Some couples are odd, while others seem like a match made in heaven.
Waco, a retired harness racehorse, wasn’t exactly known for out-pacing his fellow runners, but he has managed to outlive them by a good 15 years. The man he has to credit for his longevity? Caretaker Donnie McAdams, who met Waco on a Vermont farm back in 2008.
Barely eating when they met, McAdams thought the horse’s end was in near sight, but, as it turns out, Waco wasn’t sickly or even succumbing to old age, 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,” McAdams told CBS News.
Thanks to the kindness of McAdams, Waco is celebrating his 40th birthday this month, which adds up to about 120 in human years. According to an old rule in horse racing, the first day of the new year marks the universal birthday for all runners.
Like any great relationship, Waco has also been there for McAdams through his own tough times, including a heart attack the caretaker suffered. When McAdams was feeling particularly low, Waco was right there for him, and the reciprocal rewards of their relationship was what kept McAdams going.
“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,” McAdams said.
Despite the bond this pair shares, don’t mistake their kindness for cuddliness – these guys just happen to be two cranky old souls who happened to find each other at a time when they both needed it most.