Two Lancaster horses made a break for it Tuesday afternoon and went running down Peppermint Road, but not before getting corralled by the police in Walden Pond Park.
Lancaster Police received a flurry of 911 calls about the escaped horses, and the photo of the captured “fugitives” being perp-walked back to their horse farm was posted on the police department’s Facebook page, generated a bit of buzz.
Apparently, one of the horses has a history of going on adventures.
“The owner told me that one is an escape artist and likes to bump open the gate for himself,” said Police Officer Brian Firestone, who, along with Officer Chris Keppner and neighbors, helped catch the horses.
It’s unknown if that’s what triggered Tuesday’s adventure, but the two horses were off and running down the center of Peppermint Road, a rural area in the northeastern section of town.
It didn’t take long for townies to spot the two partners in crime – a brown and a white horse, both of which live on Peppermint Road – and before long, 911 dispatchers were bombarded with calls.
The horses managed to travel about half of a mile in what Firestone described as a fairly quiet area.
The posted speed limit in the area was 45 mph.
“Our first concern was accidents,” Firestone said, noting that the park is not far from Walden Avenue. “Our concern was we were very worried they’d run toward Walden.”
The horses went to Walden Pond Park and ended up walking onto a foot path into the back entrance of the park before cutting across a couple of baseball diamonds. Keppner found the two on a baseball diamond.
The white horse was more friendly, and police were able to get a harness and lead on him, but the other one took off.
But the uncooperative one didn’t seem to want to be separated from its buddy, and it eventually came back. It tried to run between Firestone and the other horse. Firestone grabbed hold of the brown horse while holding the white one.
“They seem to be partners,” Firestone said. “We got him then.”
For Firestone, an officer for five years, it was the second time he had to corral horses on the job. A while ago, he had to corral a much larger one on the loose near the Thruway. Firestone said that situation ended well, too.
The most memorable part of Tuesday’s caper was the return trip, Firestone said.
The two horses were walked back down Peppermint Road and returned to their owner, who was not identified.
“It looked like a little parade down Peppermint,” Firestone said. “The neighbors were at the end of their driveways and got a kick out of it.”
email: krobinson@buffnews.com
Lancaster Police received a flurry of 911 calls about the escaped horses, and the photo of the captured “fugitives” being perp-walked back to their horse farm was posted on the police department’s Facebook page, generated a bit of buzz.
Apparently, one of the horses has a history of going on adventures.
“The owner told me that one is an escape artist and likes to bump open the gate for himself,” said Police Officer Brian Firestone, who, along with Officer Chris Keppner and neighbors, helped catch the horses.
It’s unknown if that’s what triggered Tuesday’s adventure, but the two horses were off and running down the center of Peppermint Road, a rural area in the northeastern section of town.
It didn’t take long for townies to spot the two partners in crime – a brown and a white horse, both of which live on Peppermint Road – and before long, 911 dispatchers were bombarded with calls.
The horses managed to travel about half of a mile in what Firestone described as a fairly quiet area.
The posted speed limit in the area was 45 mph.
“Our first concern was accidents,” Firestone said, noting that the park is not far from Walden Avenue. “Our concern was we were very worried they’d run toward Walden.”
The horses went to Walden Pond Park and ended up walking onto a foot path into the back entrance of the park before cutting across a couple of baseball diamonds. Keppner found the two on a baseball diamond.
The white horse was more friendly, and police were able to get a harness and lead on him, but the other one took off.
But the uncooperative one didn’t seem to want to be separated from its buddy, and it eventually came back. It tried to run between Firestone and the other horse. Firestone grabbed hold of the brown horse while holding the white one.
“They seem to be partners,” Firestone said. “We got him then.”
For Firestone, an officer for five years, it was the second time he had to corral horses on the job. A while ago, he had to corral a much larger one on the loose near the Thruway. Firestone said that situation ended well, too.
The most memorable part of Tuesday’s caper was the return trip, Firestone said.
The two horses were walked back down Peppermint Road and returned to their owner, who was not identified.
“It looked like a little parade down Peppermint,” Firestone said. “The neighbors were at the end of their driveways and got a kick out of it.”
email: krobinson@buffnews.com