[belle4]

I went out to feed this morning, earlier than usual. First thing I hear as soon as I open the garage door is Joe, crying in the barn. I keep him in a lot now because he is rubbing his mane out on the fence. I thought his crying was unusual, first red flag.

I walk to the gate and don't immediately see Alex and Willy. There is one spot in the pasture that you can't see from the gate. Again, I thought that was unusual because they are normally standing by the gate waiting to be fed. Second red flag. As I make my way to the barn, I see no horses in the pasture and Joe is still crying in the barn. My stomach drops to my knees.

All thoughts start running through my head. I immediately scan the fence line and all 3 gates. Nothing seems out of place. I'm thinking, "did someone steal them?" Now I'm running to the barn. I spot Alex standing in the middle of the road. Still no Willy. I catch Alex and then find Willy standing in front of the barn. Catch him too. As I put them both back in the pasture I discover that one of them had broken the latch on the gate and made their way to freedom. It's a pretty hefty latch bolted on with lag bolts! I did a bit of wandering myself to see where they had been. I counted 9 piles of poo (one in the middle of the road), so they must have been out for a while. Luckily I live on a dead end seasonal road, but we still have people that live down the line. Can you imagine my horses being hit by a car?!?

All is fine and well, neither of them are hurt. Thankfully.

If that's not enough, when I am letting Joe out for a while, he barges past me and he gets loose too!!!!

I need to go take a nap.

[arabianlvr87]

Ooooh.... horses......!!!
Mine have done that, it's terrifying!
Glad everyone is well.

[3WishesDun]

Good gravy I need to go lie down and they aren't even my horses! You have my heart beating with that story. Naughty, naughty horses! I am very, very, very, very (did I mention very?) happy that Willy & Alex are safe and sound. You deserve AT LEAST one minute of sweet sleep for each grey hair they gave you.

[Buckshot]

Glad everyone is okay. Your horses must have had fun...but not the way you wanted them to.

[freedom32]

Glad everyone is safe and sound! Don't worry, sometime tomorrow your blood pressure will return to normal!

My resident escape artist broke a heavy latch last summer, they were out all night, took a grand tour of the neighborhood, and then came back home for breakfast

Horses!

[QHGirl]

HOLY COW. Willy was taking alex out on the town. Thank goodness they stuck around close to home cause of Joe.... I don't even want to know what would have happened if all 3 of them were out, they would be at Lake Michigan by the time you found them.

Definatly double chains for the gates now huh? WOW.. talk about my heart sank. YIKES!

Poor Joe, wanted to feel "Free" also huh!

[Bailey-Boots]

Oh Boy Becky that sounds like a stressful time. The thought of what 'could' have happened just leaves my blood running cold. I am so pleased that they are all ok. you take such good care of your horses that I can just imagine your panic at not being able to find them .. let alone .. finding them on the road

We were driving home the other day down some country lanes and I saw a horse on someones drive that looked a bit out of place. We stopped the car and turned around and I managed to get the horse .. who had a halter on that had the rope attached to the metal ring .. and a plank of wood (obviously off the stable block) I stayed with the horse and 10 mins later the owner arrived and said that it had spooked at the fly spray and pulled back ripping the stable up, got scared at the plank of wood .. then galloped off down some very busy roads. ..all because they didn't tie it up to bailing twine. It must have been so worrying for them seeing their horse gallop off with the plank flying around. Poor horses legs were all cut up with it. I guess they won't make that mistake again.

[buggywhipp]

Oh those naughty horses.

My gosh belle take about one crazy and stressful morning for you. I am so glad everyone is ok.....well except for your nerves I'm sure there shot.

[belle4]

[QUOTEThank goodness they stuck around close to home cause of Joe][/quote]

No kidding, thank goodness Joe was in a stall last night. If they all 3 had been out, who knows where they would have gone. Joe was having a crying fit in the barn. His "friends" were out playing and he was not. The nerve of some horses.

[CowGirlUp1833]

Oh Goodness! That IS scary!!

We had a mare get out once at a barn I worked at who ran the interstate...complete with trooper escorts!

I'm so glad they were okay...and lets hope they got the need for adventure out of their system!