Hands-down the friendliest horse in our string, and possibly on all of Red Mountain, is Axel.
Axel came to us with a checkered but brief past — he was part of a breeding herd in Montana that the owner dumped in the wilderness. The broodmares all carried their foals (including Axel) through borderline starvation before authorities seized the herd. Shortly after settling in to a “foster” home, the mares foaled.
We brought Axel home as a fuzzy, muddy, tiny, scared weanling. We started riding him as a three-year-old and he acted like he’d been wearing a saddle all of his life. A mischievous prankster in the field with the other horses, Axel is happiest spending his time with his chin resting on your shoulder while you scratch him.
Our favorite thing about Axel is his friendliness toward people – he’s pretty much a one-horse welcoming committee at the hitching rails.
Be sure to visit him at the hitching rails as he learns the ropes of being a lead horse.