Tears as Young Horse Plays Alone With Giant Ball as Siblings Ignore Him

Newsweek

a day ago

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A young horse's struggle to be accepted by his older siblings has gone viral on social media, and internet users can't cope with what the lonely equine does to keep himself entertained while the others avoid him.
In a viral TikTok video shared on Wednesday by @heatherrrr.979, the black and white horse, Flynn, can be seen playing alone with a giant ball, enthusiastically running up and down his owner's ranch over and over.
"Flynn playing by himself all day because none of the big horses like him yet," the poster wrote over the clip, adding a heart emoji.
She added in the caption: "'Please tell me they like him now.' They do not. But he's ok, he has his ball."
Previous videos shared by the poster show the young horse trying his best to befriend the older horses, who appear to have no interest in him.
Horses are naturally highly social animals, and no normal healthy horse would ever live alone by choice, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Horses that live in herds often engage in social activities, such as playing or grooming each other, communicating primarily through body language.
Living in herds offers horses more safety. In the wild, a horse living alone is much more likely to be caught by a predator than one who lives in a herd.
This means that lonely horses are often nervous due to their constant state of alertness. On the other hand, those living in herds can take turns and rest, sharing responsibilities among each other.
Horses that are kept alone may also become stressed due to not receiving the benefits of equine companionship.
Stock image of a young horse on a ranch.
Stock image of a young horse on a ranch.
getty images
The video quickly went viral on social media, garnering over 2.5 million views and 677,300 likes on the platform so far.
A TikTok user commented: "My goodness.... Here I am crying more again. I'm way too sensitive for this. Please give this sweet boy extra loving for me. Tell him how strangers online adore him. Please."
Another user wrote: "They're jealous because Flynn doesn't need their approval."
One commenter said: "Oh wow, I didn't realize this was a thing with horses. When will young Flynn be accepted?"
Newsweek reached out to @heatherrrr.979 for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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