GA breeders - are you okay?

[DownYonder]

Just wondering how everyone is doing with all the rain and flooding. There have been reports of horses swept away in flood waters, some recovered, some dead, some still missing. :cry:

[graystonefarm]

Oh, dear God!

Many jingles for all in distress!

[JB]

There are several threads in Horse Care and H/J about those guys - check there.

[DownYonder]

I am specifically hoping to hear from area breeders. Many breeders tend to stick to the breeding forum and don't frequent too many others.

[DownYonder]

There is video here of a horse that got caught up in flood waters.

http://my.wsbtv.com/_Horse-seeks-dry-land-after-lake-over-flowed-causing-a-flood/video/792138/6690.html

Also many photos at http://www.wsbtv.com/index.html of the flood problems around GA.

A friend that backs up to the swamp in Alpharetta says her backyard had disappeared yesterday under water from the swamp. It was all the way up to the stone wall just behind her house. Barns are dry, but pastures are saturated, they cannot turn out and the mosquito population has exploded. She also had a tremendous amount of damage done to her driveway. She had just put down $10,000 worth of pea gravel and lost a lot of it during yesterday's deluge - seems that her neighbors across the street had not properly graded their driveway for drainage and a massive runoff down their driveway went right across the street and down my friend's driveway, washing her gravel into her pastures. Minor problems, though, compared to what some people are dealing with.

[flyinghorse]

I am in South Carolina, 3 hours or so from Atlanta, and can accomodate up to eight horses, or so, if anyone is in need. I have six stalls with paddocks, and one small two acre paddock. I am full for boarding, but can help those out in need...reasonable...I am not looking to make $$, just help out, short term only.

[Fairview Horse Center]

My orphan baby Freckles lives with his owner in Alpharetta. Hope everyone is ok. :(

[RyTimMick]

Fairview, I hope your foal is okay too. As long as the Sponge Bob Square pants umbrella doesn't try to get him I am sure he will be okay.

Tim:lol:

[DownYonder]

Fairview, where in Alpharetta is Freckles? Some Alpharetta barns had to evacuate to Wills Park and other facilities. Birmingham Road is closed between Henderson Road and Freemanville Road. Two small bridges that go over what are usually TINY streams are in danger of collapsing and must be repaired. They are allowing local traffic to get by on the high side from Birmingham Hwy, but are otherwise detouring folks. This may affect people coming in for the Debbie McDonald clinic this weekend at Shannondale. Follow detour signs and you will be okay.

Leslie Olsen's farm in NW Atlanta suburbs had several horses swept away. One was found alive, one was found dead in the creek, and one is still missing. To make this breeder related - Leslie used to own the Hanoverian stallion Gixibar. Story and some photos are here. http://www.douglascountysentinel.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Horse+stable+suffers+major+damage-+loses+at+least+one+horse%20&id=3686149-Horse+stable+suffers+major+damage-+loses+at+least+one+horse&instance=west_ga_news


The damage around north Georgia is unbelievable. As are the photos and videos - reminds me of Katrina pictures.

Edited to add that I believe that Hickory Flat Road is also closed in places, particularly near Hunters Glen, who also had to evacuate. I am sure there are a lot of roads all over the area that are closed or down to one lane due to bridge damage over the many small feeder streams here.

[TwoDreamRides]

I'm up in Canada right now, visiting and checking in on our babies. Coincidentally the place is the Rainy River District, and I have yet to see rain. I left on Friday, before flooding was a problem. I haven't heard any updates from our barn owner, so I'm assuming the barn is fine. Although, the pastures are on flood plain by a creek and others by a lake .. my guess is those are goners. My parents just got back from England yesterday, so my mom is going to try to get out to check on my two boys. They're on Birmingham Hwy and I'm kind of wondering if she'll even be able to get there, considering we come from Norcross and use either Freemanville,, Birmingham Rd, or Wills Rd to get there .. and I've heard all are closed at some point or another.

Hoping for a good update from her saying that they're both tucked in tight and dry =]

[Fairview Horse Center]

Fairview, where in Alpharetta is Freckles? .

Hopewell Rd., so about 2 miles south of that closed road

I also have friends with horses about 10 miles north of there.

