The surprise of a lifetime! (Video)

Giving and getting gifts isn’t the real meaning of Christmas, but good luck convincing any child of that! For youngsters, it’s all about presents. Few years ago, one family decided to get their daughter the most sought-after Christmas present of all and they even recorded a video. At the beginning of the video, a little girl named Annie is outside playing, working off some of that candy cane fueled energy. It’s Christmas Day and there’s a fresh layer of snow on the ground, so things are off to a good start. They family owns a few horses, and her mom asks her, “Do you want to check and see if Santa left treats for the horses?”

After being greeted by a couple of barn cats, Annie and her mom go inside. Dad is sitting there with a video camera at the ready. Santa has indeed visited the barn: there’s a gift basket loaded with horse treats along with a children’s book and a rolled-up note. Annie is pretty excited about the book, but mom suggests she read the note. The little girl reads it aloud and when she gets to the words, “I don’t usually deliver ponies for Christmas…” it takes her a few seconds to fully process what that means. But soon, a super-excited Annie is giving her new pony a great big hug!

She’s wholly grateful and excited!

It’s important to be careful about giving someone an animal as a gift (or getting one for your own household on impulse during Christmas shopping). Being taken back to a shelter or store just when it looked like they’d landed in a forever home can be traumatic for a pet. A pony is a big responsibility, but with her parents there to guide her, we can be sure that Annie is up to the task and that her pony is going to be happy in his new home. Watch the video, this is a beautiful moment between two precious new friends!