Meet the man who is best friends with a HORSE - who roams freely around his house and loves to cuddle
- 11 months ago
Meet the man who is best friends with a HORSE - who roams freely around his house and loves to cuddle.
Santiago Barbera, 32, has had mixed breed Miuccia since birth.
And the pair have since become inseparable - with the now three-year-old animal even welcomed at dinner parties.
Santiago, the CEO of an investment management company, says Miuccia is like a big, friendly dog.
And, having grown up around horses, he wouldn't have it any other way.
Santiago, from Mendoza, Argentina, said: "She's just a regular horse who likes being around people.
"Whenever she hears I'm doing something she will come to check what's going on.
"If she's bored, she comes inside to check if I want to play with her or pet her."
Miuccia was born in 2020, and had deformed hooves.
She had to be operated on three times, once at six months old, once at a year-and-a-half and once at two years old.
Santiago, who works for Grupo Broda, nursed her through the operations and the two become best pals.
He said: "Her tendons were too short, she would almost walk on her tiptoes.
"We didn't have any other foals so she would always be hanging around me.
"I had to look after her through her recovery, so we became very close."
Now, Miuccia roams freely in Santiago's house.
And she is often among the guests at dinner parties - and even acts as a bouncer.
Santiago said: "There are some people who are scared of her.
"She even gets right up to check what's going on when we have dinner.
"She gets angry when people try to kick her out, you can tell she's like: This is my house, what are you doing?'.
"I can tell by her expression she is not happy when someone tries to boss her around the house.
"Usually, if someone wants to take her out, she stands still blocking the way.
"If guests are cool with her, she will be just checking what they are doing.
"If they are cooking, sniffing and maybe take a small bite of a salad, that's all.
"If we are sitting on the couch, she likes to put at least one leg on the couch and stand there."
Despite her size, Miuccia has learnt to get around the house without causing any damage.
Santiago said: "She has gotten bigger and learned how to get around the house without breaking anything. She's so good.
"Sometimes she can't turn around in corridors because she's too long.
"But she knows how to get around the house without getting stuck.
"She is super careful - but unlike a dog she can reach everything.
"So even when I leave a glass of wine on the table, I know she will sniff it and now she almost never knocks over the glass."
Having a needy adult horse around the house has its difficulties, Santiago said.
But he said it's worth the trouble.
Santiago added: "It's only annoying when she is demanding attention and I'm working or reading. I guess like most dogs or cats.
"When I have lunch alone or with friends, she's almost always around the table and if there's salad she tries to reach it.
"If I'm by the pool and wet, she tries to lick me till I'm dry, that's annoying a little bit.
Santiago Barbera, 32, has had mixed breed Miuccia since birth.
And the pair have since become inseparable - with the now three-year-old animal even welcomed at dinner parties.
Santiago, the CEO of an investment management company, says Miuccia is like a big, friendly dog.
And, having grown up around horses, he wouldn't have it any other way.
Santiago, from Mendoza, Argentina, said: "She's just a regular horse who likes being around people.
"Whenever she hears I'm doing something she will come to check what's going on.
"If she's bored, she comes inside to check if I want to play with her or pet her."
Miuccia was born in 2020, and had deformed hooves.
She had to be operated on three times, once at six months old, once at a year-and-a-half and once at two years old.
Santiago, who works for Grupo Broda, nursed her through the operations and the two become best pals.
He said: "Her tendons were too short, she would almost walk on her tiptoes.
"We didn't have any other foals so she would always be hanging around me.
"I had to look after her through her recovery, so we became very close."
Now, Miuccia roams freely in Santiago's house.
And she is often among the guests at dinner parties - and even acts as a bouncer.
Santiago said: "There are some people who are scared of her.
"She even gets right up to check what's going on when we have dinner.
"She gets angry when people try to kick her out, you can tell she's like: This is my house, what are you doing?'.
"I can tell by her expression she is not happy when someone tries to boss her around the house.
"Usually, if someone wants to take her out, she stands still blocking the way.
"If guests are cool with her, she will be just checking what they are doing.
"If they are cooking, sniffing and maybe take a small bite of a salad, that's all.
"If we are sitting on the couch, she likes to put at least one leg on the couch and stand there."
Despite her size, Miuccia has learnt to get around the house without causing any damage.
Santiago said: "She has gotten bigger and learned how to get around the house without breaking anything. She's so good.
"Sometimes she can't turn around in corridors because she's too long.
"But she knows how to get around the house without getting stuck.
"She is super careful - but unlike a dog she can reach everything.
"So even when I leave a glass of wine on the table, I know she will sniff it and now she almost never knocks over the glass."
Having a needy adult horse around the house has its difficulties, Santiago said.
But he said it's worth the trouble.
Santiago added: "It's only annoying when she is demanding attention and I'm working or reading. I guess like most dogs or cats.
"When I have lunch alone or with friends, she's almost always around the table and if there's salad she tries to reach it.
"If I'm by the pool and wet, she tries to lick me till I'm dry, that's annoying a little bit.