Horse Illustrated Magazine

A chestnut horse in College Station, Texas, found himself stranded in knee-deep rushing water on Sunday afternoon. His predicament—and his rescue—was caught in two Facebook Live videos by KBTX Media.

Hurricane Harvey has caused severe wind damage and flooding throughout the area, leading to calls for evacuation. Although College Station was not in the hardest-hit area, the city is still experiencing flooding and other weather-related problems due to the hurricane.

The horse, who appears quite calm in the video given the circumstances, kept to the middle of the fast-moving water, making him difficult to reach for rescuers. However, firefighters ultimately did reach the horse and were able to guide him to dry land and put a halter on him. The operation took about 20 minutes.

The horse appears healthy. As of Sunday evening, authorities were still searching for his owners, as well as the owners of another loose horse in the same area who was also safely corralled.

Harvey made landfall in Rockport, Texas, on August 25, crashing in with 130 mph sustained winds according to weather.com. It traveled up the coast to Houston where it has caused an estimated $30 billion in damage. The rainfall and flooding will continue, with some predictions stating that some affected regions could see 50 inches of rain in a week. That’s approximately the same amount of rainfall that Houston sees in a typical year.

Meanwhile, 35 Houston Police Mounted Patrol horses were evacuated to College Station on Saturday, about 90 miles inland from Houston. They’re staying at the Parsons Mounted Cavalry facility at Texas A&M.

As of Monday morning, the storm was predicted to drift out into the Gulf of Mexico, but will continue to linger near Southeast Texas and Louisiana, bringing more flooding rains to the area. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations have been ordered for areas around Houston, particularly those near swollen rivers due to concerns that the waterways could overwhelm their levees.

How to Help

The USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund is currently accepting donations to help horses and their owners affected by Hurricane Harvey.

The AAEP Foundation is also working with local veterinarians to assist horses in affected areas through its Equine Disaster Relief Fund.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has established the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund administered by the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Learn more here.

Houston Texans star JJ Watt set up a fundraiser on the crowdfunding site youcaring.com to help city residents affected by the storm.

The Houston Humane Society and SPCA of Texas are both assisting with rescue efforts for people with animals in the affected area.