Can't believe what I have just witnessed

[Patriciathestripper1]

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 eyes 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 but I know he did it.

Bear saving bird .....

my fat git would have probably eaten it

Awww lovely story

I am so glad I've read this!

(Though also a bit green with jealousy over your horses and DDs lovely pony. My DD would love a pony)

My grandmother, a farmer her whole life, told us all that she once went to collect eggs from the chickens and saw 2 rats stealing eggs.
One was lying on its back, clutching the egg on its stomach while another rat had its tail between its teeth, dragging it along
My dad told me that too.
We had a cat and a dog. We used to keep their biscuits on a shelf in the laundry. Cat would knock the dogs bag over and flick them to the waiting dog. (She'd just knock hers over and scarf the lot)

I've seen horses being very protective of sheep before - bit bigger than mice but maybe not much more interesting.

I once overlooked a field of sheep, with a male and female horse 'couple' in it. Mostly they ignored the sheep but were very affectionate towards each other.

One day the owner came to move the sheep. The horses became really agitated, ran around trying to head off the people (who probably had a dog to help them). As the two people walked up the field, after moving the sheep, the male horse ran up behind one man, bucked and kicked his back legs in the direction of the man's head. Probably, he left a big enough gap that this was intended as a gesture, rather than an attempted decapitation. He was a powerful horse. The man seemed oblivious. I was watching from an upstairs window in a building at the top of the field, so it was really hard for me to judge the distance between them, as both were moving towards me. So inter-species protectiveness doesn't seem so odd to me.

I've also had female cats that became very agitated by the cry of a human baby. I think there's something very animal about baby noises.

Goodfood we always had 2 goldfish, when one died the other was miserable. We bought a new one and it was in a little plastic bag and the main tank was huge. We put the whole bag in the big tank so that the water temp for new fish was not too much of a change and left it there to stabilize. The old fish could not stop dancing round the bag waiting for the new one to be let out and afterwards it was quite well again.

Ohwhat I heard that story from my grandad but it was badgers not rats!

These stories are lovely. Makes a nice change.

One of our male cats gets really upset when our DD cries. I thinks its because it hurts his ears, the same way cats get upset when people whistle.

I love this story!! I love animals and really do believe that some of them are like your pony & help others. Your pony was helping it's little mouse pal! So sweet.

Such a lovely pony! My DHorse used to watch mice with interest but no malice, however he repeatedly, deliberately and happily drowned rats in his water bucket. You could tell when he had struck in the night because he would practically drag me into the stable to show me the victim and demand his reward. DH also believes horse tried to kill him more than once out of jealousy- he got very prickly with DH when I was pregnant.

In spite of his serial killing tendencies he was an angel, particularly with foals and my small children. He gave great hugs and hair snuffles. He just didn't like rats or DH

I'm with you, OP! Your pony was definitely being altruistic! It's like the garden of Eden where all the animals were friends.

Awww I love this

Most animals are sentient beings. They deserve respect and dignity.

Can this be put into 'Classics' please? Heartwarming!

I've just read this story to my ds, who is 3. We love this story xx

I have remembered another animal helping story.

Years ago when I was 9 or 10ish we had a heinz 57 mutt who was a bit of a character and an escape artist. Buster he was called. Despite the 6ft fencing he had ways to escape by either scaling the fence with a goid run up or sneaking out through open windows.

He had a little 'friend' who would call for him. Another mutt who would sit on the drive until he managed to escape then the pair would disappear for the day no doubt looking for bitches on heat.

One day Buster had done his usual bolt but we weren't too worried. Nowadays you wouldn't get away with it but 30 years ago it was more common. About teatime we saw Buster and his mate appear at the top of the road and slowly make their way down the street. Buster was leaning on his friend and as they got closer we could sed he was in a terrible state. Back leg dragging, front leg at a funny angle, cuts and grazes, blood coming from his nose.

I shouted my stepdad who got him straight in the car and took him straight to the pdsa which was the only vet with an emergency surgery. He had been run over. Broke his hip, his shoulder, ribs. He had to have 4 lots of surgery which the pdsa did in exchange for using him to photograph for veterinary text books as it was brand new technology back then to pin dogs bones.

He was on 2 legs for weeks.

The vet couldn't believe he had managed to drag himself home and we told him about the little friend who buster had leaned on to get home.

We left him at the vets that night to be operated on and when we got home the little dog was still sat waiting on our drive. He came back every day for the week or so he was in the vets and when we finally brought him home the little dog was so pleased to see him but so gentle. Once buster was ok to go for gentle walks a few times a day the little dog used to come witb us and always walked slowly at busters bad side. Never found out whose dog he was but he was always well fec etc.

Haven't thought about buster who we had pts when he was 14 or the little dog for years. Bless.

MIL's bullmastiff used to think her rabbits were his babies. He would watch over them, lick them and they would sit on his back.

There are some lovely heartwarming experiences on here thank you all for sharing them! Animals are truly amazing

Happy post - Thank you. xxx

Oh he's roan! Lovely story!

I used to look after a horse fascinated by birds. He used to drop mouthfuls of grain outside of his stable window to attract them over.

Re. cats and babies... don't cats make a crying baby type sound sometimes? I once thought someone had abandoned a baby but it turned out to be a cat yowling...

Beautiful story. Animals can be great communicators. Just the other day one of my guinea pigs was trying to get my attention. I was about to leave the house for an important meeting and I had run out of parsley which I usually get for their breakfast. So I chucked her under the chin and said "mummy won't be long, sweetheart."She then turned her head and I noticed a small hay bit stuck on her eyeball. She was trying to let me know she needed it removed! So I cleaned my hands and took the hay out the eye and she was happy. aaaaw bless her. Much simpler than the OP's story, not all that impressive in comparison but I just KNEW she was speaking to me. Animals are very clever.

I can never understand people who say "animals are just dumb beasts." They are NOT dumb at all. BBCNewsRave I love when cats mew!

My NBB had a male cat who stole 3 kittens from a neighbor.

When I got my male cat they palled up, he'd sit outside our cat flap waiting, sort of "can Flint come out to play ", then they'd potter off together for the day.

When my neighbors moved, he adopted a squirrel!

So yes, I really believe in inter species friendships.