Bud’s been getting all kinds of attention recently. Last week he got his teeth floated & a sheath cleaning. This week he had a farrier visit and a bath!

Since he hadn’t had a real bath we weren’t sure how he’d do with the hose so after he got trimmed today I hosed off his legs. He danced a little at first but seemed to settle into it pretty well. I kept spraying a little higher & higher. About the time he reached around to bite at the water stream from the hose, I knew there were no big issues going on so I brought out the soap & he got a pretty good all-over bath. He even let me spray him in the face and liked getting drinks direct from the hose. After his bath he got some hand grazing on the lush grass in front of the big barn at KCJ Stables, his foster home. It was a pleasure to watch him dry in the sun and turn shiny like a penny. I think he had a really good time & appreciated all the attention. He followed me around like a puppy and wanted to be close so it was actually hard to get photos. He got lots of love and rubs too! There’s just nothing quite like wrapping your arms around the neck of a horse & having them relax and respond back.

For those of you who don’t know, his foster home for the last 10 months has been KCJ Stables in Federal Way. They are a family run boarding facility who’ve made space to foster several different SAFE horses over the last few years. Being able to be a part of a working barn with other horses and normal horse activity going on has been such a blessing for the horses who’ve been there, even for mostly retired ones like Bud. I think they get a sense of home & belonging to people who love and care for them. KCJ Stable owners Ken & Jan and their daughter Kelli do a really great job of providing a beautiful and functional place for horses to live. I really appreciate that they give me the freedom to come and visit whenever I want. Today’s visit reminded me why we do this work and care for these horses. It’s truly to give them a chance at a better life. Bud may not know that he’s a foster & I’m pretty sure he thinks he’s home. What a wonderful feeling to get that sense from him. How heartwarming that KCJ continues to open their farm and their hearts to horses in need.