Myakka hog and horse make unlikely pair

A surprising friendship has formed in Cynthia Moll’s Myakka City backyard between her tricolored paint horse, Bliss, and a feral pig that’s been affectionately named Pig Pig. 

Pig Pig showed up in December. With bones bulging from underneath his hide, Galloway said he was clearly starving. 

She said he was about 3 months old at the time and that he kept coming back because Bliss is such a messy eater. 

As Bliss chews sloppily, she sways her head from side to side, so Pig Pig would just run back and forth, snatching up whatever dropped to the ground. 

Bliss wasn’t having it because she didn’t want to share. She tried pushing the piglet aside. But he was so hungry that he wouldn't leave, so she bit him. 

Moll said Pig Pig squealed, but didn’t seem hurt. He certainly was not deterred. Not only did he keep showing up every day, he went to great lengths to get the horse’s attention. 

Before Pig Pig won her over, Bliss used to regularly hang out by the fence to be near the goats next door. Goats and horses are more natural friends since they're both herd animals. 

Moll said the piglet just started running circles around Bliss one day while she was by the fence, as if to say, “I'm right here; you don't need them!”

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Still, if Bliss wanders off to stare at the goats, Pig Pig starts zooming around until her eyes are back on him, and how quickly things change because now Bliss will run after Pig Pig. 

“You call one, you usually get the other, too,” Moll said. 

Bliss and Pig Pig eat, graze, wander, run, play and nap together. 

When Pig Pig first arrived, he even tried to climb on Bliss' belly to sleep. That was a step too far, but Bliss is so happy to have him around now, she no longer minds sharing her leftovers.

Bliss has known her own name for quite a while, but now when Moll asks, “Where’s Pig Pig,” she turns her head to look toward the woods.

Moll believes Pig Pig to be feral because he looks like a wild hog, but has a curly tail. A wild hog would have a straight tail, so he’s probably mixed with some type of domesticated pig. 

Moll said Pig Pig made a nest out of Bliss’ good alfalfa hay, so she knows he’s been sleeping in the barn. She also hears him rooting at night and will even get out of bed to scold him sometimes.

Where Pig Pig goes in the morning, Moll doesn’t know, but he does have a routine. 

Around 3 p.m. daily, he crawls back under her fence and starts running across the paddock to see his buddy Bliss. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Then, the pair have their own routine. They take a walk before dinner; they eat, and then graze. 

Pig Pig has started approaching Moll recently, too. He rubbed his snout into the crook of her knee once and will come within a couple feet of her when it’s feeding time. 

She doesn’t know what to expect as he ages. Will he grow tusks? Will he tear up the whole yard? Worse yet, will a hog dog sniff him out when he’s out roaming? 

She’s not completely sure what she’s going to do about this unexpected situation long-term, but if he keeps hanging around, Moll said her best bet is to get Pig Pig neutered and make him his own fenced area to keep him safe.

Many cases of horses, and pigs, having relationships with other animals can be found on the web. The South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals documented a case in May 2021 of Amos and cow and Lionel the pig, both rescues, living together in harmony in Homestead. They slept next to each other, stayed in the same part of their stall, and followed each other around wherever they went.

HorseFactBook.com advises that horses and pigs don't make good companions, and that they should be separated by a fence. "They don’t understand each other’s body language and won’t form emotional bonds so generally don’t make good companions. If you do want to keep both horses and pigs though it’s best to not keep them in the same field."

MyNewHorse.EquusMagazine.com identifies pigs as a companion pal for horses, and also suggests dogs, cats and goats.

The site's take on horses and pigs is, "An internet search will return mixed advice about buying pigs as companion animals for horses. Some sources say they are not a good match, while others share that their horses and pigs are the best of friends. Consider the temperament of both animals and introduce them slowly to be sure neither will be aggressive toward the other."

HorseIllustrated.com quotes Bridget Heilsberg, the owner of Crown 3 Equine Veterinary Services in Whitesboro, Texas, as saying, "Your horse’s individual personality will help determine what the best choice for a companion will be. Many horses do well with equids like other horses, mules or donkeys. Some horses, however, do better with nontraditional companions like goats, chickens or pigs. Not sure if your horse will bond well with his new roommate? It doesn’t hurt to try! Even though there are many tales of horses being scared of, or aggressive toward, non-traditional companions such as pigs, there are just as many tales of unusual best friends.”