[Bobos Story]

Fitch
"Forever Young"
June 16. 2006 - March 5, 2007

Fitch fought his potential abductors and by doing so he saved the life of his brother Abercrombie.
Unfortunately Fitch could not recover from the injuries he received from these cruel and heartless people and he succumbed. Fitch lost his battle for life on March 5, 2007 at 11:56pm at the University of Georgia.
Rest in Peace Dear Brave Fitch... For you we will continue to fight!!!

SAVE THE HORSES BRACELETS

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Bobo's "Bo's" Story

I am not for adoption yet. I am a 10 year old Bronc horse that no longer Broncs. I was in a killpen and a group of people got together to rescue me and send me to Pure Thoughts. This group of people came together from three rescues Another Chance 4 Horses, Lifelines Farm Rescue and Pure Thoughts. People from all over the country contributed to my ransom and shipping. I have never had a good human relationship and I am afraid of humans. I do not let humans near me. Although I am not malicious, I am very afraid of humans because of my past treatment. One day I will be for adoption but until then you can watch my progress at www.PTHR.org or www.PureThoughtsHorseRescue.com .

The Arrival

Well, he arrived this morning with a couple of other beauties I will send pictures of in a bit. I have to tell a funny story though.. When Eddie arrived he told Brad oh no do not put him in a paddock you want him in a small area.. I thought he wanted him in a field when I spoke to him on the phone, so I started out the morning getting Brad totally confused after we had moved Ziggy, cleaned out the stall with the attached paddock I then tell him nevermind they will all go in the big paddock then when Eddie got there he said no a small area so Brad was already agitated with me at 7:15am.

Then Eddie started talking about the Bo and bronc horses. So Brad is envisioning this 18 hand wild man who will try and rip down any wall he gets in once he gets out of his padded stall in the trailer... Brad then hits the roof. He is mad.. Eddie said.. Didn't you know this was coming.. Brad then goes into a tirade (Brad's type of tirade which is directed at me) about how he rarely knows anything until the last minute and then he never knows all the details. I piped up and said, Brad I told you he was a bronc horse and I showed you pictures. I am trying to explain that when we saw the pictures he was in an enclosed area and he wasn't going nuts but at this point Brad has his mind set on what this horse is and when I opened my mouth he shot me a look I had never seen before.

So Brad stood there for a moment and said I don't know what we are going to do, we will have to give it a try.. So he then said...can I see the horse... Eddie said sure he is right there and Brad stepped up on the trailer then looked over at Eddie and said... Is that the horse, Eddie said yes, Brad laughed and said are you kidding me... Then he gave me a look like you will live and told Eddie to open the trailer up.. He said with a smile on his face "get that big bronc horse out here."

So Bobo came out like a perfect gentleman... He is deathly afraid of people and has obviously been prodded with an electric prod, was moving around and recognized the way he buckles his knees a little when you get close to his rear like he is about to get zapped.. Bobo actually really touched Brad's heart.. Brad said this horse isn't mean he just got a real raw deal in life.. Brad is now really excited about Bobo ... and I have to say I am too.. I am more likely to be the first one hurt because I can't keep myself away from him.. He has the sweetest face and the kindest eyes.

Luckily this morning Brad was very happy with the horses that came in, he got two pleasant surprises, the first being Bobo. ..

A Nice Day

A nice day, a busy farm and people who like me.... what more can a boy ask for.
Bobo is already making headway.. He allowed both Brad and I in his stall to clean it while he waited patiently on his porch. Tonight he allowed me to go into the stall to feed him while he stayed in the far corner.. this was a major step he did not go flying out of the stall. Brad is very excited. He is not goign to wait as long as he planned on because Bobo is always watching us and seems to want to get close so I think in the next few days we will be setting up a round pen back there and these two will begin....I think Bobo wants to be loved on as much as we want to love on him.

A Familar Face?

So this morning was very odd. Life was normal everything quiet... We fed the horses, gave out hay and now it was time to put the horses out. Everything normal and quiet. As Brad leads Ziggy out of the barn and into the paddock we hear a huge whinny.. I mean loud.. Look at me I want your attention loud ... and we both almost snapped our necks turning to see who made that ... it was Bobo.. Mind you Bobo who has not even nickered since he got here ... no sound whatsoever. He was standing on his porch looking right at Ziggy. So then the day goes on a bit. Brad works with Ziggy blah blah blah.. Cheryl is here. Bobo is in his stall and won't come out because people are around. Brad finished with Ziggy's lesson and goes to put him on the thinking tree. This time he is using the tree by the pond which is in front of Bobo's stall. Sure enough Bobo sees Ziggy and comes out of his stall and just stares at him the entire time. Cheryl and I were just in awe because he was looking at little Ziggy with recognition. Bobo has not paid any mind to any of the horses on the farm and we have an assortment.. but Ziggy ... he can't take his eyes off him and this morning he was definitely trying to get his attention.

