A heart-warming bond between a Great Dane and a miniature horse has been captured on camera and delighted hundreds of thousands of TikTok users.
Glynis Leigh (@glynis_leigh) posted a video online of her dog, Israel, ignoring calls to come inside as he was too busy playing with his “bestie,” a mini horse.
The footage shows the unlikely duo running around a large field while the Glynis, a resident physician, films from her Kansas-based home.
The text overlaid on the October 14 clip explains that she was trying to call the dog in for the night, “but [he] and his bestie, the mini horse, are still in a deep game of tag.”
Two screenshots from a viral video showing the black Great Dane chasing a black horse. The animals have become unlikely “besties” says the dog’s owner.
TikTok/@glynis_leigh
So far, the clip, captioned “Sorry to RUIN all the fun guys but its night night time,” has gathered 164,800 views and over 29,000 likes.
In the comments, the owner states that her dog is six feet tall and weighs 180 pounds.
“Great Danes are related to horses, and nobody will convince me otherwise,” one commenter joked. Glynis responded: “[Definitely] more related to horses than chihuahuas.”
While it’s unclear what breed the horse is, it may be an American miniature horse, which typically weighs between 150 to 250 pounds and is “no bigger than a large dog,” according to The American Miniature Horse Association (AMHA).
The Association describes the breed as “eager to please,” making them “gentle and affectionate companions.”
The AMHA also notes that miniature horses are “extremely versatile,” excelling in various disciplines including halter, jumping, obstacle courses, and more.
Though they can successfully pasture with large horses, there is some risk of injury if they are kicked or bitten.
In this case, the miniature horse in the video appears to have integrated well, as it shares the pasture with cows and occasionally receives visits from the dog.
While the video shows how well these two species can get along, this may not be the case for dogs unfamiliar with horses.
The Blue Cross, a British animal welfare charity, warns that horses may not understand a dog’s playful behavior, which can lead to serious injuries if the horse kicks out. Many horses wear steel shoes on their hooves, which could cause significant harm to a dog.
In the comments, the owner mentioned that the dog and horse had been playing for hours. The video ends with a close-up of Israel, who has hay on his nose and red eyes because, the owner says, he didn’t take an antihistamine beforehand.
“Does he let the horse chase him?” one user asked, to which the owner replied: “Yes! But when the horse catches him, he nibbles on his neck, so my pup would rather do the chasing since he doesn’t bite.”
“Hey, that’s a workout,” pointed out another user, and the owner explained that this extreme exercise is why she feeds her dog a “raw meat diet.”
Newsweek has contacted @glynis_leigh to provide a comment.
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