Here at iHeartDogs, we love sharing touching stories from all corners of the animal kingdom with you. Today, we bring you the tale of a horse who came home to his family after spending eight years among wild mustangs. Such a story proves animals have more heart than so many give them credit for. And we’re so lucky the furry and four-legged want to be our friends.
Mongo, a quarter and half-Percheron-bred horse, is happy to be home with horse dad and best friend Shane Adams after so many years spent galloping in the wild. After all, the oats are plenty, and the stall is cozy after so many days and nights in the elements foraging for dinner.
Chasing the Wild
In March 2014, Shane and Mongo went camping in the West Desert, two hours outside Salt Lake City, UT, a usual activity for the pair. But as late night turned to early morning, Shane heard a commotion outside the tent. He looked out just in time to see Mongo break his tether and set off after a group of wild Mustangs.
Shane chased after Mongo, but a human on foot is no match for a horse. A snowstorm also complicated the chase. Shane thought his buddy would be right back, explaining, “That was his mentality — he never went far. I didn’t think he would ever be gone.”
But Mongo never reappeared. Even after Shane returned to the area every weekend for three years, Mongo remained missing. Assistance from the Bureau of Land Management in Utah (BLM Utah) also turned up no signs of the lost horse. Mongo’s loss came hard for Shane, because as he shared of his equine friend, “He is very special and has always been a part of my life.”
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Eventually, more years began to pass, and everyone thought Mongo lost for good. In those years, Shane experienced the death of his father, who helped him look for Mongo every weekend, a divorce, the loss of his home, and even suffered a major brain injury due to a life-threatening car crash. But a recent Facebook message would bring Shane some unexpected good news after such a long and difficult time.
Mongo Comes Home
In the message, a BLM Utah employee told Shane that Mongo had been rounded up on the last day of a mustang gathering at a high-security location in Utah. BLM Utah public affairs specialist Lisa Reid explained the specialists on site knew right away Mongo wasn’t a wild Mustang. He looked different and calmed down in captivity right away. The horse expert then recalled the story of missing Mongo. Inspecting the horse, they found Mongo’s brand and contacted Shane via its registration.
“[I thought], ‘There is no way. You have got to be kidding me,’” said Shane.
The very next day and a four-hour drive later, Shane reunited with Mongo, recognizing his long lost horse even though Mongo was four hundred pounds lighter and longer in the tooth.
“It didn’t even seem real … To have him back is still not real.”
And brilliant Mongo has settled back into domestic life like no time has passed, even walking into the trailer to go home with no hesitation. He’s now enjoying time with Shane and his children and enjoying a taste of his old favorite snack—Sour Patch Kids!
@shaneadamsmongo♬ Cowboy Up – Justin Carter
Welcome home, Mongo! Want more horsing around? Check out Dog Asks Horse To Play Tug-Of-War With Her, And The Sweet Horse Lets Her Win!
Feature Image: @shaneadamsmongo/TikTok
Toledo, United States.
