Martin (male of human of the household) said,
"you're not given freedom you take it!!
The horses didn't bray, were silent. They stood; mares, foals and stallions on a small islet, they hadn't eaten or drunk for four days, subdued, heads held low.
The army: were going to build a bridge.
The air force: fly them out on harnesses dangling from helicopters.
Four foals died, the others dying.
Experts gave their advice: the herd could bolt and all drown...
The answer, easy when you know, was other horses. Horses with riders -a quiet solution.
The big horse and his rider stood to the front of the herd. The main contingent of horse and riders circled to the rear. At a given moment the gang yelled; the herd woke from their malaise, scared by the noise, weary from their islet survival their notion enmasse was:
Well he's a big bugger we'll follow him. And they did!
The big horse trotted through a safe path demarked in the water with white flags on sticks and the exhausted herd followed - barbed wire and sunken dangers lay surface hidden below grey waters.
They clicked their heels: terra firma, the depression lifted the herd awakened.
Tell it to the caged canary and the battery hen, tell it to the bears dancing on the end of chains; tell them it's their fault, blame them for their plight after all you're not in that circumstance and it must be because you are cleverer than they!
Violent storms on Tuesday led to the death of 19 horses in Holland. The herd of 100 horses, including several foals, was stranded for four days on a tiny piece of land surrounded by flood water. Rescuers on horseback lead the remaining horses through the water to safety earlier today.
The storm lifted the North Sea waters as much as 13 feet above its normal level and pushed it into the wilderness area outside the dikes of Marrum, a town 90 miles from the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. High water levels and hours in the water led to the death of the 19 horses from either over exposure or drowning.
Firefighters and animal welfare officers plotted a rescue route and earlier today four women on horseback guided the animals back. One horse decided not to follow but was led back later on. Some horses, including the smallest foals had been ferried to safety by small boats on Wednesday.
Ferdinand ace reporter!
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