Now Ziggy came form a killpen in Kansas but he came in the same way as Bobo untouchable and wild.. well he is only a pony and Debbie was able to get him to come around for a carrot every now and then but he was a WILDMAN. It was seem odd that they know each other.. but I'll tell you something Ziggy reminds Bobo of something or someone.

Here is the picture. As Ziggy was being tied to the thinking three Bobo came right out of his stall the minute he saw him and just is just staring at him.. Cheryl and I were just standing there watch in amazement. SO as much as the picture looks like nothing but a couple horses in a far off distance.. it really may have a story behind it.

Well, I don't know how exciting this will be because the Bobo steps are small and to many may seem like nothing at all but when you see him everyday the smallest of steps are leaps and bounds. One small gesture is when Brad is cleaning his Porch are he no longer runs to the back of his stall and plasters himself against it like he wishes he were one with the wall. Now he will even stand in the doorway and watch him. We have a very strict schedule with Bobo as far as people who care for him. Brad does hay, water and cleaning I do the grain. This way Bobo always knows who is coming and what they will be doing, we want him to learn that we will not hurt him and we think familiarity with structure will help him learn this. He is definitely making strides. So today I took an extra step and went out there this afternoon and was standing at his porch; he looked at me out the door and we just stood there very peacefully. Then I took a few steps towards his stall on the outside so I could reach in his feed bucket and just like two north ends of a magnet he moved at the same time keeping the same distance between us and always watch me.. Mind you this horse has never, since being here, ever pinned his ears back or shown any sign of aggression to anyone. So I had a big handful of Nilla Wafers and I dropped one in the bucket. You could see his ears perk...like he was saying I know that sound but it is not that time, then I plopped another one in, then another and another and I just stood there. He wanted to go see what it was but I would not move so for him to see what it was he would have had to take a step towards me.. so I waited ... and waited ... LOL and waited ... and then finally he took a step in my direction and that was all he needed to do. I took the pressure off and stepped away because he gave me a positive response. Even though it was small, only one step towards me... it was the biggest step he has taken. So then once he got to his bucket to investigate he smelled the Nilla Wafer and of course he has never had one before ... he sniffed and smelled and nudge and sniffed some more then finally took a bite of one.... I was standing outside his porch watching him and he looked up at me and gave me one of those big curled lip stallion faces and curled his lip right up to his nose...it made me laugh right out loud... It will be a long road with Bo.... but it will be paved with kindness.

Positive Steps

Well I am just really really excited and I realize once again baby steps but these are really great ones.. It is hard to explain so I took pictures. In the first picture it looks like just a picture of Bobo looking at me doesn't it....But what you can't see is I AM IN THE STALL WITH HIM!!! and although he is in his safe corner he has allowed me to not only be in the stall with him and not just feeding but he looked at me.. After he looked at me and kept his focus on me I realease the pressure and back off.. Then I came closer and you can see in the next pictures how close I was able to get.. In fact in the last picture you can see one of his brands.. Again.. I came closer to him and waited until he looked at me... the I released the pressure... I am so proud of him.. I felt bad being gone last week from Wed to Sun.. I want him to know I am always going to be here for him and not hurt him... I have asked Brad to give me a little more time with him before he starts...it may sound dumb but I want him to feel good and tonight a heard a faint nicker when I fed him.

The First Touch

The afternoon was absolutely beautiful. When I got back from my errands I went to Bobo's stall with my 8 treats in hand and and a chair. This boy was going to know a treat by the end of our session and know if he gives me positive feed back he will get treats... So I kept putting them in his bucket then retreated, the first time it took him a very long time then when he finally ate one... The head was nodding up and down so fast I was laughing.. So we did this for a while. Brad of course shaking his head at me... he is not a treat fan..
We had planned on moving the round pen so he could start with him sooon but all of a sudden we were just both standing there, the day was beautiful and we both got that look in our eyes... Without saying a word to each other Brad just said ..OK I'll go get the round pen panel I said OK Ill go get the camera and then Brad yells out.. AND NO TREATS... I conceded ...this time...
All in all it went well there was one powerful freaking kick that nearly sent up flying when he kicked against the panel but that just told us not to touch the butt yet....
I am going to let Brad take it from here...

The plan for Bobo was to build a round pen outside his pen so as to teach him to catch me. But no one was around to help move the pen so Jen suggested that I try squeezing him in the corner and here's what happened.....

As I brought the panel into the stall he knew something was up. I took a few minutes to get him to this point of standing as far form me as possible but quiet.

Bobo is seeing if I am trustworthy or if I plan to eat him. He feels safer with the panel between us.

At first I tried to touch Bobo's side because his head was so far form me and he kicked at the panel non aggressively but yet powerful. He was just telling me he was not ready for that yet. So I put my hand toward his eye to allow him to choose when to make the first contact.

Bobo bends towards me and touches his cheek to my fingertip. Notice his inside ear pointing at me. The ear stays that was for many for the pictures. The ear lets me know he is looking and paying attention to me.

keep the contact with him, scratching his cheek as he leans into my hand
It feels soooo good to be loved.

