my secret weapon!

All that time of only being able to touch his head and neck (anywhere else he was kicky), I found his melty spot. I scratched his forehead one day and he pushed his head into my hand, so fast I could barely keep up with him. WooHoo, the horse who didn't want anything to do with humans was actively seeking contact! What a breakthrough for this boy! I finally had a way to reward him that he liked, and a line of communication. If I introduced something new, I could rub his head when he got nervous until he processed it. Touch his back, rub his head. Run my hand down his leg, rub his head. Touch his belly, rub his head. Hindquarters, back legs, and tail were all now able to be touched if I rubbed his comfort spot. Two months after he arrived, I could start picking up his feet without him trying to kick my head off. He came in with horrible feet, but I didn't even look at them until I could handle his feet safely.
Since I could now get my hands on him, time to check out any physical issues...