You might expect a first meeting between a dog and a horse to involve cautious glances, a curious sniff, or maybe an excited wagging tail. But when Petal, a 4-year-old rescue dog, met Simon, a 3-year-old horse, the introduction took an amusingly unexpected turn.
Instead of a gentle greeting, Simon leaned down and gave Petal’s head a playful nibble. Luckily, it was all harmless fun, captured in a TikTok clip posted to @boochaces. Since being shared on August 15, the video has gained more than 1.1 million views and over 191,700 likes.
Newsweek spoke with Caitlin Cimini, founder of Rancho Relaxo, a New Jersey-based animal sanctuary, who was holding Petal during the viral encounter.
“Petal is so sweet, quiet and gentle,” Cimini explained. “She’s used to the chaos of a hoarding situation.”
Petal’s background reflects a larger problem. The Animal Humane Society estimates that up to 250,000 animals every year are victims of hoarding.
To better understand the issue, Newsweek also interviewed Justine Wilkinson, an environmental health officer at Northumbria University in England, who researches the psychological roots of animal hoarding.
“People who hoard animals often report growing up in unstable or neglectful environments,” Wilkinson said. “Many faced abusive or absent caregivers and stressful life events during childhood and adulthood. They often relied on animals for comfort and security, treating them as alternative attachment figures without fear of rejection.”
The viral clip doesn’t just feature Simon. Moose, a 10-year-old black horse, was actually the first to greet Petal with what Cimini described as an “abrasive” sniff. Simon quickly followed with his now-famous nibble.
“He’s still so curious since he’s young,” Cimini noted.
Both Moose and Simon were rescued from slaughter and have since flourished at Rancho Relaxo.
“Simon is a very sociable horse,” Cimini said. “He was rescued from slaughter two years ago, and you’d never know he once faced that fate. He’s now a happy, affectionate horse.
“Moose was first rescued from slaughter by another organization that later failed its animals, so we stepped in. He’s essentially been saved twice,” she added.
TikTok Reactions
The playful moment sparked plenty of reactions online, with on-screen text describing the encounter as “an unforgettable experience.”
One TikTok user joked: “Do you wanna meet a horse for the first time? Dog: entire life flashes before its eyes.” The comment drew more than 12,000 likes.
Another quipped: “Simon asking, is this a sweet treat?”
A third wrote: “That poor dog wondering if life on the streets was better.”
