A while back I shared with you that part of the deal to get Sam back from Lifesavers Sanctuary Program was to exchange Sam for Baby Bart.
Many of you asked why I didn’t just keep the three new horses AND get Sam back…
…For two reasons. The first being I took 3 horses (!) in exchange for Sam’s freedom at Lifesavers – so when I wanted to get her back, I needed to give at least one horse back for financial reasons.
The other reason, the reason I chose Baby Bart to return, is because I really truly felt that Bart was unhappy here. From the moment he arrived, he pinned his ears at me. That never quit. When I fed, when I tried to touch him, when I entered his paddock, when I tried to catch him… the boy didn’t like me. He was very happy with Missy Miss, but no one else.
My intuition told me that he liked it where he had been at LIfesavers, with all of his yearling buddies, and that being here was totally not suitable – in his opinion. He was bummed and sad.
Now, I know that people much more qualified than me in the horse world feel that horses live ‘in the moment’. Well, to me, I think they live in whatever moment they chose to live in. Some are present in the here and now, but I know that some mourn lost friends (Norma and Dodger totally miss Slick) and they miss other homes (I am SURE Remi didn’t like it here and wished she was back in Grass Valley) and other people – like Baby Bart. He wanted his old people back.
This was typical of Baby Bart when he was here. He wouldn’t let me come near him or touch him or groom him. He did accept treats, but always with pinned ears.
I was trying to take a photo of his pinned ears and he came after me with that ‘arrow head of death’… bared teeth and pinned ears.
Again, I was trying to knock down the mud balls and he pinned his ears – even when he had yummy food to distract him.
On a bright, sunny day, we loaded him up. He went in no problem. That is Wrigley and Gwen looking on.
Of course, it had rained the night before and he was a mudball. I was able to clean his mane at least.
BART IN HIS NEW/OLD HOME!
So, on this thought, I chose to return Baby Bart to his old home, Lifesavers Sanctuary. My hope was that he would return to the joyful and lovely colt they said he was before he came here.
And, from what they’ve told me since he arrived back at Lifesavers, Baby Bart is happy as a clam. They said he was ears forward and always playful.
Hmmmm. Well… GOOD!
A totally different horse than he was when he was here…
…and I’m so happy for him. He absolutely knew what he wanted, and got his point across.
I asked for photos to prove that Baby Bart was happy at Lifesavers. These photos below were taken at Lifesavers.
I wouldn’t say this is totally ears forward… but he was getting his feet done so I can understand why he wasn’t all jolly. However, his ears are not pinned, as they were here whenever he saw me.
Here he is, playing with his favorite volunteer. That NEVER, EVER happened here. He was unhappy with us. Now, he is happy back at Lifesavers!
