its like my friend Ruth said about Fox, "Janice, how can that horse NOT be a psycho after being locked in a 10x10 dark box for six years running". and the answer is, he IS a psycho. But his psycho-ness comes out in ways that don't harm his job as my horse and mount. He is obsessed with the donkey--- think "buddy sour" a hundred times over. Only it doesnt extend to leaving him, he's ok with that. He just wants to protect him and be housed where he can stand near him in the night. Sometimes I think he would kill another horse if it tried to seriously attack the donkey. He once tried to tear thru a fence to get to him when my husband ran at the donkey with a limb to throw at the dog that was chasing the donkey. And feeding time. All horses are chow hounds, some worse than others like Tivar, he is food obsessed. but Fox has it wrapped into where it was his whole existence, his only contact with the outside world. He is always the last to be fed so he won't get beat up so bad by the others. And while he waits he contorts his mouth and grimaces and licks at the air until his mouth his lined with foam. Eyes bulging. Every feeding. My husband and I laugh about if someone comes to feed who didnt know they would think he had rabies by the foam. But he used to be at the end of a long barn and no contact with anything or anyone but twice a day must have ingrained some "HERE IT COMES" thing in him that is wayyyy bigger than life. But hey, things could be a lot worse as far as horses go, right? Janice-- yipie tie yie yo
