Flood-Affected Horse Owners Face Long Road to Recovery

As flood waters in Colorado begin to recede, affected horse owners are facing new challenges.
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As flood waters in Colorado begin to recede, affected horse owners are facing new challenges on their road to recovery.

Nick Striegel, DVM, assistant state veterinarian at the Colorado Department of Agriculture, told The Horse Sept. 19 that the department doesn’t yet know just how many horses were affected by the flooding that killed six people. "It’s just too early to have any type of figures," he said. "We just don’t know."

And while equine evacuations at the state level have been minimal, he said, local evacuations have been taking place with horse owners, farmers, ranchers, and other volunteers helping those in need. "That’s happened a lot," Striegel said.

In some areas, like the flatlands and plains in the northeast quarter of the state, Striegel said flooding of the South Platte River and its tributaries forced owners to bring their horses to county fairgrounds, which served as shelters. At one time, several counties—including Weld, Larimer, Adams, and Douglas—had horses sheltered at fairgrounds. Now, Striegel said, only two main shelters remain

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Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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