Once upon a time, he had been valued…and considered to be of value. He had been imported from Europe, was highly trained, and loved…so he thought. Then he became a bit older, and was no longer as useful as he once was. He was relegated to an old bull pen and there he stood, all but abandoned; without shelter, companionship, or touch. In spite of his prominent ribs, we could barely fit his grand-sized body into our trailer. Once safely at Red Bucket, he began to flourish with the care and attention that he had been so deprived of, and as he settled in, he began to thrive. Under saddle, he amazed us and quite professionally made it abundantly clear that he knew more than we did. Five years have passed, and Grande’s second chance has found him with a family that cherishes him and provides all of the love, pasture time and room service that his over-sized heart desires. His family also provides the special care and nutrition that he needs at 26 years young. Grande still knows many things, and it is clear that the most important thing to him is that he is loved and valued unconditionally. While most of his teeth have been removed due to his prior years of neglect, he holds his head high with dignity…and is reported to frequently out pace Brianna during trail walks in his enthusiasm to go home!