In Scottish Folklore the Kelpie is a shapeshifting water monster that appears to be a Horse on Land that entices people to try to ride on it, but once they get on the Kelpie it's thick weedy mane will wrap around the rider and refuse to let go as the Kelp charges headlong to the nearest body of water to drown the rider!

Sounds a lot like how Crocodiles hunt, grabbing creatures who wander too close to the water's edge and then dragging them down to a watery grave. I don't know why I didn't thinks of this sooner! Did you know there is a prehistoric family of crocodilians called Planocraniidae that had hoof-like claws and was thought to gallop like a horse! Sounds a lot like a Kelpie huh...I also love the idea that you could look at it from a distance and think "Is that a horse" Then it turns around and it has a Crocodile face! HA!

In Soaring I imagine this is a Nocturnal creature. It spends the day in the water mostly sleeping and then comes up on land at night where it hides among foliage for prey, will charge them down when they don't expect, and then return to the water.