In North America at least, stories from the California fires are dominating news feed. With dozens of human fatalities and many more missing and unaccounted for, thousands of homes and other buildings burned and over 200,000 acres destroyed, there are fears that more will be lost as more fires are cropping up. Horse owners and other animal lovers have been scrambling to move their animals out of harm’s way. But out of the devastation heroes and stories of bravery and ingenuity are arising.
Mule in a Pool
One of the most remarkable stories is about a mule found hiding in a pool. Whether the mule ended up in the small pool by accident or its own ingenuity, we will never know. The mule was found tangled in a pool cover, which kept it immersed without drowning. When it was found by a group of people checking on the fate of their homes, the mule was shivering violently and was said to look ‘defeated’. Rescuers unhooked the pool cover, pulled the mule into shallow water and it was able to scramble up the steps. The mule was later removed from the area and taken to safety. Many versions of this story say this was a horse. The homes and lands around the area where the mule hid in the pool has been totally razed, with no buildings or vegetation left standing after fire swept through.
Horse Owners Pitching In
Horse owners without resources or time were forced to leave horses in the paths of the blazes. But thankfully, many were saved due to the bravery of people willing to go back into the danger zone and bringing out as many animals as possible. Convoys of trailers have been organized and not only horses have been saved. Those planning to save horses find they’ve returned with trucks and trailers carrying other pets and livestock. Working with officials, one group of rescuers despaired after receiving several hundred calls to rescue horses and other animals. Many of the horses found and rescued are suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
Other’s without trailers have been riding their horses out as people on foot raced out of the path of the flames. One woman who returned to pick up two horses who were left behind on her ranch ended up bringing back up other animals as well.
Donations to Rescue Organizations
Of course the Humane Society has had a hand in the rescue of many animals in California. The efforts were noticed by celebrity Sandra Bullock and her family, who donated $100,000 to help rescue and care for animals rescued from the fires. In fact, response to the fire prompted the Humane Society of Ventura to post on their Facebook page that at this time, supplies of feed and other supplies were plentiful. But the one thing they are short of is volunteers. As the HSVC faces keeping many of the animals long-term, monetary contributions are welcome.
If you wish to donate to help horse and other animal owners The New York Times lists Caring Choices and Huff Post lists the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation as reputable agencies collecting funds to help animals affected by the fires.
My horse Phoenix was a barrel horse I got from Fallon Taylor. My story with my pride and joy came to a close on April 26, 2013. The day before was a beautiful day and it was warm enough that I didn't even have to wear a jacket. Th ...
January was a horrible month in the province I’m in, with several stable fires making headlines. The first was a stable of forty-two horses, mainly Standardbreds. Fire crews were helpless to rescue the horses trapped inside. Less ...
Governments at all levels, many aid agencies and others are contributing what they can to both fight the fire, which as I write still burns out of control, and assisting the residents as they evacuate. Evacuating for many, has mea ...
In the path of one blaze was Rancho Padilla in Tujunga Canyon, a family owned ranch where 30 of the 60 horses stabled there were lost to the fire. There was no time to evacuate the horses, as the buildings were already on fire whe ...
In North America at least, stories from the California fires are dominating news feed. With dozens of human fatalities and many more missing and unaccounted for, thousands of homes and other buildings burned and over 200,000 acres ...
Horse Side Vet Guide was created so that you’d have important information at your fingertips no matter where you are - whether you have cell signal or wifi or not. Much of the content, concerning situations that are most likely to ...
If you’ve ever wondered how mounted police units desensitize their horses to working around crowds in stressful situations, the Columbus Mounted Police unit provides a glimpse into their training process. ...
At a meeting in Germany, scientists are looking for ways to monetize carbon dioxide emissions. And horse manure has been part of the discussion. Dried manure has been used as a fuel for centuries. And methane gas made from manure ...
There are many equine health apps out there and it’s hard to choose one that will suit your particular situation. Horse Health Tracker from the folks at Equine Guelph is an app for Android or iPhone that helps you keep records of ...
Manure is also in the news along beaches in Florida. Horseback riders in the Tampa Bay area are being accused of fouling the water and destroying the natural beach habitat. Both private horse owners and tourist operations offering ...
Car tires, wood nails, knives and mallets. These are the tools used by farriers in Ethiopia for shoeing the horses and donkeys that are essential to their owners’ livelihoods. ...
Does your horse play the guitar, drums or flute? Andrew Haung might be interested in hearing it play. Haung is a musician and Youtube video producer who loves to find music in unexpected places. He is internet famous for his music ...
With an awareness of what it takes to stay mentally health and recover from mental issues comes many, what seem like, novel approaches to treatments. One treatment is equine therapy designed to help those dealing with mental healt ...
By 
