Before becoming a part of the Stoneybrook Farm Sanctuary, Dexter lived in a kill pen. Thankfully, a woman came and saved the horse.
Tess, Dexter’s care giver and creator of the sanctuary, noted that the horse was more petite than their golden retriever and the tiniest, saddest foal she had ever encountered.
Tess worried that Dexter was taken from his mother too soon since he was emotionally distant from everyone at her sanctuary. She recalled that Dexter was so ignorant about everything, including food, so she had to hand-feed him.
Burrs covered Dexter’s hair, and these felt like acorns that were covered in spikes. Fortunately, Dexter did not exhibit any aggressive behavior when Tess shaved his entire body so that he could be free from the uncomfortable burrs and allow new hair to grow.
After getting a much-needed bath and a haircut, Dexter’s attitude slowly improved, but everyone at the sanctuary could still see that he was sad and lonely. Tess wanted to cheer up the horse, so she gave him a stuffed animal just around his size.
Dexter slept with the teddy bear that night, but Tess understood that the orphaned foal needed a companion more than anything else. Tess texted her friend Olivia and explained the situation about Dexter she had just rescued.
Tess recalled that Olivia had instructed her to bring Dexter to her so he could meet Whidbey, her dog. The woman accompanied Dexter to Olivia’s location and introduced him to Whidbey, hoping he would feel better after meeting a new animal.
Fortunately, Dexter and Whidbey became inseparable as soon as they were acquainted. The two animals developed a connection almost immediately after they first met. Dexter immediately emerged from his shell, and it was all because of the first animal that made him feel welcome and loved him right from the start.
Source: The Dodo
