In a shining example of what family is supposed to be, one photographer captured the beautiful moment when a wild stallion saved another baby horse from drowning. The amazing photos are displayed in a heartwarming video created by the Salt River Wild Horses Facebook group, and it is something all animal lovers will definitely be able to appreciate.
The story begins on a sunny summer day in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest. A wild stallion named Champ and his family decided to go grazing along the Salt River.
After they arrived, it wasn’t long before they noticed another band of wild horses hanging out on the other side.
Soon, curiosity got the best of them and a few members of the group started crossing the river to go say hello. Among them were Champ, a couple other horses, and a small filly.
Everything was going fine at first, but once they got about halfway across the river, trouble struck.
The current proved too strong for the filly and she started getting swept away downriver.
Luckily, Champ knew exactly what to do.
He breaks from the group to go after her and when he catches up, he gently grabs her by the back of her neck.
Carefully holding on, Champ slowly pulls the filly through the current back towards the bank they started on and he makes sure not to let go until he is positive she is safe.
Finally, they arrive and the shaken filly runs straight to her mom.
Now that everyone is okay, Champ heads back into the river to once again try to go say hi to the other band of horses. This time, he makes it across no problem and the stallions greet each other just like old friends.
After playing around for a little bit, Champ heads back to his family. Although he was only gone for a few minutes or so, you can tell they missed him. You can really see the amazing amount of love the horses have for one another shine through in the photos.
The way they look out for each other is heartwarming. We humans could probably learn a great deal by observing them.
The whole thing could easily be a scene straight out of an old Western movie, but for the wild stallions, it’s just another day in the life along the Salt River.
You too can go see them as well, thanks to the Salt River Wild Horse Act that when into effect January 1, 2018. For a while, the horses’ existence was seriously in limbo, as in 2015, a plan was proposed by the Forest Service to remove them from the area and auction them off. Those that weren’t adopted at the time would have been put to slaughter. Luckily, however, they never went through with.
After a huge outcry from animal advocates across the country and a petition that gathered over 220,000 signatures, they had to come up with a new plan.
The wild horses of the Salt River are now protected by law and can live out the rest of their lives in peace, just like they’ve always done for generations.
Check out the video below to see the amazing moment Champ saves the filly from drowning.
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