Post from Cindi (horse owner, on FB)
Well friends new and old I would like to take the time to tell the story of our harrowing weekend as well as tell of the gratitude we feel for all of the search and rescue team.
Steve and I were going to Big South Fork for a weekend getaway with the horses. We had a red flag as it was supposed to rain and storm all weekend… of course you know us… push on. Well fri was great and we got a nice short 3 hour ride in before the rain set in. Charming cabin overlooking a pond with a hot tub on the screened in porch. The doodles were in heaven!!
Sat started great with the rain supposed to hold off until 4. So saddled with cold weather gear, rainy weather gear and food provisions… just in case, we are ready to mount up. For a split second and a back turned our horses were loose and decided to begin the ride without us. Meandering down the trail until of course we begin to show concern and go after them… then the game is on and the chase begins until the meander becomes an all out run! No shaking the feed, no whistle they normally come to… nope they are having too much fun running down the trail less the weight of their riders.
Steve continues down the trail on foot. I go get the truck unhook from the gooseneck and start off down the multi purpose trail behind them in a much needed 4WD. They have vanished. We follow their tracks as far as we can in the truck and then Steve sets off on foot and I return to the Big South Fork Lodge for help and advice. Long story short…31 hours later and covering hundreds miles of trails with 20 to 30 volunteers, the horses come “meandering” back down the trail from which they left, to the trailer and begin munching the hay I had left out for them overnight. Ocho was missing his bridle, but otherwise all gear was intact and unscathed. Xango had a laceration on his tongue where he was stepping on his reins thus the bit pulling down but otherwise other then being soaked from the horrendous storm all was well. It was to me as if they were hiding out and waiting just until it was time for us to head home!!
Now the heart of the story… the people!! Wow for them and a wow for social media. It was totally amazing the network that we formed in less then 12 hours. On Saturday it was pretty much Steve and I searching. But by Sunday the volunteers who came out was mind blowing.
A huge thank you to Jim and Claudia at Big South Fork Lodge. Claudia was the Facebook coordinator and hub for us as well as the volunteers. They provided equipment to us, as well as drinks and a hot meal. They gave us good advice on steps to take next. They contacted trackers and relayed vital info.
Donna at True West was also huge as a communication hub, and making recommendations of steps we needed to take. She was instrumental in finding a tracker for us. She found pictures and posted them on Facebook.
Ranger Christy and Tommy were both so helpful and provided calm reassurance that they were in the hunt with us. Christy even came on her day off to hike in the woods for our boys… lucky for her they greated her at the trailer before her hike began!! Tommy was vigilant in finding a very hidden track on a side trail which very possibly could have been our best lead.
Bridgett and CB from Honey Creek campground, and Bruce and Sharon Russell from Zenith were also instrumental in coordinating and finding volunteers.
Huge shout out to Ruth Reynolds who also called several trackers and finally found Billy Thompson who interrupted his hunting to help.
My hometown horse crowd … as always… comes to the rescue once again. Linda Norton and Gayle Taylor rode 20+ miles on their horses for the search. Sherri and Holly Neidich came from Cleveland to search on foot. Teresa and David Hanes came and muddied up their new jeep to search and bring us lunch. Stush was working via the internet from home and taking care of my animals left at home. These are true friends!!
Other names of new friends are Vickie, Brenda, Monica, Mitzi, Anthony, Charlotte, Ken P, Rita R, Lather H, and I apologize in advance for those I fail to mention as I know you are many. These folks are simply the few I had contact with the most. Everyone pulled together and shook the woods just enough to shake my horses out. For this I am eternally grateful and can never thank you enough. What a great community of horse people. I feel very blessed as what began as a nightmare ended happily and literally a rainbow over my trailer.
Happy Trails,
Cindi and Steve
Big South Fork Lodge & Horse Campground
True West Campground
Horse Trails & Camping Across America
