Awhile ago, MiniOwner and MiniOwner'sMom were telling me a story about a horse that they had sold. I'll try to remember the story as best I can, and also try to condense it some for you. (And, if you'd rather not hear an awesome story, just skip down to the end.)
For quite a few months, MiniOwner and her mom had driven past a thin little orphan colt (I'll just name him Colt) on their way to work. The owner wasn't caring for Colt properly, and at only four months old (way before a foal should be weaned) turned him out on sparse pasture. Eventually, the lack of health in Colt got to the point where MiniOwner'sMom asked Scraps if they would handle the situation. They said that they had tried, but no police officers would go with them. Finally, MiniOwner'sMom went up to the owner herself and tried to buy the colt. The owner wanted $800 for the horse! Being sane, MiniOwner'sMom offered $100 at most to take Colt off this guy's hands. The guy refused.
A couple months later, Colt was pretty much skin and bones. MiniOwner'sMom got in touch with a police officer that she knew, and informed him she was going to go up and forcefully take the colt herself if there was no other option. The police guy followed her to Colt's owner's place, and also brought along a couple other cops in separate vehicles (the owner of Colt was known for being a trouble to deal with).
The owner of Colt had a gun out, but then realized he had no other choice but to hand Colt over to MiniOwner'sMom, so he did. When asked why he let Colt get so deathfully skinny, he simply replied that he didn't know how to feed an orphan foal. Of all the...agh! :P It isn't that hard to see that a horse is too skinny and figure something out, or at least ask for help.
By now, MiniOwner and her mom weren't even sure if Colt would make it or not. A couple days later he was still alive, and he made it. They were giving him meds and the right type and amount (you should never feed a horse that has been eating almost nothing a whole bunch of feed because his digestion track won't be able to handle it) of hay, and he got healthy and well.
They had him for about a year or two, and he was maturing pretty nicely into a perfectly-spotted, black leopard Appy. For awhile now, there had been a teenage kid with slightly special-needs that had gotten Colt to come up to him, so he could pet him and (I imagine) feed Colt grass or treats. The two had a made a bond, and this kid fell in love with Colt. The parents of the kid asked the landowner if Colt was for sale, but the landowner replied that they didn't own the horse, and he wasn't for sale (MiniOwner'sMom had promised the horse that, after all that had happened, Colt would always have a secure home with them).
The kid continued to bond with the horse (and also telling his parents that he would do anything to have Colt), and kept on asking his parents if he could have him. Finally, they talked to MiniOwner'sMom, and asked if Colt was for sale. She showed them pictures of him as a colt, told them his story and her promise, and said no; Colt was not for sale. As she said that, though, she say the kid's whole mood drop completely. She was saddened by it, and, after thinking for awhile, decided the kid could have Colt (I'm pretty sure this is the only time that MiniOwner'sMom broke a promise to a horse). The owners asked how much she wanted for him, and since the meds and feed to get him healthy were only about $500, she said that much would do it.
Suddenly, the kid piped up and said, "Lady, I have $700 on me right now. I'll give you it for him." MiniOwner'sMom was really moved by the kid's kindness, agreed to the price, and hauled Colt over to the cattle ranch that the family owned.
Just as the new owners had said, they sent pictures and updates on him monthly. I think after awhile they had stopped, or maybe just not sent pictures. Anyway, a couple years later MiniOwner'sMom had to go do some business for their cattle ranch (can't remember what). She was driving a big, purple, 1-ton truck along a field, and a giant, all-muscle Appy ran up to the fenceline and started cantering parallel to the truck. MiniOwner'sMom kept thinking, "That can't be him!", but it was.
Apparently, Colt had grown to be a giant of a horse (which is surprising because of how long he was malnourished). He was pure muscle, and when the kid (now an adult, probably?) apologized for Colt being a bit fat, MiniOwner'sMom felt Colt's side, and told him that it was all muscle; no fat there!
She asked the kid how Colt got so muscular, and the kid replied that he just put Colt's hay at the top of a hill, and the water at the bottom. This then made it so Colt had to walk up and down the hill to eat and drink.
Anyway, that's the gist of it. I just thought it was a pretty awesome story, and also an awesome idea for how to get a horse in shape. XD
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