Why Channing Tatum Adopting Another Rescue Horse Will Never Be ‘Old News’

In case you didn’t see this headline all over the internet last week, yes, it’s true: Channing Tatum has added another rescue horse to his herd.

We’ve known for awhile now that superstar heartthrob Channing Tatum has a soft spot for rescue animals (if you’re a little late to this party, don’t worry — you can catch up on our previous coverage by clicking here).

So it came as no real surprise — though no less adorable than the last time around — that Mr. Tatum recently welcomed another rescue horse to his growing herd. This latest addition, dubbed “Cajun,” was a thoughtful birthday gift from Channing’s wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum, she herself a lover of rescue animals.

Other than rolling our eyes at the usual handful or so of internet goofballs who immediately took Tatum to task for the reins slipping over the horse’s head (because internet goofballs themselves have never made a horsemanship mistake in their lives), we’re so glad to see that the movie star’s rescue herd is growing. While horse husbands, horse wives and horse significant others all over the country might be wincing inside as they wait for their equestrian SO to “surprise” them with a rescue horse of their own, it’s pretty apparent that this is truly the perfect gift for this animal lover:

(Why yes, that is Braveheart-inspired facepaint, apparently courtesy of his daughter.)

So yes. Another celebrity got another horse. Why should this still be newsworthy? I’m glad you asked.

First of all, you can’t beat the free publicity of having high-profile celebrity proving that good horses can get a second chance. If Channing Tatum riding his rescue horse in William Wallace facepaint encourages even just one more person to adopt a horse from a trustworthy animal rescue, he’s already done a world of good for the cause.It’s also great to see a celebrity lead by example and walk the walk as well as talk the money talk. Don’t get me wrong — I have plenty of respect for the rich and famous of this world who donate oodles of their wealth to the charitable cause of their choice, including animal rescue and equine charities all around the world. On the other hand, it’s also refreshing to see a celebrity riding down the trail like the rest of us plebians on a genuine rescue horse.

I believe that rescue horses, like high-end show horses, have their place in the equestrian world — just like the high-end show animal, they’re not the only answer to the question. While we love celebrities like Kaley Cuoco who use social media to show us that they’re “just one of the horse girls” working hard to achieve their dreams in the show ring, it’s equally heartwarming to see that Channing Tatum is one of us as well, representing a totally different yet vitally important aspect of this wild and crazy horse world.

Go Channing Tatum! Go rescue horses! And go riding!