October 9th, 2017 is a day that changed our lives. That day demonstrated that no matter what seems to divide so many of us, when you really need help to save innocent lives, that help will be there.
In so many ways, Canyon 1 fire was actually a Godsend to all of us at Peacock Hill Equestrian Center. It gave us a rehearsal if you will, of what we needed to do to evacuate all the horses to safety. For Canyon 1, we were contacted about the possibility of an evacuation order. When we all showed up with our trailers we figured out how to get the trailers aligned to move the horses efficiently, we marked our horses and prepared to evacuate. Thank heavens, the winds shifted and we were spared Canyon 1.
Then, 2 weeks later, when the call came to actually evacuate for the Canyon 2 fire, we watched the fire get closer and closer, the winds howled, the flames flared but all of us stayed focused. Working together, we loaded horses into every trailer we could. I focused on my client's horses and my own. After over filling my trailer I drove the horses to Lakewood Equestrian Center and returned to help evacuate more horses. Eric stayed on site to ensure that no horses were left behind and to help volunteers to lead out any remaining animals.
Volunteers, horse people and non- horsepeople, were leading the horses out of the park as the flames started crossing the riverbed into the Equestrian Center. It was almost a mile walk, across two major streets, in the roaring wind with the flames in the trees of the park for the horses to reach the Albertson's Parking lot at Chapman and Jamboree. Once there, strangers and friends with trailers from all over Southern California loaded the horses and evacuated.
Meanwhile, friends at home watched Peacock Hill burn on their TVs. It was less than a hour after we got all the horses out that the fire reached my barn.
When we were finally allowed to visit the facility, we could see that there was little or nothing to salvage in my barn, tack room and feed room. The damage was incredible. Years of equipment vaporized.
Thanks to many generous benefactors, we were able to meet our immediate needs and slowly start to replace some of what was lost. Looking on the bright side, we did have a lot of stuff that, while fully functional, we had wanted to replace - like those great blankets that keep going and going and going..... (but were really ugly LOL). However, after over 30 years as a professional I had built up my training equipment with top quality items - my selection of Herm Springer, Nue Schule and other top quality bits - gone. Of the clippers and blades, pads for every occasion or need, Championship coolers and all the ribbons, all the leather goods like reins and bridles, nothing was left.
Now we start a new phase in a new location.
In so many ways, Canyon 1 fire was actually a Godsend to all of us at Peacock Hill Equestrian Center. It gave us a rehearsal if you will, of what we needed to do to evacuate all the horses to safety. For Canyon 1, we were contacted about the possibility of an evacuation order. When we all showed up with our trailers we figured out how to get the trailers aligned to move the horses efficiently, we marked our horses and prepared to evacuate. Thank heavens, the winds shifted and we were spared Canyon 1.
Then, 2 weeks later, when the call came to actually evacuate for the Canyon 2 fire, we watched the fire get closer and closer, the winds howled, the flames flared but all of us stayed focused. Working together, we loaded horses into every trailer we could. I focused on my client's horses and my own. After over filling my trailer I drove the horses to Lakewood Equestrian Center and returned to help evacuate more horses. Eric stayed on site to ensure that no horses were left behind and to help volunteers to lead out any remaining animals.
Volunteers, horse people and non- horsepeople, were leading the horses out of the park as the flames started crossing the riverbed into the Equestrian Center. It was almost a mile walk, across two major streets, in the roaring wind with the flames in the trees of the park for the horses to reach the Albertson's Parking lot at Chapman and Jamboree. Once there, strangers and friends with trailers from all over Southern California loaded the horses and evacuated.
Meanwhile, friends at home watched Peacock Hill burn on their TVs. It was less than a hour after we got all the horses out that the fire reached my barn.
When we were finally allowed to visit the facility, we could see that there was little or nothing to salvage in my barn, tack room and feed room. The damage was incredible. Years of equipment vaporized.
Thanks to many generous benefactors, we were able to meet our immediate needs and slowly start to replace some of what was lost. Looking on the bright side, we did have a lot of stuff that, while fully functional, we had wanted to replace - like those great blankets that keep going and going and going..... (but were really ugly LOL). However, after over 30 years as a professional I had built up my training equipment with top quality items - my selection of Herm Springer, Nue Schule and other top quality bits - gone. Of the clippers and blades, pads for every occasion or need, Championship coolers and all the ribbons, all the leather goods like reins and bridles, nothing was left.
Now we start a new phase in a new location.