Many of you have asked for a Brutus update – we have some wonderful news!
On Saturday, Brutus got his feet done by our farrier. He was good (for not having had his feet done in a long time, anyway). They will need a few more trims before they are back to normal, but at least things are now headed in the right direction.
On Monday, our vet came out to assess Brutus for a geld. EXCELLENT NEWS! While only one testicle is descended, the vet could feel the other one, so he can do a regular geld at the facility! This means that not only do we not have to put this poor boy through the stress of trailering and going down to the hospital, it also is a savings of about $1,000! That so far was the best news I have heard on this boy so far. We scheduled him to be gelded on Friday, and the vet said it takes about a month for the testosterone to leave the body, so he will be staying at our neighbor’s house in the meantime. We cannot say how thankful we are for their generosity- in addition to allowing us to keep him there, they are sponsoring his food and farrier bill. We also have another neighbor who is allowing us to use their round pen once the swelling on Brutus’ knee goes down.
We also received word from Brutus’ previous owner who had a first right-of-refusal. After talking for about 20 minutes, we decided that Brutus is where he should be right now (with Hanaeleh Horse Rescue). She was very helpful in giving us some more background on him as well as letting us know his lineage. There is no need to go into the drama that surrounded this boy before he came into our lives; at this point the only drama that he has right now is whether he will get his pellets or his hay first for dinner.
I have been working with Brutus. I’ve been teaching him how to lead (without biting), move away from pressure (without biting), tie (without biting), pick up his feet (without biting), etc. You can see the common denominator here… he is very mouthy, although he is learning that that is not acceptable. Hopefully much of that behavior will cease once he is gelded, and as we continue to teach him how to act properly. He learns very, very quickly, and while who-knows-what-training, compounded with two weeks of being yanked around with a stud chain did not train him to walk on a lead, two 10-minute lessons with a rope halter and a dressage whip had him walking around with me like a champ (although I think he still wanted to bite me). I have walked him up and down the driveway and street, and he does not seem to be spooky at all… the only times he is naughty are when he sees a mare, who he believes has no other desire than to be with him (a la The Bachelor). After Friday, however, that behavior will begin to dissipate, and eventually he should have no more interest in girls than a seven year-old human boy (ick- cooties!).
Hanaeleh Horse Rescue is very thankful for those individuals who have donated to Brutus’ care! We’re still taking donations to help pay for Brutus’ geld, as well as his vaccinations and any other issues that may crop up. We really appreciate all of the help we have had so far, and are so thankful for our neighbors who have helped this boy! I would be remiss if I did not, once again, mention the neighbor who spotted Brutus with the teenagers, and who suggested that they turn him over to us instead of who knows what. He’s definitely in a much better situation now and thanks to the efforts of so many people, he has a much brighter future!
