Standing a full head above his handlers Courtney and Lauren, the horse, Phantom, was a sight to behold. But to Courtney and Lauren, Phantom seemed like an oversized puppy. He was playful, loving and kind to all the other horses.
But most of all, Phantom was compassionate. He always knew when other horses needed a little more emotional support, and he knew just what to do to help them thrive at the Gentle Giants Rescue.
So, when Courtney and Lauren brought the neglected horse, Teton, to the rescue, the women knew who would help the most with Teton’s recovery. With no urging, Phantom stepped in to help.
Teton was over thirty years old and had hooves that were in deep pain. After a life of neglect, his hooves had holes in them that would need to be regrown. As his feet healed, however, his heart still needed to recover, so Courtney and Lauren decided to take Phantom and Teton to the nearby creek.
Usually, younger horses look to the older ones to learn how to behave, but at the creek, the opposite was true. When Teton saw Phantom play in the water, he joined too. From there, Phantom continued to encourage Teton to find his joy.
With the help of Phantom, Teton transformed. “While the Gentle Giants staff was handling the medical care, for Teton,” said Lauren, “Phantom was helping from more of a mental and emotional side.”
Thanks to Phantom and the Gentle Giants staff, Teton became one of the alpha horses in the herd. “He went from sad and sulking to running around his field strong, healthy and happy.”
