Stephen Harmon, a Texas man who uses the handle @cowboyatheart82, recently sparked widespread online attention. This was after he shared a viral video on Instagram earlier this month that showed him riding a horse through the aisles of a Target store, accompanied by the caption, “Taking A Horse Inside Target.”
The surprising video captured the shocked reactions of both employees and shoppers inside the store.
The viral footage captured Harmon as he rode a full-sized horse through the Target store, while a friend filmed the stunt. The unusual scene, however, seemed to entertain some shoppers, including one who briefly paused to pet the horse, according to People.
As the horse proceeded through the aisles, store employees quickly tried to stop the stunt. Objections to the action were audible, with one employee demanding, “What are you doing?” and another instructing the man to exit the store.
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As Harmon continued through the store, his horse repeatedly defecated on the floor. The person recording the event could be heard reacting to the mess in the background.
Employees attempted to intervene, telling Harmon that a horse was not permitted inside the store, but he ignored their warnings and continued riding through the aisles before finally leaving.
Drawing millions of views, the video quickly went viral across social media. Netizens shared the clip widely, expressing a range of reactions, including jokes, criticism, and disbelief, as commentators weighed in.
One commenter wrote, “This is the best thing I’ve seen on the internet today!” Another added, “Y’all bring dogs in why can’t my emotional support horse come in?”
Still, the question of cleanup became a major point of frustration for followers.
Another said, “Love this video. Just next time you go in a facility, put something back there to catch the poop. That’s so rude and disrespectful to leave for someone else to have to clean.”
Others echoed similar concerns about who was responsible for handling the mess.
“Now who cleaned up the horse? Not going to lie, I’d be really upset about that,” another person commented. “It was funny till she pooped” another wrote.
Some commenters tried to strike a middle ground, acknowledging the humor while criticizing the impact on workers. “I do think the video was funny but I don’t think it was cool that the horse pooped in the store,” one viewer wrote, adding that store employees “shouldn’t have to clean up the poo.”
Another video uploaded showed that Harmon had gone back to Target to apologize; however, the store called the police.
In his comments, most of the commenters supported the organization.
Some left comments like, “Why are you bringing your horse into target anyway do you know how dangerous this is and it’s also a violation to many health codes. Target is not pet friendly. It’s service animals only.”
Another asked, “You’re having fun & the horse content is great so why do silly stuff for likes and views. Too much going on to have the police called for nonsense. IJS”
This was not Harmon’s first time taking a horse inside a business, according to his social media. A prior video depicted him on the same horse entering a Tractor Supply store. On that occasion, a manager informed him the action was a liability and asked him to leave.
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