A brave horse protecting his sheep friend on the side of a famous California highway is so inspiring

I admit that I am a passenger princess. If I have the choice, I always let someone else drive while I take care of navigation, music, and looking out the window. Like many other people, it always puts a smile on my face when I can point out a horse, cow, or even a dog from my cozy passenger seat.

On March 9, as I was driving along California’s famous stretch of I-5 called the Grapevine, another alert passenger witnessed a sweet, yet frightening moment between two animal lovers. Somehow, a horse and a sheep had wandered onto the highway and found themselves stuck in the median barrier! Despite the heavy traffic and winding road, the horse bravely stopped his smaller friend from the surrounding cars.

OMG! This must have been so scary for the brown horse and the little fluffy sheep, but drivers on both sides of the road helped to protect the loyal friends. As lucky camerawoman @jessjessyalll mentioned in a comment, a driver in a truck even stopped to form a barrier between the animals and the rest of the traffic until enough help arrived. What a nice person to interrupt their day to help with an animal rescue!

Related: Horse runs to get help from human mother after finding sheep in distress

You probably saw the police car across the highway that stopped to help, but they would have needed a trailer to get the farm animals where they needed to go. However, since help was already on the way, I’m confident these two were rescued safely.

Naturally, commenters are touched by the horse’s unwavering devotion to his furry friend. His protective attitude towards the unshorn sheep is unmistakable. It’s just as viewer @realness4ya wrote: “Animals are the only ones with real, sincere hearts.”

Friends come in all kinds

It’s not that unusual to see two dogs or two cats playing together, but watching animals of different species interact can be downright magical. Many pet owners are pleasantly surprised when their dog and cat become best friends, and viewers on social media can’t get enough of unusual animal friends. While this horse and sheep are probably not strangers to each other, assuming they’re from the same place, it’s certainly cool to see them stick together in a dramatic rescue situation.

In reality, some farm animals are used to being around many other species. Small hobby farms often let their residents roam freely and interact with each other, which makes me wonder if these highway friends had a close relationship before this daring adventure. If not, they certainly do now!

As wild as this is, it’s incredibly touching to see so many people driving carefully and considerately. Thank you to everyone who is helping to keep these sweet animals safe!

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on Youtube for more entertaining videos.

Or share your own cute pet with Submit a videoand sign up for our Newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.