Dally and Spanky: Dog and miniature horse form unique bond

Dally and Spanky

MORRISTOWN, Ariz. - A horse is a horse, unless of course, it's a miniature horse named Spanky.

Go right to the source and his pal, Dally, will tell you all about the course of their great adventures.

They ride, they jump – it's quite a feat.

What they're saying:

"I didn't expect to have a dog and pony show," said Francesca Carsen.

Carsen says the two best buds don't miss a beat. Her dog and pony show is so sweet – video of the pair has gone viral.

"I couldn't believe it, yeah. I was just amazed, like how a dog can, with no instruction, can just find that perfect center of balance," she said.

Francesca Carsen, Dally and Spanky

It started many moons ago, Carsen says, when she adopted Spanky.

"He kicked, bit, did some damage to some people, and he was only 2 years old, so I took him and trained him," she sad. "And I had big horses too. That's what I do. I try to get better communication with horses for myself and other people with horses."

Carsen calls the lessons "the art of liberty." She teaches around the U.S., including Morristown, Arizona, where we met the dynamic duo.

A few years after she took Spanky in, Dally came into the picture.

"Well, she used to jump up on his back," Carsen explained. "She was so small she would go up a stepstool and jump on his back. I'd grab her because he was, at that time, not particularly safe. I wouldn't put a person on him, let alone a dog, so I'd grab her, and she kept doing it over and over, so then I'd let her ride while I led him and then one thing led to another, and she grew a lot bigger, and she started just jumping on him."

Dally and Spanky

Here's the life lesson, the moment you stop and realize every breathing being makes a difference dog, human or horse. Carsen says Dally helped Spanky heal.

"I think it really helped him, and he got accustomed to her just on his back jumping on him and that really kind of helped calm him down definitely," she said.

Sure, they get treats, but it's clear to see both Spanky and Dally love their tricks and their time together.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Art of the Cowgirl (@artofthecowgirl)

The companionship is so inspirational, Carsen wrote a book entitled "The Great Adventures of Dally and Spanky."

"I did write a kids' book about a true story and then Sony Pictures ended up making a movie about them, a Hollywood story, but the real story, I did write in a kids' book. I love it when teachers tell me that they love the kids reading the book, because it's like everybody has a friend. They don't have to look like, be like you, so it's a really neat true story."