“Every Precious Soul Was Accounted”: 38 Horses Saved by Equestrian Community Under Dreadful Conditions

Equestrians and their horses have a special connection. The intelligent and humane characteristics that horses possess ensure that the bond between a horse and its owner or rider is a special one. It is almost akin to a friendship between two humans. And recently, the equestrian community showcased legendary camaraderie with their equine friends after they saved 38 horses from a dangerous situation.

The incident took place in Bonita Springs, Florida. On Saturday afternoon, a wildfire broke out near Bonita Beach Road. A piece of land off the east side of I-75, near East Terry Street in Bonita Springs, was sectioned off by Lee County firefighters. The area was affected by brush fires on Saturday, and the firefighters were dealing with the residual fires till Sunday. Not only humans, but horses also fell prey to the calamity.

Equestrian community saves the lives of 38 horses

At least 10 brush fires broke out in the area and hundreds of people had to evacuate their homes. However, humans were not the only creatures suffering through this ordeal. According to a report by NBC 2 on the incident, horses also got stuck in their stables and had to be rescued. Thankfully, the people living in the area were there to lend a hand to their four-legged friends.

Humans helped rescue a total of 38 horses from Providence Equestrian Center on Terry Street. Heather Cassese, who works at the Providence Equestrian Center, appreciated the efforts of everyone who helped and said, “The SWFL horse community selflessly worked together to ensure every precious soul was accounted for and safely sheltered.” After coming across Facebook SOS posts, people started rushing to the stables and helped get the horses out.

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The horses were transferred from the dangerous areas and led to safety. The people who had space and were away from the fire zone gave a place to the rescued horses so that they could stay comfortable during the night. The horses were then returned to their homes the next day. Horse owners came forward to reveal that even unknown people who had no connection to the animals came forward and offered assistance.

Humans from all across the area rushed to save the horses

The Providence Equestrian Centre was not the only place from where horses had to be rescued. Around 22 horses also had to be evacuated from Magic Dream Farm by Olsen Dressage on Bonita Grande Drive. The owners of the farm, mother-daughter duo Jenaya, and Nicole Olsen praised the efforts of everyone who came to help.

Olsen said, “Some people who offered to help on Facebook were completely random. We have no idea who they were.” Nicole Olsen was also amazed by the readiness of the community to help, and said, “The whole night, we didn’t sleep. We were on standby to look at what was happening and what was going on, but yeah, we were lucky.” Even though several friends of the Olen family stayed back in case necessary, luckily, the fire did not make it close enough.

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The rescue operations conducted by the equestrian community without the intervention of authorities are evidence of the humanitarianism prevailing among all horse lovers. After all, it is impossible not to absolutely love and protect our equine friends.