TJ Stables’ Terry Jenkins, who helped Ontario Provincial Police coral a loose racehorse on Highway 401 on Tuesday night, has spoken with local media and has praised the OPP, the horses involved and the integrity of a horse trailer for the positive end to the volatile situation.
News of the accident first came from CTV News London, which told the story of how a pickup truck pulling racehorses in a trailer lost control on the highway due to adverse weather conditions. The trailer ended up in the median on its roof. One horse remained in the trailer, while another got out and made its way westbound down the highway.
As a report by Chatham Daily News explains, the OPP contacted Jenkins to help with the situation, and she was more than happy to oblige.
Jenkins hopped in her truck, which was pulling her horse trailer, and made her way onto the 401. She was able to load the loose horse onto her trailer and remove him any further harm. She was also able to get the horse from the crashed trailer loaded onto her trailer without incident.
"That horse was in a partition about three feet wide and he was standing upright on the ceiling. How he got twisted around in that small space, I'll never know, but he was standing quiet," said Jenkins, adding, "Once we got all the doors open and the partition released, he just walked out and jumped right onto my trailer, no questions asked."
Jenkins also commented on how calm the horses were in the ordeal, stating, "it says a lot of how well trained the horses are in the racing industry."
Jenkins took the opportunity to praise the professionalism of the OPP and the construction of the horse trailer that crashed. "I have to commend the OPP for making sure the horse was cared for in a humane manner and really attentive to what we needed," said Jenkins, who also said, "the integrity of the trailer is what maintained those horses."
The report state that the horses were treated for minor cuts and later released to their owners.
(With files from Chatham Daily News)