A special bond between a miniature horse and a Jack Russell terrier is capturing hearts all over the internet. Nine-year-old Dally the dog loves to ride her pal Spanky, a miniature horse. While Spanky leaps over obstacles and trots around, Dally holds on tight for the ride. It’s cute enough to make you Google “How much does a miniature horse cost?” The best buds live in Spokane, Washington.
Francesca Carson, the lucky person who gets to work with these two animals, recorded a video of Dally riding Spanky around her 100-acre ranch. Along with her partner Steve Rother, the whole crew travels around to educate others about horses, dogs, and rehabilitating difficult animals. Spanky wasn’t always this easy to ride. When Francesca first rescued the 10-year-old miniature horse, Spanky was aggressive and didn’t want to be around other horses.
Over time, Francesca worked to train him and teach him stunts. Dally started to tag along, and before long, she was actually riding Spanky. “I think their bond was special from the start,” Francesca explains. Dally helped Spanky learn to get along with other animals, and training them to ride together was a natural next step. “Dally has a real interest in riding him,” Francesca explains.
“So it wasn’t that difficult to train her, because she already wanted to do it,” Francesca says that Spanky is extra careful when Dally is riding on his back. “He really takes care of her. When she’s not on his back, he’s very different. He runs much faster; he turns really quickly. And then when she’s on his back, it’s evident that he knows she’s there, and he’s very very careful.”