A horse and his caretaker form an enduring bond (Video)

They say man’s best friend is often a dog, but in Donnie MacAdams’ case he considers his trusty horse Waco his best companion. When Donnie wakes up to feed the horses, there’s one in particular that gets special attention. Once a popular racing purebred, Waco Hanover now spends his free time hanging out with his best human friend Donnie. By day Donnie manages a state information center in Vermont where he deals with a lot of people but can’t wait to get off work to spend time with Waco. Donnie is a big part of Waco’s longevity. Living in an apartment above the barn, he’s not only caretaker but kind of a roommate. But mostly, he’s Waco’s best friend.

Waco was never able to outrun most horses, but he’s certainly managed to outlive them. For the past eight years Donnie’s downtime has been utterly devoted to Waco. The companions have got each other through tough times with Donnie crediting Waco for helping him recover from a heart attack. “I couldn’t carry a five-gallon bucket of water, because it was too physically stressful,” but Waco helped him recover and now a five-pound pail is no problem. When Donnie first met Waco, he didn’t have much of an appetite. “I wanted to dig a hole, because I didn’t think he’d make it through the winter,” he said. But it turned out this tough old horse wasn’t sick, he was just lonely. “I just talked to him one day for about a half an hour and got him to accept the fact that I ain’t goin’ anywhere, I’m your buddy. It’s been going on now for eight years.”

40-Year-Old Horse Saves Man’s Life

Now the two love to hang out and eat animal crackers. The connection has been therapeutic. “There were times in the wintertime when I’d walk into the barn, walk down there, just lean on the stall front. He would put his head on my shoulder and just chew, just chew, and just calm me down,” said Donnie. Donnie and Waco were so lucky to have found each other and spend the many years they did together. Watch the video, animals have such a wonderful ability to change our lives, they give more than most of us can imagine.