pony

A horse and a pony were stuck in chest-deep mud near Salinas, Calif., for up to 18 hours during a storm, before finally being rescued. It took a lot of work, and many amazing people joined in helping these horses, thankfully helping these animals get back to safety.

SFGATE reports that the two animals got stuck "on Wednesday night on Limekiln Road, off River Road in an area south of Salinas where a flood of mud rushed down a saturated hillside this week after a powerful storm drenched the River Fire burn scar." Thankfully, the moment the owners of the property spotted the horses, they immediately flagged down passing firefighters and called the SPCA. 

Not only that but neighbors also responded to the call, coming with shovels and other tools, all in the hopes of helping to dig out the horses and help them. "It definitely took a village to get these horses out," said a Monterey County SPCA spokesperson, Beth Brookhouser. 

The two horses were, of course, very cold after being immobilized in the muck throughout the night, and it took hours for them to stop shivering. They were treated overnight by Steinbeck Country Equine Clinic veterinarians, said SPCA officials. By Friday, "[b]oth horses were recovering on Friday, and were eating and drinking." 

The area remains dangerous for now, but at least this pony and horse are safe - thank s to everyone involved in the rescue. We want to thank all of the people helping these creatures, and if you're interested in more wholesome and heartwarming animal stories, take a look at the 30 most positive animal news stories of January!

Not all BFFs look the same, nor do they need to, but for these three BFFs, looking the same is the main thing they have in common. That, and their love for each other. 

An Appaloosa stallion, a Shetland pony and a Dalmatian dog are all different sizes, different species, and have different habits, but they are best buds and love hanging out together, as reported by Metro. Their mom and horse trainer, Greetje Arends-Hakvoort, "regularly catches them running, training, and having fun." Her daughter, Jolie Lune Arends, also loves the gorgeous-looking animals, and together, all five of them make the most amazing family. The mom rides the horse, the daughter is on the pony, and the dog is accompanying them everywhere. 

"Appaloosa horse Nevada, 10, Napoleon, six, and Dalmatian Jack Sparrow, two, regularly stun strangers with their unique matching spots," and we are totally not surprised. If we had seen these three hanging out together, we would probably do a double take too. 

"Napoleon was actually born at the same time as Jolie so they grew up together and now they are the best of friends," says Greetje. "People always smile when they see the three together; often people refer to the 101 Dalmatians film and it brings up nice childhood memories for them... When Jack was younger, he saw himself as one of the horses and he fits in perfectly."

She adds: "Trust is the key word here; horses thrive when trust exists and they need to feel comfortable and self assured and Jack does exactly that. 'There's a lot of horse and dog love there between them."

Check out more amazing pictures of their amazing friendship below! For more heartwarming interspecies friendships, read about a fox who's brother was run over getting adopted and befriending two dogs. 

Horses and humans have enjoyed a close relationship with each other for tens of thousands of years. As they are one of the strongest and most good-natured species on earth, horses have aided humans with transport, food cultivation, farming, war, and of course, companionship. From giant Clydesdales to tiny Shetland ponies, fast Thoroughbreds and the magical Akhal-Teke, each breed of horse has something unique about it. 

And they live in Norway. check it out. So now its not only Anna who can have a cool horse with racing stripes. and you don't even have to spray paint them on to pull it off. These horses are absolutely stunning. If I had to choose a breed, it would be this one or a miniature pony. Because why not. Now all I need is to wait for someone to genetically breed Pegasus, and I will finally be able to live out my childhood Disney fantasy.

There are plenty of other beautiful horses that are close contenders, for example the Akhal-Tekes Golden horses. And keep in mind there are also horse memes out there, because horses are funny too, not just a pretty and long face.