Adorable Cattle Dog Is Totally Shook After Seeing A Horse For The First Time
A cattle dog named Roper has been causing chuckles on social media with her reaction to encountering a horse. Her human, Brandi Webster, shared the moment on TikTok in August 2024, captioning it, "Roper doesn't know what to think of the horses yet." Other clips reveal the horse is named Sawyer and also lives with Brandi on her Colorado ranch, along with another horse named Smokey.
@brandikay623 Roper doesnt know what to think of the horses yet 😅😂 #foryou #fypage #blueheelersoftiktok #blueheeler #equinetok #colorado #horsesoftiktok #dogmeetshorse #funnydogs #scareddog #brotherew #whatsthatbrother
In the clip, Roper is seated on the passenger seat of a parked car, her back to the open window, when Sawyer curiously sticks its muzzle inside. Roper turns her head, sees the towering creature, and instantly begins licking her nose and perking an ear. Her eyes widen with an "What the heck is that?" expression before she turns her head away. But, like a scared child would do, she repeatedly sneaks a peek and gives the horse the side eye to see if she's still there. After about 10 seconds, Sawyer walks away, causing Roper to transition from confused and cautious to relieved, with a bit of "Is she coming back?" concern.
Viewers enjoyed the exchange, with many cracking jokes about Roper's reaction. "When work calls you on your day off," one commenter said. One fan said her response was the "classic cattle dog side-eye!" Others suggested that Roper was likely thinking the horse would disappear if she avoided eye contact with it. The dog made her feelings about the horse pretty obvious, but do you ever wonder what horses think about dogs?
What do horses think about dogs?
As Sawyer proved by poking its muzzle inside the window, horses can be just as curious about dogs as dogs are about horses, if not more. Roper seemed unsure about the majestic animal in her personal space, but Sawyer appeared calm and fearless. That's not unusual; many horses are naturally inquisitive and often investigate smaller animals.
Despite their large size, horses are prey animals. This means they tend to size up potential threats carefully before responding, including blue heelers that are a fraction of their weight, but curiosity usually overrides caution in safe settings. In a shared environment like Brandi's ranch, horses and dogs can build a mutual understanding, even friendship, like the one that formed after a horse met a golden retriever puppy for the first time. In fact, a 2020 study in Behavioural Processes shows that dogs and horses can play together using shared nonverbal cues, like relaxed open mouths and even rapid facial mimicry.
While dogs might sniff, play-bow, or turn their face away entirely when meeting an unfamiliar animal, horses observe, snort, or approach slowly. Sawyer took the lead with the encounter with Roper, and judging by the dog's reaction, left quite an impression. A TikTok clip from July 2025 shows Roper playfully following Sawyer at sunset in an open field, where Smokey also later appears. Needless to say, Roper definitely knows what she thinks of horses now; she loves them! Interested in reading more horse stories? Check out 25 memes for people who love horses.