We all have heard stories of young kids forming life-changing bonds with pets such as cats and dogs, but one boy’s connection with a farm animal sent him spiraling through life-changing events.
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This is the story of Jack, a young boy who grew him surrounded by animals, but his favorite was always a horse named Bonfire. But when the healthy horse disappeared, Jack took it upon himself to reunite with him, much to his parent’s dismay!
Just Like His Mother
It all started with Jack’s mother, Alice. She had always wanted to live on a farm and care for animals, and of course, the mom nurtured the same beliefs with her young son. Even pregnant, Alice would spend her days with the animals.
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So, when Jack was born, the sounds of horses, sheep, and dogs were like a lullaby to him! But, as he grew up, it was clear that the young boy cared deeply for animals, much like his mother.
Jack’s Father
Jack’s father, Greg, shared his wife and son’s love for animals, but he always tried to be the logical one. So while some joked about Greg being overwhelmed by Alice and Jack, it was the exact opposite.
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The father helped balance his wife to ensure their farm was financially stable while allowing Alice to live out her dream life. While his son, Jack, mirrored his mother, Greg hoped that as the young boy grew up, he would also learn the harsh reality of owning a farm with the charm.
Tough Routine
Running a farm was back-breaking and never-ending work. On top of that, Alice and Greg had to adjust to being new parents. And while they had always hoped to add more animals, taking care of Jack took precedence.
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Only after years and years of waiting and when their son was ready to go to school and independent, did the couple finally start discussing resuming their dream of adding another horse to their collection.
Searching
So, Alice began to search around the area for any horses available for sale, and while she found a few options, they all were way above their budget. So dismayed that her dreams of having another farm animal would be delayed yet again.
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Until she saw a delicate Foal for sale. While she had no experience taking care of Foals or Fillys, the price was right. And while Greg thought it was too much work to take care of a younger horse, Alice thought it was worth a shot to at least have a closer look.
First Meeting
Thankfully the place was close by, and after a quick drive, Alice and Greg met the young Foal. The seller was a famed horse breeder and gave the couple an expansive list of impressive traits the Foal should be expected to inherit from its parents.
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And while Alice wasn’t looking for pedigree, it didn’t hurt. But what drew her towards the young horse was its personality. Named, Bonfire, the Foal had an intelligent and empathic look and, above all, was gentle!
For Alice
But while Alice was falling in love with Bonfire every minute, all Greg saw was years of care and maintenance before the Foal could finally fit into their farm. He also worried that it might not gel well with their other horses.
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But in the end, he saw how captivated Alice was with Bonfire and agreed to buy the young Foal. Greg knew they had just signed up for another significant responsibility, but seeing his wife happy and content made him believe it was the right decision.
New Addition
If only Greg had any clue about Bonfire’s disastrous effect on his family, the young man would never have agreed to purchase the animal. But, of course, the father had no idea what was waiting for him.
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And within hours, they drove with Bonfire back to their farm. Alice was ecstatic and went straight into planning mode. She knew that her son, Jack, would love the Foal just as much as she did.
Great With Kids
The seller had reassured Greg that Sunfire would settle well with children and given lofty claims by saying, ”It’s the sweetest foal I’ve ever had in our farm” and ”He’s great with children”.
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Believing this, the couple expected an easy transition into their farm and routines. And despite Alice’s instant solid connection with the Foal, she knew it needed to adjust to their home first.
Excited Jack
Jack came running outside just as the couple was pulling into their driveway. He was home with a babysitter and knew his parents had gone looking for a new horse. But when he saw the trailer behind Bonfire, the young boy screamed in excitement.
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He couldn’t believe that they had bought the horse with them! Alice quickly got out of the car and tried to relax Jack to ensure he didn’t scare the young Foal, but there was no calming him down.
Meeting Jack
Greg helped distract the young boy but was laser-focused on meeting the new addition. And with their hands already complete, the couple decided to introduce Jack to Bonfire before he settled into the stables.
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Of course, Alice held the Foal’s reins to ensure that everyone stayed safe. But it turned out the parents were overly cautious, as Bonfire calmly walked towards Jack and immediately began to lick his hand!
Growing Closer
This made the young boy squeal with happiness! While this might have made other foals skittish, Bonfire remained relaxed and instantly bonded with Jack. So it turns out that the seller was right, and the Foal was good with kids!
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The following two weeks went by a whiz, but Jack’s love for Bonfire grew. He would insist on taking care of the Foal and spend hours in the stables. While Jack had always been interested in animals, this was a whole new bond.
Special Connection
Every day Jack would wake up, and the first thing he would do would be to run downstairs and head straight to Jack. The young boy was captivated by the Foal, and while Alice assumed the interest would wane, she was wrong.
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Jack and Bonfire only seemed to grow closer. In just a month, the Foal appeared to have remembered Jack’s school routine and would anxiously wait for him to return and meet him in the stables.
