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handy telescoping pole and extended it to its lofty the animal was tangled in ropes and unable to move.

heights, silently praying that the big cat might know Chico, undaunted by the three workers surrounding
the Driving Game! “Great. and I have to walk at the him, told the men that if they didn’t step away from

back!” muttered Chris.
the horse, he would be forced to defend it. Amazingly

Undaunted, we carried on uphill and eventually the men stepped back, and he set about untangling
arrived, drenched in sweat, to Chico’s little piece of the horse from the ropes. Eventually he got the poor

paradise, surrounded by soaring mountains. My creature up, and then slowly walked 3 hours back to

joy turned to exasperation when I realized that the his house, where he nursed him back to health. He
horses we were here to see were turned out in this 60 was required by law to return the horse to the owner,

acre haven. Great for them, but how would we catch but he pointed out that the men were shamed into

them? Playing the catching game in this long grass treating the animal better. He was sad to let it go, but
could be challenging enough with or without the said he was happy the horse knew love from him.

snakes that no doubt called it home!
Chico has worked on various farms and acted

Well, one whistle from Chico and the tall grasses as a hiking guide for the people that stayed in tree
started rustling! Out popped three keen faces, houses, and saved over $400 to buy his horses from

followed by the most beat-up and emaciated bodies the loggers. On checking their teeth, I saw the horses

you can imagine. Seeing their reaction to Chico’s were over 15 years each and in dire need of worming,
whistle told me everything I needed to know about as well as salt and minerals. Chico smiled and said he

this unique and wonderful man. His love for his

horses shone; he had only rescued them a few weeks
earlier and they already knew how pure his heart

was. Even in their poor state, I think they would have

followed him to the end of the earth if he had asked
them. Amazed that I had any water left in my body

after the sweaty hike, I felt tears roll down my face.

If you listen, the universe has a strange way of
sending you where you need to go; when we irst set

out to Chico’s after being asked to meet him by the

founders of the Bella Vista Tree House Community,
Ericae and Matt Hogan, we wondered how we might

be able to help. Sure, I thought, I can show him the

Seven Games; Chris could trim the horses’ hooves,
which might help.

Chico told us about how he had rescued the horses.

In some of the higher elevations (I found it hard to
think that you could get much higher after the hike

we just did!), there’s still some logging activities on

the teak farms, and they are unable to access the
trees with even the best 4 x 4s; only horses or oxen

could do their heavy work for them. Bear in mind,

when we see an image in a magazine of a heavy horse
ploughing, or dragging something, they are nearly

always just that: heavy horses! The rescues we were
seeing in front of us were a little over 14 hands, small-

boned and emaciated. Absent-mindedly stroking the

horse he called Max, he told us a story. One day he
was working on a farm next to the loggers when he

heard a commotion. He walked into a clearing to see

a handler whipping a pony to get him to stand, but
Chico and his lovely horse.

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