I just brought home a 4-yr old TB gelding from Bowie last evening. My first time buying from an auction kill pen. I adopted my current horse from New Vocations and have been looking for a buddy for him and something possessed me to look on the Bowie site Monday night. His slaughter date was Wednesday but I was able to buy him online Tuesday night and got him yesterday. In the video, when the auction gentleman hopped on him bareback with a rope halter and trotted and cantered in that aisle, this horse was foot perfect and unbelievably quiet.
I was able to get his JC name and breeding because they showed the chip number. His name is Banjo Jack—by Jack Milton, out of Cari’s Song by Unbridled Energy. War Front on top and Unbridled on the bottom. He had 1 published work exactly a month ago in Lexington and I have no idea how he got here to Texas or when he arrived. But he went from race training to a tiny pen. Long drive home (5 plus hours) and he’s been struggling with an impaction since yesterday but hopefully, we’re turning the corner on that this evening. He is super sweet, unbelievably kind and quiet for a baby. He has a bunch of big bite marks on his face and head and a few others elsewhere. Got him up from the grassy paddock where he spent the night so he could move around, and we gave him a bath, cut that awful glue and tag out of his tail, combed out his mane and tail and got fly stuff on him (not a spray bottle fan, but none of my OTTBs have been at first) and he stood like a rock. Buried his head in my college-age neighbor’s chest during his bath. His new fly outfit came today too, so he will be more comfortable tonight with that and his fly boots. When we first turned him out yesterday after hours in the trailer, he cantered the fence line while we hung out with him and my neighbor went OMG—his canter! Then he trotted and I went OMG—his trot! She cried. We stood there and looked at each other amazed and know we have something special. He has A-circuit quality hunter movement. But even if he didn’t, he’ll be a friend for my other OTTB and his temperament is unbelievably sweet. Prayers for his gut to sort out, but I think he’d had little hay and crap feed (have no idea what they eat there) and not enough water. The vet was out this morning and all his vitals are good, he’s pooping a lot now and it’s improving in quality immensely and he’s drinking and actually attacked some alfalfa tonight where he wouldn’t touch much of anything yesterday.
And a similarly kind, soft eye.
People like that should be banned from owning.