“I’ll never forget the day my mom called me in a panic: ‘Janna, you’ve got to convince your daddy to get rid of that horse, it’s gonna kill him!'”
Janna Grapperhaus said the quote above before sharing a heartwarming story about her dad and a badly abused horse named Major.
Major had been labeled ‘hostile’ when her father first brought him home. He was a young, powerful stallion that many believed couldn’t be broken. But that’s likely because the previous owners used abusive breaking methods.
“The men who owned him previously had used a technique to break horses that involved beatings and tying his head tightly between two posts where they left him standing without food or water,” Janna said.
Janna’s father brought Major home, but the strong horse burst through 5 strands of fence after just a few minutes. If someone approached him, Major would bite and lash out.
“My dad never broke him… he earned his heart,” Janna said. “Every single day, for hours and hours dad worked to earn that abused horse’s trust. Love won and after two full years, Major allowed my dad to ride him. When dad would go out, Major would kiss him on the head over and over. They had a bond that only horse people could ever understand.”
Sadly, Janna’s father recently passed away and the family felt Major deserved a chance to say goodbye.
“This is Major’s last kiss.”
Like and share this story if you understand the bond that can be shared through patience and kindness.