06/14/2026
Sammy ā¤ļø
Heās been a little bit of a challenge to figure out. We often see the horses go through a gamut of changes in the first couple of months theyāre here.
Theyāre often cautious at first, sometimes scared, sometimes checked out, sometimes easy going. Once they figure out that they will be fed no matter what, that there is no work to be done, and that they have a choiceā¦they tend to come out of their shells and assert their new found independence.
Iāve struggled to figure out his language. He is clearly trained to work, the second he sees the halter he drops his head but then once itās on, you can see something change in his eye, he wants out. Iām sure a halter, bridle etc meant work, and I imagine he didnāt enjoy whatever came next. Iāve said it before I donāt think anyone was very nice to him.
Anyway, once he realized he had a choice, he choose no, everytime. He chose to leave. He just walked away, over and over. He would eventually stop and allow me to lead him where I needed him to be but it wasnāt without hesitance. And it wasnāt defiance or even straight fear, it felt different.
He needed to be sedated for clipping and bathes. Treating his skin became a game of cat of house. It felt like he knew I wanted to do something to him and whatever he associated that with wasnāt good. Each meal, even after months of being fed faithfully, was a coveted time, always requiring a reminder about manners.
So I made sure to offer scratches, pets, a simple āhi Sammyā in passing, independent of his treatments, so he knew there wasnāt always an expectation of him. We worked on mutual respect.
Itās been paying off. I would say these days he chooses to stay when I approach 90% of the time. I can do his skin treatments without issues. He has taken more of a liking to grooming. He walks with me to his dish at meals, waits patiently for his food and once I step back he gently reaches for it as if to say thank you.
And then yesterday happened. I was hosing horses down and decided to give it a shot with him. He definitely wanted to leave, but I asked him to stayā¦and he did. He stayed, he liked it, and I was even able to let go of his halter to get his backside and he still hung out. This was huge for him, for me, and for us.
I know when I tell these stories there at some people who roll their eyes and think āyouāre excited about thatā?!
Yes, yes I am. It has been almost 8 months since Sammy arrived and I think he is finally allowing himself to believe not all people are bad.
Good job buddy ā¤ļø
