Chicle, which means “gum” in Spanish, by the way, came to the ranch circa 2011. He came to the ranch to accompany my big, handsome American Quarter Horse, Bar King’s Review aka “Snoops / King.”
Horses, being herd animals, are not really designed to live a solitary life. They are a highly social, herd-based individuals that rely on herd mates for survival.
Although some horses can adjust to a life of solitude, Snoops was not one of those individuals. When left alone, he would run at break-neck speeds around the ranch, all the while whinnying and “calling” out to anyone to come to his rescue. He would ramp himself up into a frenzy. I was, in fact, concerned that he would severely injure himself in these frenzied “run-abouts.”
Fearing for his safety, and wanting him to be comfortable, I sought out numerous ranch-mates for him. Some of these “babysitters” included other horses—even a billy goat.
Well, the short version of this story is that I never found the billy goat within a week of it’s arrival. The other babysitter horses I borrowed ate just as much as my big, handsome horse did. After a thorough review of the situation, including a glance at my checkbook of ranch expenses, a friend helped me find “the cutest little donkey in all of Texas.”