Next step introduce a lead rope. He is getting more comfortable with me so I may as well try a little more.
What the heck is that. He moves away from the rope as it contacts him.

That is enough for the day. I hung the rope and halter where he could touch them. When I walked out of his stall the first thing he did was go checkout that rope and halter. This is another lesson in the relationship between fear and curiosity. Keep following the story of Bobo soon he will be in the arena with a saddle on. Bobo will make a great horse for the right patient, loving person.

BoBo's "Awesome Chip" Takes Big Steps

Well Bobo who Brad is calling Chip has moved mountains and has made huge steps. We are so proud of him, it is so obvious that not only does he want to trust but he wants to be with us..

Well I was too late with the camera.. Bo was so good for Brad that Brad was able to get the halter on before I got a chance to get the camera turned on.

Then Brad started a little desensitization with the lead rope. We did keep the panel still between us and Bo for this session.

Since the day was going so well and Bobo was so in tune with this we decided to take it farther and got out the brushes.. Bobo was accepting the touch of human hands. You can see that Brad is on one side and one of our volunteers on the outside.. Both are able to rub Bo.

You can see the major steps Bo has made. We are able to brush on his rear which if you rememerb last week sent us flying with the slightest of touch. Brad is also able to brush down his legs.

Taking a Stroll

Well Bobo has attracted some attention. Recently a gentelman called us and told us he was a horse trainer. I looked him up online and did find out he was a trainer. He is 85 and has been doing this for many years. To make a long story short, many of his theories were similar to ours. Some of the applications were not the way we proceed with the horses but we are a learning facility and as long as it does not hurt the horses we always keep an open mind.
Brad and I knew when we spoke with the man that his heart is definitely with the horses and like I said his theory was good, but we did know there would be a problem with the application. We aniticpated what would happen and we were right ... Bo jumped out of his Paddock and had a lovely afternoon on the property.. HAHAHA... He visited with just about everyone and when he decided he had enough he went back into his stall... Here are some pictures of his "Stroll"
Also, I don't want anyone to worry, Bo was never in harms way, it was just too much pressure for him. Bo is a highyly sensitive horse who has such a learned and warranted fear in him that the slightest pressure can set him off. We have approchaed Bo differnt than any other horse because he is so fear based. His fear is not of the unknown. Bo's fear is real and genuine.. he has reason to be fearful and it is humans that have given him that reason.
Well after he jumped his Paddock fence Bo first headed over to the babies pen, He loves to watch the babies so it was no surprise..

Well Bo stayed over at the babies for a while, but they would not pay any attention to him.. They were in a scuffle over whose turn it was to play "flip the bucket" and Sunshine was mad because Mahara cheats and get away with it because he is so young. So Bo was on the move to new ground.

He is on his way to the front.. Going to visit "Dakota" who wants to be a Bucking Bronc...Bo has been his idol since he arrived. He was at the front yelling for Bo to come and talk to him.

Bo and Dakota run side by side... "Come back again Bo!!! You are my hero!!

Cody and Timmy have been talking to Bo non-stop since they arrived... Bo was happy to go over and say hello..They all started running together.. It was breathtaking.

Bo 1st Round Pen

This first lesson in the roundpen is based on Bo learning that I am the leader of the our two horse herd and that by looking at the leader he will be safe. To make that happen, I have to send the horse away form me in order to bring him towards me. I close the back door and open the front door so he knows where to go. I do that by putting pressure behind the horse. As soon as he gets the correct answer, which is to move foward, I release the pressure from him by discontinuing the pressure.
To have him look at me, I step in front of his eye and close the front door. If he stands still and looks at me I stay still as well. This rest is his reward. He will learn, at his own speed, to want to look at his herd leader to feel safe. If he decides to move away, I will send him away. He will begin to soften and look at me for longer periods of time.

This early on I make his thoughts my thought, then make my thoughts his. Notice how both ears are pointed at me and he is begining to lower his head.
We change directions and do the same exercise on the other side of the horse to keep him balanced. Notice his inside ear pointed at me. This shows that he is keeping his eye on me.

Bo is relaxing, lowering his head and allowing me into his "bubble" or personal space.
He even has a good thought and beging to walk towards me lowering his head further and becoming more relaxed.

Standing still as I walk around him he bends toward me.Trust is being established between horse and human.

After todays lesson, Bo enters his stall relaxed.He licks and chews, digesting the ideas he learned today in the roundpen. Notice how Bo never went faster than a trot during the entire lesson. The idea is to make the horse think, not to make him tired.

Bobo

It is important to us that through this journey we are taking with Bobo we share these steps with you. Although most cases are not this extreme we are hoping that we can teach people to work with and communicate with your horse. In our opinion, this is not a "gift," magic or out of the reach of anyone who is willing to take the time. One day soon it is the hope of all of us that horse slaughter comes to an end.. When this happens there will be horses in need of loving homes instead of the cruel torture of the slaughterhouse... We are hoping through some of these teachings people will be more comfortable and willing to go to an auction and take an "unknown" horse and work together to become the closest of friends and partners.