Horses are amazing animals that form strong social bonds, especially when they are wild horses that depend on one another for survival. Having spent most of my life around horses, I have witnessed the “herd mentality” many times. Not only do horses react to things as a group, relying on their senses to stay safe from harm, they form various friendships and relationships within the herd.
My own horses are domestic animals, born and raised completely by humans, but the horses in this story have spent their whole lives in the wild, living in the western United States. That is until they were rounded up by the government and placed in holding pens, completely losing their freedom and their homes. Handling of these wild horses and the land they occupy is a complicated subject, with some folks wishing to protect them while others hope to keep the land sustainable for grazing.
According to the Bureau of Land Management in the United States, there are more wild horses than there is land to sustain them. It is estimated that there are more than 55,000 more wild horses and burros than should be roaming wild out west.
One particular wild stallion that was rounded up by the BLM, named Goliath, had earned a bit of a fan base made up of people who have observed the horses over the years. He impressed everyone, even more, when his herd was being rounded up, by attempting to protect the other horses from the helicopters. When he was put up for auction, one woman, with the help of donors, managed to rescue Goliath.
While living wild, he was particularly bonded with one of the mares in his herd, named Red Lady. After the roundup, Goliath’s rescuer sought out the woman who had adopted the mare and arranged a reunion. It is those first moments together that are captured in the video below. It’s truly heartwarming to watch the two animals as they recognize one another.
But, that’s not the end of their story! Though they didn’t know it, Red Lady was already pregnant during the roundup and she would give birth to a beautiful, healthy colt. Thanks to their kind rescuers and the support of many donors, these three horses will remain as wild as possible on lands provided by the sanctuary.
Watch the amazing story in the video below — make sure you watch to the end!
