Residents of urban centres usually don’t take too kindly to waking up and seeing horses in neighbouring backyards. Although, given the frightening situation which is currently playing out in Fort McMurray, Alberta, people have been quite understanding.
The severe wildfires that have stricken Fort McMurray have been making news across the country. Over 80,000 people have been evacuated from the area due to the significant blazes. As an article by the CBC explains, horse owners have been scrambling to save their horses, as well.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and some of those desperate measures have resulted in some serious oddities, at least for some residents in the Eagle Ridge area of Calgary.
The CBC piece states that horse owner Stacy Clough and her friend keep their horses at Clearwater Horse Club, a facility which is located just two kilometres away from one of the wildfires. Some residents were forced to evacuate the area on Sunday evening (May 1).
If a mandatory evacuation is important enough for humans, it surely is for equine, as well.
The article states that Clough was not the only horse owner that drove out and relocated their horses due to the fires. In total, 60 horses were relocated from the Clearwater Horse Club. Sheer has described the process as being “pretty much sheer panic.”
That panic was juxtaposed by what Clough’s neighbours woke up to the morning after.
"Everybody's kind of been like, 'This is the coolest thing, to wake up to and have my morning coffee to, I had to take a double take,'" said Clough, who added that the horses have been the talk of the neighbourhood.
Clough decided that she’d better keep a close eye on her horses – named Shine, Rudy and Socks – after having arrived home at night with them.
"We just decided it would be best to sleep on the deck, wait it out and bring them to the backyard, so that's what we did."
Clough explained that the horses would only be in the backyard for a day or two until suitable accommodations were found. "I've had no negative complaints or comments," she said. "Everybody's been super supportive.”
She went on to say that the horse had been “really great."
"They're just enjoying the grass. I put a bunch of hay out for them and brought their big water trough when we evacuated the barn. They've just been kind of hanging out and moseying around.
"They're just kind of enjoying city life and taking in the sights."
(With files from CBC)
