We don’t know what happened to Tonka before he came to Red Bucket, but we have a pretty good idea. What we do know, is that he had been rescued from the kill lot…and almost went back, but a friend brought him to us instead. We know that fear drives his behavior, that he has been uncertain of himself and that has made it challenging to gentle him. We also know when dealing with issues of abuse in horses…or in this case ponies, that it is going to take as much time as it is going to take. We know that he is irresistibly adorable, super duper smart, a bit of a rascal….an an instigator. He makes us laugh with the games that he makes up, if a Red Riding Hood leaves a rope within reach, Tonka  will grab it and engage in a lengthy rope trick of swirling that would give a cowboy a run for his money. He will also use the rope to chase poor Presley ( who in spite of what anyone says is his BFF ). He plays with his rubber feeder wagging it and delighting in making it bounce. He has taken well to his first few weeks of RBER Kindergarten . At first he was wary, but he likes the attention and consistency….and he enjoys engaging his brain. A few weeks ago, we couldn’t get a saddle pad near him…today, he stands calmly saddled with his other BFF, Dustin who praises him for being such a fantastic pony. We are proud of him, but more importantly, Tonka is proud of himself.