Three Years Later
And not only was Bonfire bonding well with Jack, but he was also adjusting with the other horses. However, Alice did notice that the Foal was very protective of her son and would even get mad when Jack gave anyone else more attention.
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But these were just small things, and before the couple knew it, Bonfire was three years old and a solid and healthy horse. And Jack had spent hours with the horse every day since its arrival.
Sudden Change
That is why Bonfire suddenly became aggressive towards other horses without reason and even tried to bite Jack one day; the family knew that something was wrong with him. The horse had never acted like this in the three years they had known it.
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Especially never towards Jack. The two of them were like best friends, and for three days, the young boy had also slept with the Foal while it was sick. But this personality change was unexpected and unacceptable.
Calling A Vet
Greg immediately called their local veterinarian, who was familiar with Bonfire, and after doing an initial assessment, he, too, was unsure what was causing such agitation. The horse had always been docile and sweet, even with strangers.
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Unable to clearly understand what was wrong, the Vet recommended that Bonfire be taken to a veterinarian hospital specializing in equine healthcare. The clinic was a few hours away, but he felt specialists needed to look at Bonfire.
Heavy
This was a considerable shock to Alice and Greg. Not only would this be a financial burden but also an emotional one. Even Greg has warmed up to Bonfire, and knowing it was sick weighed heavily on the father.
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The couple quickly contained a Bonfire in a trailer to avoid wasting time and started the long drive to the hospital. Unfortunately, Jack was away in school, so the parents hastily left a note explaining their absence.
Leaving Bonfire
At the clinic, the veterinarians were also stumped by Bonfire’s overnight personality changes especially considering all his bloodwork was regular. So they requested that the horse be kept with them to run more tests.
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Of course, Alice and Greg agreed. And headed back home with an empty trailer. They knew that Jack was alone and would be worried sick knowing that his favorite horse had been taken to the hospital.
Panic
While the couple was expecting a panicked Jack, they were not prepared for their son to be this heartbroken. Instead, the young boy was inconsolable and wanted to be reunited with the horse immediately.
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And it took Alice hours upon hours to finally put Jack to bed. She, too, was exhausted and worried that if the worst were to happen to Bonfire, her son would not be able to handle the news.
Jack Is Gone!
The following day, Greg went in to wake Jack up as usual for school, but when he opened the door, he found his bed neatly made. The father thought that the young boy might already be downstairs, but when he went to the kitchen, Jack wasn’t there either.
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Getting worried, Greg began to look for his son, and after searching the entire farm, he would no sign of Jack! Completely panicked, he woke up Alice, and together, the couple searched again.
Calling The Police
To say that the couple panicked would be an understatement; they immediately called the police but were no help. The local sheriff refused to file a missing person’s complaint since it hadn’t been 24 hours since his son had disappeared.
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Worried that the authorities wouldn’t start searching in time, the couple began calling all of Jack’s friends. Maybe the young boy had run away from them. Last night he had blamed his parents for leaving Bonfire at the hospital.
Forgotten
In his sadness, the young boy had decided to sneak to one of his friend’s houses. But after making several calls, they weren’t anywhere closer to finding Jack. Finally, in their growing panic, though, and with Bonfire wholly forgotten, the phone rang.
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Alice frantically picked it up, hoping it was news about Jack but was heartbroken when it was the equine hospital. They wanted to give the couple an update about Bonfire. But the mother was too preoccupied and worried about caring. She was only focused on Jack.
Phone Call
She shoved the receiver towards Greg and told him it was from the equine hospital. The father was more composed and listened to the veterinarians recount how they had solved Bonfire’s illness. The Vet also congratulated Greg for their quick action as if Bonfire had been left undiagnosed, and things could have been fatal.
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Greg thanked the veterinarian and told him that he would pick up Bonfire soon. And just as the father was about to hang up, the Vet quickly stopped him. Then, strangely, the Vet asked if Greg knew Jack.
News
Hearing his son’s name, the father immediately tensed up! What did the Vet know about his son? He demanded that the Vet explain himself. That is when it all clicked and became evident. Jack had managed to sneak into the hospital to be closer to Bonfire. And had spent the night there.
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And the young boy had refused to give any details about who his parents were despite hospital staff urging him to do so. Greg wanted to cry and laugh at what had happened. But, thank god, Jack was safe! He ran towards Alice and told her everything, and the mother ran to the car before he could even finish!
Reunited
After frantically driving to the hospital, Greg and Alice were reunited with Jack again. They were furious but relieved that their son was safe and sound. They had no idea how the young boy had managed to get himself miles away to another town in the dead of night.
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But it was clear that Jack had the purest intentions and didn’t want to be apart from Bonfire. So Greg and Alice profusely thanked the veterinarians for saving Bonfire and their only child!
This story is a work of fiction created for entertainment. Characters and events are the products of the author’s imagination. The images shown are used for illustration only.