Later that day, Ben would relate the story of what transpired between him and the colt to Tug.

“I knew he was coming up on me,” he said excitedly. “I could see his shadow on the ground, there. He come up real slow and cautious, like. You know, like he was sneakin’ up on me or somethin’. Then he touched me and scared himself, I guess, ‘cause he sure run off. I just kept on doin’ what I was doin’ like you said to do, and before long he come up again. This time he just sniffed but didn’t touch me. Stayed with me, though, and went along wherever I went. He sure enough followed me like a puppy dog and when I left the pen, he just stood there by the gate and watched me go.” Ben shook his head. “I gotta tell ya boss, I know you said that’d happen, but if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t a believed it.”

It was about this same time when the colt began to notice the constant pain in his right shoulder had slowly begun to dissipate. He was moving better and feeling stronger, as well as gaining weight, and it was all due to the rest he’d been getting, along with the quality grass/alfalfa hay mix he’d been eating. The dry brown grass he’d been feeding on in the wild had been extremely low in nutrients, and it didn’t afford the nourishment his body needed to heal itself properly. But that had all changed, and even though he couldn’t move very far or very fast in his pen, he was actually healthier now than he’d ever been.

Two months into his captivity, the colt had become content with his life. He had been happy to see other horses when a human would ride or lead them past his pen, but he never approached to introduce himself. The lesson he learned when the stallion drove him off the ledge had become a part of him—acting out around others was not a good idea, and doing so had severe consequences. He was not going to make that mistake again, and because of it, was always on his best behavior around other horses, no matter if they were mares, geldings, or even other stallions.

The humans didn’t cause him the anxiety they used to, either, and even when two or three of them would come to the fence to look in on him, he would stand quietly looking back at them. On occasion, he would approach, but when there was more than one human at a time, he couldn’t talk himself into getting too close. That was the case on this day. Tom and Terri had come to the pen along with Tug to see how the colt was getting along, and talk over options on what to do with him.

“He looks like he’s moving better,” Terri commented.

“Yes, ma’am,” Tug nodded, pulling a toothpick from his mouth. “He started coming around about a week or so ago.”