This horse had a bad life before, which made it angry. His previous owners used violence to “break horses” like him. “They beat him and tied his head tightly between two posts, where he stood for four weeks without food or water.”
Because of how badly he was treated, the horse turned to mean and didn’t trust anyone. But everything changed when he met an amazing man named Max, who also changed his life.
Even though he was mean, that man bought him. He didn’t think twice about taking that horse home, either. Janna Grapperhaus says that the horse was bought by her dad. She also said her mother was against keeping Major because it could hurt her husband.
“I’ll never forget the day my mom called me in a panic and said, ‘Janna, you have to convince your dad to get rid of that horse because it’s going to kill him.'”
The horse was named Major because the girl’s mother thought she was a “Major Deal.” Max didn’t give up on Major, even though he wasn’t in a good place.
Even though it was dangerous for him, he dealt with his rude behavior. Even when he took him home, it was a mess.
“When his dad brought him home, he broke through five fences in a matter of minutes, and he would bite and attack anyone who came close.”
If this had happened to someone else, they would likely have given up on Major, but Max didn’t. Max tried hard to earn his trust. It was great that Max was able to complete his goal, which was to make Major feel like he was loved. Major got a lot of help from his hard work, making him a nice horse.
After 2 years, Major trusted him fully, so he let him ride on him. “My dad never hurt him because he earned his love. Every day, for many hours, Dad worked to gain the trust of that abused horse. The mean and violent horse also learned to kiss his human friend on the head. And he liked it. Major got a lot better because Max spent much time with him. It’s likely because horses are “highly social animals.”
Max is no longer in Major’s life physically because he died in October 2020. He has lost the person who never gave up on him. And it hurts too much to think about.
Max’s family ensured that Major could kiss him before he died. He also knew it was his last chance to say goodbye to his best friend. “Letting Major say goodbye seemed like the right thing to do. This is the last kiss for Major.”
Janna posted a touching picture on Facebook, which made many people feel good. As of this writing, 176,000 people have shared the story. It just shows that this story is sad and moving simultaneously.
h/t: natureknows.org
