He had been a prisoner in a shabby, filthy, and desperately lonely pipe stall for well over four years. He survived on meager rations of cattle grade alfalfa, eating off of piles of his own waste, with nothing to look forward to, hope for, or believe in. They had not cleaned the stall, cared for him…or noticed him in as many years, and when they finally felt the urgency to “get rid” of him and several other unwanted horses, the peo…ple who came wanted only the “good horses”. The solution was to “donate” him to a mountain lion rescue. We were fortunate to get there first. Baldwin proved not only to be a good horse…he was an outstanding horse. His benevolent and kind disposition made him the perfect horse to teach our new volunteers how to safely handle a horse and develop confidence. He would carefully lift his foot in anticipation of being asked. He would even more carefully set it down and was cautious not to even exhale too loudly, or swish his tail at a fly, lest he frighten a beginner. He was delightfully social, adored long sun baths, and craved touch, as if making up for the years of neglect and isolation. Until a few years ago, the younger girls…Markie, Brianna and Amy, would lumber around the farm with a lead rope tethered to his halter, one of the girls astride Baldwin, and another proudly “riding” Jack. The girls felt honored to ride our older gentlemen…and they in turn carried their heads a bit higher, and set their feet a bit softer. We lost Baldwin yesterday morning. He was nearly 40 years old and had been battling liver disease since the spring. Due to his age and illness, Baldwin was a permanent resident of Red Bucket, and therefore belonged to our community of Red Riding Hoods, volunteers, and members. He left us a treasured horse who will continue to remind us daily of the importance of our work, and the value of the unwanted. As is our tradition, Baldwin will be honored, toasted, and grieved at his stall on Saturday, November 21st at 3:00 pm. Baldwin’s family and friends are invited to bring a potluck item to share after the memorial, as we will break bread together as a community to celebrate a very good horse.