Clydedale horses are among the most stunning creatures on the planet. You can see these big, strong horses working in fields, marching in parades, and even in ads for Budweiser.
However, a few years back, a herd of Clydesdale horses almost died after being trapped in a barn fire, but were saved owing to the fast thinking of one juvenile hero.
Lightning hit Classic City Clydesdales, a horse farm near Bishop, Georgia, around 2 a.m. in 2016. “It rocked the entire home,” Shannon Martin, the owner, told WKYC. “I’m in bed in one minute.” The next thing I know, I’m standing next to the bed, trying to figure out where the bomb went off. ”
It not only woke the family up in the middle of the night, but it also almost created a tragic disaster: the lightning started a barn fire, trapping their 14 Clydesdale horses—including a 3-week-old foal—inside.
The fire was rapidly growing, and the family needed to act quickly. Sadly, the barn doors were locked. They didn’t have time to look for the key, and the electricity had gone out.
However, an unusual hero rescued the day in an unexpected way: the owners’ 16-year-old son, Macon, who drove their John Deere Gator utility vehicle directly through the entrance.
“I simply dashed out.” “I didn’t have any clothing, shoes, or anything on,” Macon told WKYC. “I simply got in our Gator and raced straight through the door.”
It was an impromptu, spur-of-the-moment plot, like something out of an action movie – yet it succeeded. He slammed the door open, letting them get the Clydesdales out of there before the fire killed them.
“He came in like Rambo and opened up the end of the stalls and said, ‘Mom, this way,'” Shannon said. “And in that manner, we were able to force the horses out.”
Unfortunately, they were unable to save the farm itself, which apparently burned down. The family said that they would have to “start again” and restore their farm “brick by brick.”
The essential thing, of course, was that the horses survived. The owners said that their Clydesdales will be participating in parades and other activities. They also said that one of their horses, Phoebe, was expecting a foal shortly.
A whole slew of lovely horses, all safe and healthy due to this quick-thinking adolescent.
Family is praising quick thinking 16 y.o. aftr lightning strikes Oconee Co barn. All 50 Clydesdales rescued @fox5atl pic.twitter.com/x4uTAZjhVA
— Portia Bruner (@PortiaFOX5) February 24, 2016
Thank you, Macon, for rescuing these lovely horses! Like his mother stated, it seemed like something out of an action movie, yet it rescued these Clydesdales just in time!
