Horse underestimated whole life surprises everyone
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00:00 John Ralphio is only 26 inches tall.
00:03 Hey, sweetie.
00:03 My dogs are bigger than him.
00:05 What do you think?
00:06 He was born with a club foot, so he walked on top of his hook.
00:10 That's a nice one.
00:11 We were alerted to John Ralphio's situation by another colleague.
00:14 We saw him going through an auction.
00:16 I would like to present number six, Mexican.
00:18 And we decided to interview him.
00:20 I'm not gonna be mad at his history.
00:22 I'm not.
00:23 And Karen has been here ever since.
00:24 It was love at first sight.
00:26 He's adorable.
00:28 You're such a cutie-wootie.
00:29 He's got the cutest little teddy bear ears that you just want to rub.
00:32 And he's so soft.
00:33 The softest horse I think I've ever pet.
00:36 Little potato.
00:37 You could tell he was aggravated by how his movement was limited.
00:41 Help me.
00:42 He would try to bite just out of pain and frustration.
00:45 He bit me so hard.
00:47 We know that he was cared for by at least one other family.
00:50 But we're not sure of his entire past.
00:52 We know he's about 10 years old.
00:53 And for whatever reason, he ended up at the auction.
00:56 Come on, buddy.
00:57 The animals that have gone through auction are our most traumatized often.
01:01 And it takes a long time to undo the harm that other humans have done to them.
01:06 It's overwhelming emotionally.
01:08 Knowing that he was treated like a plastic toy instead of a sentient being that had needs.
01:15 I'm encouraging that I can get into bed this much.
01:17 It required a surgery so that his foot lays properly.
01:21 Luckily, the surgery was a great success for him.
01:23 We put him in a pasture that shared a fence line with our goats, our sheep, and our one donkey.
01:29 Look at him.
01:30 And he ran the fence line.
01:32 He was so excited.
01:33 Oh my.
01:34 He's having a good time.
01:36 You just run that fence line.
01:37 You get excited and then go eat a snack and then come back.
01:40 You little monster.
01:42 Stories like his are also important to talk about what sanctuaries are willing to do for our residents as elastic efforts to make sure that we're not just doing it for the sake of the animals.
01:53 To take on that cost and get him the care that he needs so that he can live the best life possible.
01:57 He seems pain-free.
02:03 We manage his arthritis and stuff like that, which makes him more relaxed.
02:08 It's a pretty calm space around here.
02:11 Because of his size, he's not with our other horses.
02:14 He is living with our goats and sheep.
02:16 They're so worried about him.
02:17 He just hangs out with them and enjoys his day, lunch, and a wine.
02:20 Where you going, bud?
02:21 Knowing that we give him the respect he deserves even though he's not cuddly, even though he doesn't necessarily give us affection, that means everything to me.
02:31 If him and I could have a conversation, I would tell him all I want for him in this whole world is for him to be comfortable and know how loved he is and that we'll do anything for him to make that happen.
02:41 He's feeling his oats.
02:42 Okay, bud.
02:48 [Music]