Watch How This Woman Turns Her Aggressive Rescue Horse Into A Cuddlebug

The Dodo

Horse who wouldn't let anyone near her loves to get her teeth brushed by her mom now

Transcript

00:00 She would lash out when I would touch her.

00:02 Ah, ah, Coco, that's not nice.

00:05 Hey, shh.

00:06 Every bone in her body said,

00:08 "I don't want you anywhere near me."

00:11 I started volunteering at Second Chance Cheek by Ranch.

00:15 This tiny little paint pony comes charging right up at me.

00:19 And I went, "Yep, that's the one."

00:24 I signed the adoption papers this morning.

00:27 And this little ham is all mine.

00:30 She's still a grouch, but I love her.

00:35 Coco really struggled with being touched.

00:38 It was definitely a fear-based response.

00:41 She would charge anybody that got near her.

00:44 A wonderful woman introduced me to positive reinforcement,

00:53 and it was night and day.

00:55 If Coco let me touch her, for example, I would reward her.

00:59 And that started to change her association with touch.

01:03 So all of a sudden, it's not touch as a threat,

01:08 it's touch as the predictor of something positive.

01:11 Good girl.

01:15 Go under there. Under here.

01:18 To me, it was important to gain her trust

01:20 because I was able to see her potential.

01:24 Because I just want her to be happy and healthy,

01:29 and I just want her to be able to be a horse.

01:32 The first time that Coco nickered at me,

01:41 that to me was a sign our relationship and our connection

01:45 was developing in the right way.

01:48 One of the things that has always been super hilarious about Coco

01:53 is how curious she is.

01:56 I attached the end of a toilet brush to the drill,

02:02 and she's obsessed with anything that she can investigate with her mouth.

02:05 She's all over it.

02:06 Coco likes getting her teeth brushed, apparently.

02:09 Ready?

02:11 Are your teeth brushed?

02:21 What are you doing?

02:23 What are you doing? You can't get my hair.

02:26 It doesn't matter. I've had a horrible day,

02:29 and I'm just the last thing I want to do is go to the barn.

02:32 But when I turn the corner and I see Coco come right to the gate,

02:38 I consider it just like an incredible honor.

02:42 You've come a long way.

02:43 I've gone from, "Help, I can't touch my pony,"

02:46 to, "Help, my pony wants me to touch her all the time."

02:49 Coco is a reminder that the work is worth it.

02:52 I value our relationship so much,

02:54 and gaining her trust is the best gift.

02:57 [music]

Category

Transcript

Recommended