He was one night away from a slaughter transport when he was pulled out of a kill pen in December of 2016.

Before that, he was Governor — a foal raised and trained by hand into a roping horse, the favorite of the young man who'd brought him up. He was good at everything except one thing: every so often, for no reason anyone could pin down, he'd come up with a slight limp in one leg. In a family that wins pro rodeo titles, that was enough. He was sold that June, and from there the trail runs cold until he turned up at auction, headed for slaughter. The man who raised him didn't know any of this happened — and when he found out, years later, it made him sick.

His savior got to Tancho the day before he would have shipped.

The Guardian

The horse who arrived had foot injuries, depression, and a long list of things to work through. What he has now is a job he's given himself: looking out for Mr. Fishie. He doesn't make a production of it. He just shows up between the Fish and trouble, every time, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

The Goofball

Whatever Tancho went through, it didn't take the goofball out of him — if anything, it's the whole point of him now. Give him a puddle, and he's rolling in it within seconds. Give him shade and he's not moving from it until it's someone else's turn to be goofy in it. Give him a mealtime — his own or anyone else's — and he is personally invested in making sure it happens. Give him a phone, and he will consider it his.

Personal space, as a concept, has never made it onto his radar. If you're standing somewhere, he has probably decided that's a good place to also stand, ideally with his nose in your pocket checking for treats.

No Dark Days

He doesn't have the dark days anymore. He'd rather spend his time making new friends and finding the next patch of shade than looking backward. If Tancho has an opinion on where he came from, he's keeping it to himself — there's mud to find, phones to liberate, and somebody's dinner to check on.

He's also, in a real sense, the reason this whole place exists. If it could happen to him, it could happen to anyone. If he could be saved, so could others.

"Whatcha got in your pocket?" — Tancho, to literally everyone