Abandoned, emaciated and starved, left in a public arena for at least two days before someone reported him to the Long Beach Animal Control…meet the amazingly grateful Turner. He is a horse who displays that gratitude to both friend and beast. Turner immediately showed obvious signs of being treated with a very heavy hand. Friends at the Animal Control asked Red Bucket to take him in to their facility, which was located at that time in Huntington Beach. Both Susan Peirce and the volunteers saw right away he was kind, sensible and very sweet~not to mention ADORABLE! He is a beautiful sorrel colored Quarter Horse, with a cute white blaze running right down the middle of his face.

Turner is known at the Red Bucket to have impeccable ground manners. He is thoughtful and very well-behaved. Turner is also known as one of the “Knuckleheads!” They are a fun group of equine friends who enjoy romping and playing together when turned out. The group consists of Cash, Liam, Knox & Dr. Seuss. When they are all in “play mode” people will actually stop in the street to watch them.

He has a wonderful and loving Guardian Angel named Jenon. She noticed him during his upper pasture time at the beginning of his stay at Red Bucket. Turner was together with three mares and was definitely the low man on the totem pole. She noticed that at first he was a bit reluctant to be near a human. Little by little their relationship and trust grew, and Jenon realized that he enjoyed being groomed. They both enjoyed the time they spent together and it seemed to Jenon that Turner had found a safe place with her and the love and care she gave to him. As the bond between them grew, Turner allowed her to eventually pick up his hooves.

Turner has turned into one of the most adaptable, gentle and kind horses Red Bucket has had the privilege of rescuing! His sweet disposition is what also makes him a favorite among the new volunteers who are learning and training to help with grooming and handling the horses. He is also very good at helping new rescues learn herd dynamics with his calm and affectionate personality. He is a charmer in both the human and equine worlds! On top of these attributes, he has the most adorable striped face!

Liam is Turner’s stall mate. They are wonderful friends! He is a horse who gets along well with everyone…a horse waiting for his forever friend to come along and love, respect and cherish the amazingly understanding equine he has become. One filled with an attitude of gratitude, along with a loving and kind personality ready for his next amazing adventure to begin! Turner truly exemplifies a quote by Brian Tract, “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” Written by: Johanna Downs