I am having a very bad morning.

[westmanfarrier]

I have had a couple horses here for a week or so that are owned by a client who got flooded out. The horses are staying here while they are cleaning the mud out of their barnyard.

Well, they broke out early this morning. It was dark, very foggy, and icy. One of them got up on the road, hit and killed.

It is weird though, as they hadn't even looked to test the fence for the last few days, one of the horses stayed at my house, where the other ran a good 100 yards up to the road. While the state trooper was here, he asked where the third horse was. Third horse?? Ours were all accounted for. Seems another horse got hit a few miles away just a few minutes later. This sounds awful fishy. I have safe-fence, which stretches, then lets go so as to not injure the horse. All three strands were down where they broke through. I do not know why they would break out. My horse and pony were still in their section, which was separate than the temporary horses.

This year is starting out tough.:mad:

[JetLagaside]

Oh how sad, I agree that sounds a bit fishy - makes you wonder if they where "let or forced" out by someone.
That's one of my greatest fears. Hugs to everyone involved.

[HoustonFarrier]

Oh man...sorry to hear....hang in there

Steve

[HeartofSteel]

Oh wow, that's hard... hang in there

[Turn and Burn]

Oh gosh, thats terrible:(

[~*Domino*~]

:( Aww, ((HUGS)) to you and every one involved!

[Ix3Morgans]

Oh no thats awful.
I hope it all gets figured out ,like others have said hang in there.

[westmanfarrier]

I am really mad. This has been one of my biggest fears. I had actually started a secondary fence this late fall. I have about half of the posts in along the driveway, then we got frozen ground/snow/flooding and such. I HAVE to get that fence done, but the ground is still frozen.

I have done a lot of work and spent a lot of money getting rid of the barbed wire and replacing bad posts to get the fencing as safe as I can. I guess you just can't know.

[westmanfarrier]

Called my animal control contact to help me with my situation. I found out why the phone call wasn't returned, they are busy.

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_012109ANB-puppy-mills-skagit-KC.19aef687.html

[WashingtonBay]

Oh damn.... I'm so sorry, for you and your friend.

You know... I'm not sure what you think might be fishy.... but another loose horse, from who knows where, might be the reason your friend's horses decided to test the fence right then.

If a strange loose horse went by here on the road.... it would have all of mine in an uproar, I know it.

[lovesfortune]

Oh no, I'm so sorry for you and your client.

[Petra]

What a bad luck. I'm so sorry to hear that.

[cloedoll]

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry to hear this. It does sound fishy. I am real sorry for you and your friend. =[

((hugs)) as others have mentioned, hang in there..

[Ranger44]

Sorry to hear that. Good luck and hang in there.

[vicklynn]

Sorry that your dealing with this. I know it has to be stressful. I hope the weather changes soon for you, but until then, I hope the horses stay in and safe.
((HUGS))

[Jump The Moon]

I'm sorry for you, good thoughts and arm loads of hugs sent your way!
Hope the year improves alot!

[Suzi]

How awful ! I feel for you and the phone you had to make must have been tough. I see you are in Washington state but how rural is it ? Could there have been some predator about ? I also think WB has a good point.

[Lovemyhorses]

A couple of weeks ago I woke up to destroyed fencing and an extra horse in my pasture. He had broken out of his fence 1/4 mile away and broke into mine. Luckily all of the horses stayed inside the fence line even though the fence was completely down. I wonder if this is what happened at your place, an escaped horse broke yours out and one left with it. I would check into who owned the other horse. You're gonna be looking at liability here and finding out what happened could go a long way towards helping on that. How are the people in the car that hit him?

[Equine_Woman]

Oh I am so sorry. My Dad's horse was killed by a car and it is a really terrible situation. I'm so sorry that you and your friend are having to go through this! I hope whoever hit him is okay. I almost hit a horse on the freeway once. I was going 65 at night and a bay horse was in the fast lane running full out (about 30 mph) I swerved at the very last minute (which is when I saw him). Scared me to death. I tried to stop to help him but he was long gone by the time I tried to find him. Scary.

[Tiz]

Geez, bad morning is kind of an understatement, isn't it? I'm so sorry. Dealing with this accident must be very difficult.

[jeezitsjacki]

oh no im really sorry. I hope you figure out what happened to cause the horses to break out

[TheBadLands]

Wow I am so sorry. Hang in there

[Buckpoco]

I think you just experienced everyone's worst nightmare. Hugs and more hugs and prayers.:cry:

[Country Girl 43]

Aww man...Sorry to hear about this. I can't imagine that phone call....well I kind of can, as I had to make "that" call to my kids when their horse died.

[JackieB]

Oh, no. That's just awful. Hang in there.

[Ryderd65]

Sorry you're going through this. That's a lot to have to deal with.

[westmanfarrier]

Thanks guys.

The phone call was probably the worst part, it is a good friend. After the adrenaline wore off, I just felt worse and worse. I have been taking it kind of hard.

The other horse that got out was a few miles away and I doubt it/they came this way as there is a freeway in between us. Two incidents within an hour within 5 miles is what sounded fishy. I talked to a sheriff's deputy and he said that there was a couple other similar incidents within the last month in the same area. Another thing I found funny was there was two horses out, only one set of tracks we could find heading towards the road. Horse #2 was hanging out at my house, which is about 100 yards off the road. How many times would two loose horses, pasture mates, separate like this? Maybe it is all coincidence and I just want an explanation, I don't know.

I think predators were out of the question. There have been a lot of cougar sitings locally, but I live in the flats with no trees. We see a lot of coyotes, but why would they bother the big horses and not my pony, who was fine and in her field. No neighborhood dogs, my two dogs sleep inside and my neighbor's dog is three legged and hardly gets around.

[vicklynn]

Ya, I hear ya on the horses separating. When mine have gotten out, they stick together like glue. Pasture mates dont separate.

[lovesfortune]

I'm with you on that too Vick. When my two got out last week they were together... I can't see them adventuring out in unknown territory on their own.

[WashingtonBay]

Sorry Westman. I really feel for you having to witness this, and especially for having to make that call.

[Remali]

Oh gosh I am so sorry to hear of this, everyone's worst fear. I agree....it really does sound fishy, and that is an awful lot of horses out loose in such a short time.....makes you wonder, I would be suspicious.