In this harsh and unpredictable world, we are often subjected to various forms of tragedy. Among the most heart-wrenching experiences is the loss of a cherished loved one.
When such a loss occurs, it feels as though our entire world crumbles beneath us, leaving us adrift in a sea of grief and uncertainty. Yet, amidst the darkness, there often emerges a beacon of hope in the form of unwavering friendship—a force powerful enough to mend even the deepest wounds.
The tale we share today is a testament to the resilience of such bonds, demonstrating how profound friendship has the capacity to breathe new life into the darkest of days.
Devastating Loss
Source: Karla Swindle
Karla Swindle has never hidden her great love for animals. This prompted her at one point in her life to open S & K Quarter Horses Farm in Fayette, Alabama, where she would care for horses and other animals.
Through the years of working with animals, she has experienced many stories, both happy and sad ones. However, one remained especially engraved in her heart.
One day, in March, a 22-year-old mare gave birth to a foal. It should have been another in a series of happy stories of love between mother and child if only 7 days later, the mare did not get seriously ill and quickly die.
Everything smelled like a disaster considering that the foal was broken because of this loss and had no one to rely on early in his life.
However, the love and support he desperately needed came from a very unexpected direction.
An Unexpected Shoulder To Cry On
Source: YouTube
Just after the mother died, Swindle made sure to spend a period of time with the foal in the barn to give her all the support she needed to overcome this crisis.
Unexpectedly, her dog, Zip, appeared with her that night. To her pleasant surprise, Zip didn’t want to leave. Instead, he wanted to stay and sleep with Tye, as they later called the foal.
“He was whining,” Swindle said. “You could tell that Zip knew something was wrong that night.”
Zip definitely felt that Tye was grieving the loss of his mom, so he wanted to do everything he could to comfort him and make it easier for him.
When Karla saw this, she was so moved that she started to cry herself, so crying and whining were the only sounds that night in the barn. It was a unique composition of tears of joy and tears of mourning.
But, not everything stopped that evening full of emotions. On the contrary, for the next six weeks, Zip wouldn’t let Tye out of his sight, and that was even more amazing.
Source: Karla Swindle
“Every time I would take off to the barn, Zip would run to the stall, and stand in front of the stall and wait for me to get there,” Swindle said. “He would beat me to the barn every time.”
“As soon as I opened the door, he would about knock me down before I could get in there,” she added. “If the foal was laying down, he would go over there and lay his head on him.”
And, truly, when Zip was around, Tye was relaxed and happy. Zip was a balm for his wounded heart.
Growing Into A Beautiful, Healthy Horse
Source: Karla Swindle
After a few months, Tye gained weight, grew into a beautiful, healthy horse, and overcame all the pains that befell him in the early period of his life.
Of course, all this was watched with pride by Zip – his adoptive dad who was the most responsible one for Tye’s thriving.
Their paths naturally diverged a bit as Tye now spends most of his time with his older sister, learning how to behave like a real horse.
Source: Karla Swindle
Zip was thrilled that his favorite foal was doing well, despite not spending much time together. Their friendship touched many hearts in Fayette and beyond, especially after a video of them went viral on social media. This unlikely pair of a dog and horse demonstrated the world the true power of love and friendship.
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