click on the photos to enlarge

Baxter

age: 10
sex: gelding
breed: unknown
color: black and white pinto
height: 15 hh

Seized by Skagit County Animal Control and awarded to SAFE on 12/4/2009

Located in Monroe WA
Status: Available for adoption

Adoption fee: $650

Baxter is a 10 year old black and white pinto gelding that came from the same place as Dexter. Unfortunately, after Dexter was seized last April, sometime over the summer the owner decided to replace him with a new black and white pinto gelding and bought Baxter, and within a short amount of time Baxter was as skinny as Dexter had been and the neighbors alerted AC that another horse was being starved on the property.

Baxter was evaluated to be a 1 by the vet who examined him after the seizure. He has bad rain rot and extreme emaciation but other than that is in good condition. His feet are neatly trimmed and the mare had shoes on, because he was apparantly still riding them even in this horrendous condition.

Baxter is 15 hands and was weight-taped at 834 lbs. He is as skinny as poor Whisper was or the worst of the Elledge horses, but what is surprising about Baxter is he is still quite alert, bright, and almost energetic. He is very sweet and interested in people, and he loaded right into the trailer without hesitation. He is now wearing a heavy blanket, standing in a deeply bedded stall and will be seeing the vet tomorrow. He'll need to be on a refeeding program because of how skinny he is, but just from the small handfuls of hay I have given him he is a very hungry, hungry horse and is scarfing everything down.

We don't know Baxter's breed. The AC officer thought he might be purebred Paint but with his ripply, thick tail I am almost wondering if he might be a Friesian cross. Impossible to tell in his current condition, but I think he's going to be stunning when he recovers.

Update (4/25/10):
Baxter got ridden for the first time yesterday by our trainer Andrea. He did really well. We put a western saddle on him and he was completely unfazed by the saddling and girthing up. She did a lot of slapping the saddle and jumping up and down on the stirrup and lying over his back and he barely blinked an eye. Once she got on him, he was willing enough, but very green. Leaned on the bit, and didn't steer well at all. The mares were in the field next to him running around and he was distracted but still paid attention to his rider. He did not buck or rear, but he was a little stubborn about going forward and it took a few slaps with the reins to get him moving forward. He really did very well though, he has probably never been ridden in an arena but probably just trail ridden.

Update (5/8/10):
Baxter was wonderful for his second ride today! Really, he's almost TOO laid back, he's completely non-reactive to anything you do up there. Getting him forward was the biggest issue, as he really didn't mind if you thumped him with your legs or even slapped him on the neck with the reins. Jumping bat didn't faze him either. Finally a dressage whip elicited a reaction - a small buck, and then he was much better about going forward. But he wasn't being sulky or sucked back about going forward and at no point did he feel unsafe, he just really didn't understand forward and wasn't really too bothered by any attempts to get him forward. Once he goes those he has quite a little engine on him, is very smooth and a lot of fun! Now just to work on steering and "go"!

Click here to see a video of Baxter's second ride!

Click here to check on Baxter's progress on the SAFE Message Board.

If you are interested in sponsoring Baxter, please click here to learn more about our sponsorship program.

Please read SAFE's adoption policies prior to submitting an adoption application for any SAFE horses listed on this site. SAFE Adoption Policies can be found HERE. SAFE has a strict no-breeding policy.