Tamahome is one of our permanent residents at Hanaeleh, and he continues to be his amazing, extroverted self. He is 22 years-old, and age has started to creep up on him a little. He had an episode in the summertime when he fell while Elizabeth was cantering him, (she was fine- he kept her safe and skinned his knee), so she doesn’t go above a gait when riding him, although he still loves to run around at liberty. His tummy issues have continued to plague him, so we have had to change his diet and rotate different probiotics, and we finally have him on a plan that seems to work. The vet also diagnosed him with a dental disease, but thankfully we have not seen any discomfort with his teeth or with eating, so for now we are just watching to make sure he is comfortable. We also have him on a daily pain medication to help keep him comfortable and sound.
He still loves to perform his tricks for anyone who will watch (as long as there are treats involved), and still enjoys it when Elizabeth rides her around the neighborhood or on trail. Gypsy usually goes with Tama out on trail as his emotional support horse- it helps keep him from getting anxious, and it is also a great way to exercise her as well!
Tama is one of the horses we use to train new volunteers how we groom the horses- he and Dee have trained many of the volunteers at the ranch. One of his favorite things is knocking items off of the tie rail, and will untie himself from the rail if he is left there (in his opinion) too long.
Tama still lives with Ruby, and they get along very well. He is also very tolerant of our sheep and chickens, and will sometimes help himself to the sheep food if the door of the sheep pen is left open!