Midas came to the BC SPCA in December, 2018 as a result of a cruelty investigation. This poor little pony had been left behind on a property after his owners moved. He was weak from starvation when he was seized by an SPCA animal protection officer and brought to the Surrey Good Shepherd Barn.

Midas received medical treatment, was placed on an appropriate diet, had his teeth done and was gelded then put up for adoption. He immediately caught the eye of Kamloops-based veterinarian Heather Pedersen, who was browsing the SPCA website. Pedersen had been looking for a buddy to keep her two horses company when she came across Midas’ profile and knew she had to adopt him. Midas was adopted after just six weeks in SPCA care.

“He was still quite skinny and had lice and a shaggy coat. I’ve looked at his blood work from when he first came to the SPCA and he was very sick from starvation and had some liver and kidney issues because of the lack of food,” says Pedersen.

Midas has recovered is now called Bobby McGee. He’s about nine years old and has at least two-thirds of his life left to live in peace and harmony. Bobby McGee enjoys playing with Pederson’s black horse Stormy, going for little hikes on trails through the forest and loves food. “Eating is his favourite activity. He’ll whinny when he sees me come out of the house for breakfast to let me know that he’s hungry,” she says.

Bobby McGee now weighs a healthy 300 pounds and it’s not clear what prior training he’s gone through but he’s comfortable driving, lunging, being led and saddled. “He’s a friendly and happy kind of guy who just kind of does whatever you ask him to do,” she says.

Pedersen is excited to try skijoring with Bobby McGee this winter and is getting him used to wearing a custom-made harness, which is designed for pulling a person behind a pony on skis. “We’ll see what happens when we get snow,” she says.

Follow Bobby McGee’s adventures on his very own Facebook page.