Animals run away when burning barn but one horse is still trapped, freezing to death from fear
It was almost 11 a.m. when officers arrived on the scene. A large stable had caught fire and was engulfed in flames. All the animals were outside except for Phoebe, who was still in the cage amid the fire.
“That’s where we found a very scared Phoebe. She was in her stall and didn’t want to go out because the fire was right there,” officer Hanus said.
Technically, the 22-year-old painted horse could have galloped to safety on her own, but she was dumbfounded by fear. Who can blame her? Horses are already very prone to panic, so finding herself in a burning barn put her in total stress.
But fortunately, help came quickly. When the police officers heard that a horse was still inside, they immediately took action and sprinted inside.
“She was definitely scared, um, the police were amazing though. They rushed in right away. I watched the video, and I was in awe. Like, oh my God, thank God they’re here,” says riding instructor Lena Obernesser.
Despite the difficulties they had in getting her to move, the officers refused to leave Phoebe. But the fire was literally meters away, and they were running out of time.
When they realized that pushing alone wouldn’t work, they asked for a rope. In the body shot, you can see one of the officers reaching for the harness. The same person pushes, and the other pulls. But it still doesn’t work. A bunch of hay was burning near the door, so Phoebe remained frozen.
Until they got help from an equestrian instructor that they were able to help Phoebe decide it was time to leave.
Officer Hanus explained: “I don’t know how I did it, just stood behind it and tried to get her on the right track.
When you watch the video, you will be restless. No wonder the short clip went viral, with over a million views.
You can watch the hair-raising rescue below
Featured pictures: YouTube
