, he had difficulty keeping up with the other oldies and I didn’t want to isolate him from them.
So now the Kerewong Heavenly Pastures gained a wonderful Arabian chestnut with a long flowing bleached surfer mane. The 3 mares and Dream will be there to welcome him. My final gift is that he left this earth peacefully. A good life all his life, except for that leg fracture. But he survived. Kamal always put his trust in me as the person who will look after him in sickness, in health and in all our adventures together.
I only need to have one photo here, as this is the photo I will always remember him by. From 2007, in the prime of his life at 8 years old (photo by Candida Baker).
Jump high in heaven, thank you for a great life shared together, Precious Prince of Kerewong.
Kerewong Horse Farm NSW offers a variety of Horse Holiday programs on the NSW East Coast of Australia between Sydney and Brisbane (near Port Macquarie).
