Nothing compares to the pain we feel when we lose a loved one, especially a member of the family. We feel devastated and tend to shut ourselves out from the world. Additionally, the future for us seemed to be heading nowhere. Inevitably, everyone undergoes this type of pain more than once in their lives. However, one thing that usually stays in our hearts is “Hope”. One way or another, a spark of light in our darkest days appears in various forms, such as a closest friend or even a stranger we just met. Then, our grief is gradually transformed into relief, and life is slowly being restored.
Karla Swindle is an animal lover, especially horses. At one point in her life, she decided to open S & K Quarter Horses Farm in Fayette, Alabama, where she takes good care of horses and other animals. Through the years, she has had many experiences working with adorable beings, and one particular beloved individual remained especially engraved in her heart.
In March 2019, a 22-year-old mare gave birth to a foal. The days went by full of happiness and bonding between the mother and her newborn baby. However, the mare suddenly got seriously ill and instantly passed away after a week, which left the foal grieving for his loss. At this early point in his life, he had no one to rely on and was heartbroken. Nevertheless, the love and support the newborn desperately needed came most unexpectedly.
After the mare passed away, Karla wanted to give all her love and support to the grieving foal and help him overcome this devastating situation. One night, while she was in the barn comforting the foal, her dog, Zip, emerged. Later, she was surprised to discover that Zip did not want to leave Tye, the foal Karla named.
“He was whining,” Karla said. “You could tell that Zip knew something was wrong that night.”
Zip felt that Tye was grieving, and he wanted to do everything for the foal to be comforted and make it easier for him to overcome his loss. When Karla noticed Zip’s touching gesture, emotions dawned on her, and she started to cry, feeling Tye’s devastation. “It was a unique composition of tears of joy and mourning,” Karla said.
Fortunately, that evening full of emotions deteriorated. Weeks passed, and Zip did not let Tye out of his sight. Amazingly, the foal was transforming for the better, thanks to Zip’s constant gestures of comfort.
“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,” Karla said. “He would beat me to the barn every time.”
When Zip was with Tye, the foal seemed happy and relaxed. The sympathetic furbaby was the light and comfort of the foal’s broken heart. ❤️
Progress happened after a few months. Tye grew up into a beautiful horse and had gained weight. He was healthy, and all the pain that took place in the early stages of his life deteriorated. Thanks to the watchful eye of Zip, Tye’s adoptive dad, who was responsible for his wellbeing.
More days had passed, and Tye had spent more time with his older sister. With her around, he learned to behave like a real horse. However, Tye and Zip veered away from each other a little bit. The proud dog understood this and was happy to see Tye’s progress. He knew that the foal was finally on the right track. Although they spend less time with each other nowadays, they both have a place in their hearts for one another.
When Fayette learned of the touching story of the unwavering friendship between Tye and Zip, emotions ran through the hearts of the locals, but it did not stop there. When Karla shared the video of these 2 on her Facebook page, it instantly touched the hearts of millions across the U.S. and the world.
Regardless of their differences, the sympathetic dog and the once-broken horse showed the whole world that the power of true love and friendship knows no boundaries. ❤️
Images credits: © Karla Swindle/Facebook
YouTube credits: © Diamond Paws/YouTube
