Sharing pictures of epic photobombs is one of the greatest things to come out of the 21st century thus far. We know, we know, it may be a controversial statement–and one that reveals just how much time we spend online!–but examples of hilarious photobombs always manage to cheer us up, no matter how cruddy our day may be.

Because we’re such big fans of it, we’ve shared quite a few epic photobombs with you over the years. Personally, our favorite instances of this behind-the-back buffoonery are the ones that include animals, especially those of the feline variety. Of course, we also love wedding photobombs, maternity picture photobombs, zoo trip photobombs, and even heartwarming photobombs, too.

So, when a friend who knows our immaculate taste in all things Internet art sent us the following picture, we knew we had to share it with you right away…

Nope, no reason to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor–that, in fact, IS a picture of a little girl standing in front of a Clydesdale. A Clydesdale who just so happens to be cheesin’ his face off!

The photo, which was originally posted to Reddit two years ago (how did we miss it?!), has been making its rounds on the Internet again, making it an official viral hit. Though not much is known about its origins, it’s safe to say that the little girl and her family is happy to have this hilarious equine photobomb in their collection. We know we would be!

Why Horses Really “Smile”

Although we would love to think that this Clydesdale is, in fact, photobombing, there is likely another reason why this friendly horse has a “smile” on his face.

According to I Heart Horses, there are four reasons why horses show their teeth–and, unfortunately, none of them have to do with smiling for the camera.

The first reason why horses curl back their lips is due to a biological tendency called the Flehman Response. The Flehman Response is the reaction that some animals have when they smell something in the air, particularly pheromones. When this happens to horses, the animal tilts its head back and curls its lips out. This, of course, gives the appearance that the horsey is smiling.

But, it should be noted that there are other, much darker, reasons why horses “smile.” The animals are also known to do this when they are either a) experiencing severe pain or b) exhibiting their dominance. In the second instance, the horse bares its teeth as a warning–it perceives a threat and won’t hesitate to bite. Yikes!

Sorry if we ruined the idea of “horse smiling” for you. It might not be what you thought, but we still think that viral photobomb is pretty darn cute!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this “smiling horse.” Are you a fan of this adorable picture? Have you ever seen a horse “smile” before? Do you have a hilarious photobomb picture that you would like to share?