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Can't believe what I have just witnessed

212 replies

Patriciathestripper1 · 11/01/2017 17:25

Ok I'm not going mad but this did happen:
Went over to my stables to show Dh where I wanted my outdoor security light putting.
Whilst he was up the ladder securing it to the side of the stables I started tying up hay nets and doing waters (we have two horses and my DD pony)
When I went into DD's pony's stable and whilst doing his net I heard something 'plop' into his water bucket (large builders rubble type bucket)
I went to look and it was a mouse that must have just fallen in (we find them sometimes in the horses buckets dead in the mornings but not very often)
I shouted for Dh to come quick. I'm not a wimpy sort but I didn't want to touch it but also didn't want it to drown.
My daughters pony went over to the bucket whilst I was standing in the stable door and looked down at the mouse and then to my utter amazement he pushed some of the straw up the side of his water bucket asthough he did it all the time so some of the straw went into the water and the mouse climbed out!
I have had horses all my life (parents had them so brought up with them) and I have never seen anything like that. One animal helping another from a different species?
My Dh thinks iabu and the pony didn't 'help' the mouse out of the bucket but I saw it with my own eyesAngry so I know it happened.
After a lot of 'yes it did'. 'No it didn't' I tried to recreate it with my DD wind up fish which her pony promptly picked up out of the water bucket (I think he thought it was a treat I'd dropped in as she sometimes puts an apple in there for him to 'bob' to occupy him) and he bit and broke it Hmm but I know he did it.

OP posts:
ghostwatch · 11/01/2017 18:40

Cute I totally believe he done this on purpose it's like if you leave a towel on the side of a bath you will never have a spider in the bath as they can climb out again

KenDoddsDadsDog · 11/01/2017 18:42

He is gorgeous ! Lovely story .

WalkingDownTheRoad · 11/01/2017 18:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RedStripeIassie · 11/01/2017 18:43

That's so sweet! On a similar note, me and my friend used to 'let' her mice or where they hamstersswim in the pond. Mice can swim or at least hers could. We didn't think it was cruel at the time but I feel bad about it now Sad. None drowned!

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 11/01/2017 18:45

Very handsome boys.

QuestaVecchiaCasa · 11/01/2017 18:45

Oh I'm interested to hear this. Perhaps some of you familiar with animals can settle an argument I had with my friend.

Some time ago we got lost on a family bike ride. We could see the road we needed but it involved us carrying our bikes over a stile and through a field full of horses.

To my mind the horses looked very disgruntled by our presence and one turned right round and did a massive poo in our general direction. I thought that the horse had done it deliberately but my friend thought it was just a co-incidence and I was just anthropomorphizing.

Does anyone speak horse who can interpret for me?

Dagnabit · 11/01/2017 18:45

Aw, lovely pony! Was he in Snow White?

Esssa · 11/01/2017 18:46

Just tie a bit of baler band around the water bucket handle and let it trail into the bucket. Gives mousey an escape route and shouldn't harm the pony

joangray38 · 11/01/2017 18:48

Doesn't say much for our politicians / security services - they knew about his links to Russia but kept quiet whilst he destroyed clitons chance with his bile and lies. So know they will have to work with him and in May's case toady up to him

nothruroad · 11/01/2017 18:49

What a lovely story! Of course animals help other animals, have you not read Charlotte's web?!

SnugglySnerd · 11/01/2017 18:49

That's a lovely story. Clever pony!

Narnian · 11/01/2017 18:52

This thread had cheered me right up after reading the Trump thread!

I think you were reading that one too, joan!

Ginkypig · 11/01/2017 18:55

joan Grin

Lovelilies · 11/01/2017 18:55

Doesn't say much for our politicians / security services - they knew about his links to Russia but kept quiet whilst he destroyed clitons chance with his bile and lies. So know they will have to work with him and in May's case toady up to him

Yes, indeed Joan 😂

ShoeEatingMonster · 11/01/2017 18:57

I just find squished ones Hmm

thequeenoftarts · 11/01/2017 19:01

A few years ago I lived in a house with a garden pond, my dog who is a newfoundland and very fond of cats went out for a pee one day. He came back and stood at the door barking at me, When I came out to see what was up, he walked towards the pond, dafty me didn't catch on quick enough and tried to call him indoors, he ignored me and started barking again and walking away from me. I followed him and there was a poor dead cat in the pond, the minute he knew I had understood him, he stopped barking and went indoors. I fell in love with him even more that day..Poor kitty :(

Monkeyfeet12 · 11/01/2017 19:03

That's fab! I believe you. I loaned a horse a few years back, he was a love, but quite standoffish and usually couldn't care less. One day I turned up at the stables really upset, crying and a blubbering wreck. I'd been having a really bad time. As I started grooming him, he put his head over my shoulder and pulled me really close to into him, and held me there for a good few minutes. We stood perfectly still for minutes, me sobbing, and him hugging me.

It was the best hug I've ever had.

dudsville · 11/01/2017 19:06

Monkey, that's so moving!

Aftertheraincomesthesun · 11/01/2017 19:09

Questa - you have described a 'stress shit'. which is something horse's do when upset.

OP you have a glorious pony! The horses here are all murderers. They drown birds in their field buckets, stamp birds to death in the paddocks and drown rats in the stable water. Blood thirsty equines.

RooDaisy · 11/01/2017 19:11

Monkey you've just made me cry.
My dog is usually a big daft bugger but after losing my Nan in October, he's been the best comforter.
He'll lick my tears if I'm crying downstairs and if I'm in my room he'll cry until he can get to me and give me a big cuddle.
I love animals

Orangebird69 · 11/01/2017 19:13

The pony definitely deliberately saved the mouse and your dh is obvs a cold fish. LTB.

Not really. Lucky mousey!

thenighthathdrawnin · 11/01/2017 19:15

that's a fab story OP. fwiw my dh wouldn't have believed me either Smile

Patriciathestripper1 · 11/01/2017 19:16

dagnabit not Snow White but my boy is double for the horse Merida rides in brave.
monkey my horse is just like that! He won't look at you unless you have a carrot for him but if I'm ever upset he puts his head on my shoulder and breathes gently into my neck as if he is comforting me! He is 23 this year and we've been together since he was two! I joke to my freinds that he has been my longest male relationship! We are going gray together!

OP posts:
Liara · 11/01/2017 19:19

One of my dogs (a 45kg beast) once brought me a one month old kitten in his mouth. I took it straight to the vet and the vet could not believe that it didn't have a tiny scratch on it.

Then my 9kg male maine coon cat adopted it, potty trained it, and cared for it like a mother.

She's now a strapping cat and absolutely lords it over all the other animals. MC still treats her like she was a tiny kitten and lets her do whatever she wants with him.

Earlgreywithmilk · 11/01/2017 19:20

one animal from another species helping another?

Has anyone ever seen the documentary (I think it was Attenborough) where the crocodiles carry the baby turtles across the river in their mouths? I can't remember why but there is some reason it's beneficial to them to keep the turtles alive. I couldn't believe it when I saw that.

Maybe the mouse is friends with your pony! Aw!

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