It’s always nerve-racking when you bring a new animal into the herd, but it’s even more stressful when there’s friction between the group. It’s so sad when they don’t get along! But while all of our animal friends may not have to like each other, sometimes they do have to live with each other, and it can be a challenge for the newcomer.
A young Appaloosa Horse by the name of Flynn is in this exact situation, and it’s breaking people’s hearts all over the internet. Try not to get too emotional while watching this TikTok video posted by @heatherrrr.979. The text overlay explains it all and describes, “Flynn playing by himself all day because none of the big horses like him yet.”
@heatherrrr.979 “Please tell me they like him now” They do not. But he’s ok, he has his ball 🩷 #horsesoftiktok #appaloosahorse #viral #fypppppppppppppp #funnyhorse #yearlingcolt
Are you crying your eyes out? “‘Please tell me they like him now.’ They do not. But he’s OK; he has his ball,” said @heatherrrr.979 in the post caption. And while Flynn may have his ball to soothe him, we are not OK!
If you’ve grabbed a Kleenex tissue by now, you are not alone. More than 3000 commenters chimed in to voice their feelings and to support Flynn. “Put the big horses on the phone for a minute. I have to tell them something,” wrote @miriamfong_, and many had something similar say. If you’ve ever not fit in, then you know that it can be hard to find your place, and Flynn’s situation has triggered a lot of people.
Sadly, Flynn’s experience with the older horses isn’t unheard of among horses. “It’s always the hardest to introduce babies in. I feel so bad that they are lonely until they are accepted,” added @uniquelyunicorns.
Related: Sad Shelter Cat Who Was ‘Declawed and Abandoned’ Is Breaking Hearts Left and Right
Do older horses easily accept younger horses into the herd?
There isn’t an easy answer, but it really depends on the situation. In another video, @heatherrrr.979 breaks it all down for us in the post cation and explained, “Flynn is a Yearling (in his one-year-old year); he likes to test his boundaries with the older horses, and this is how they show him to mind their personal space.” In the clip, we see Flynn being rebuffed by another horse.
@heatherrrr.979 Just a psa because I feel people might start to question why I post so many videos of Flynn getting “bullied”. 😅 Flynn is a yearling (in his 1 year old year), he likes to test his boundaries with the older horses and this is how they show him to mind their personal space. TC had pinned his ears twice before swinging around on him. Flynn should have acknowledged the warnings and left him alone but he did not, so TC took it to the next level of discipline. They’re not singling him out nor do they ever take it too far and hurt him. They also don’t “hate” him, and when he starts to follow the rules of their little herd they’ll accept him in it. 💚 this is how youngins learn to be respectful. #horsesoftiktok #appaloosahorse #viral #fypppppppppppppp #funnyhorse #yearlingcolt
@heatherrrr.979 continued and added, “They’re not singling him out, nor do they ever take it too far and hurt him. They also don’t ‘hate’ him, and when he starts to follow the rules of their little herd, they’ll accept him in it. This is how [young ones] learn to be respectful.” So there’s hope that over time Flynn and the bigger horses will eventually sort out their differences.
Until then, Flynn has his favorite ball to keep him entertained, and it looks like he’s made at least one friend in the cute doggie that’s running beside him at the end of the video.
We hope the other horses warm up to this energetic little horse soon. He just wants to be part of the herd!