Scary

[DownYonder]

I'm up in Canada right now, visiting and checking in on our babies. Coincidentally the place is the Rainy River District, and I have yet to see rain. I left on Friday, before flooding was a problem. I haven't heard any updates from our barn owner, so I'm assuming the barn is fine. Although, the pastures are on flood plain by a creek and others by a lake .. my guess is those are goners. My parents just got back from England yesterday, so my mom is going to try to get out to check on my two boys. They're on Birmingham Hwy and I'm kind of wondering if she'll even be able to get there, considering we come from Norcross and use either Freemanville,, Birmingham Rd, or Wills Rd to get there .. and I've heard all are closed at some point or another.

Hoping for a good update from her saying that they're both tucked in tight and dry =]

Where on Birmingham Hwy are they? It is a long road, with lots of farms, etc. Some of the side roads may be closed due to bridge washouts, but if they are right on Birmingham Hwy, I would think she would be able to get there by following any detour signs.

[DownYonder]

Hopewell Rd., so about 2 miles south of that closed road

I also have friends with horses about 10 miles north of there.

Scary

I travel Hopewell daily. That is my regular stomping ground. It's a fairly long road. Is Freckles north of the intersection with Francis/Coggins Road? The portion south of there goes through a watershed conservation district. I haven't been down that way since the flooding, but may try to do some recon today. There is a very toney neighborhood in that area, with multimillion dollar homes - some of which was built on floodplain. I wonder how they fared.

[Summit Springs Farm]

I live in Alpharetta, and about 5-6 barns, about 100 horses had to be evacuated to Wills park and I hear GIHP is full, though I can't believe full, they have 400 stalls.

We went over to help at Wills yesterday and school was out due to the flooding and lots of girls were there helping too, I actually think the horses were enjoying all the attention and carrots we all giving.

Most of the girls are IEA participates and were working really hard, good job girls.

As far as Birmingham rd,( the bad part) I will be on it later today and can report back. Thanks for the concern from all:)

PS my barn was fine and my horses have been hand walked until today and now they are enjoying beautiful day out in the still little wet pastures.

[Fairview Horse Center]

Is Freckles north of the intersection with Francis/Coggins Road? The portion south of there goes through a watershed conservation district.

About a mile south, :( He is just south of Double Creek Lane.

[DownYonder]

Update - I just took a jaunt down Birmingham Hwy and it is closed just north of Bream Road / New Bullpen Road. I talked to a DOT guy there and he said the ground beneath the road has washed away and the asphalt is on the verge of caving in. He does not know at this time how long it will be closed - said they are still discussing who will pay for the repair - Fulton DOT, state DOT, or city of Milton. It is possible they will start repair work as early as Monday, but he believes it will be closed for at least a week, maybe longer. This will be a huge problem for people that normally travel that way to work in Alpharetta/Roswell, etc., also for people that bring horses up and down the road to and from Wills Park, etc.

[DownYonder]

About a mile south, :( He is just south of Double Creek Lane.

Is he at Yellow House or in that area? I haven't been down on that end of Hopewell since the flooding.

[DownYonder]

I live in Alpharetta, and about 5-6 barns, about 100 horses had to be evacuated to Wills park and I hear GIHP is full, though I can't believe full, they have 400 stalls.

We went over to help at Wills yesterday and school was out due to the flooding and lots of girls were there helping too, I actually think the horses were enjoying all the attention and carrots we all giving.

Most of the girls are IEA participates and were working really hard, good job girls.

As far as Birmingham rd,( the bad part) I will be on it later today and can report back. Thanks for the concern from all:)

PS my barn was fine and my horses have been hand walked until today and now they are enjoying beautiful day out in the still little wet pastures.

GIHP could be full. They just had a huge Saddlebred show there and some of those horses may not have been able to go home yet. There is a big H/J show there this weekend, and the ISR/ONA inspection is also there on Sunday. Even if some stalls are empty now, they may not want to fill them up with evacuated horses because they will need them for the scheduled events this weekend.

Glad you are okay, Summit. Where in Alpharetta/Milton are you located?

[Fairview Horse Center]

Is he at Yellow House or in that area? I haven't been down on that end of Hopewell since the flooding.

I am not familiar with the area, so not sure.

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

I just posted this in the off-course thread.

Here is another article. Those poor yearlings that drowned. :cry:

At least three horses killed in Georgia flooding
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/22/georgia.flood.horses/index.html

Story Highlights
* Georgia couple put their 13 horses were in barns or on high ground before flooding
* Couple scrambled to move some horses as barn flooded early Monday
* By daylight, other horses in neck-deep water; family helped two swim away
* Three horses later found dead; three others unaccounted for

Picture of their ranch where 3 horses died in flood waters.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/US/09/22/georgia.flood.horses/art.flood.horses.jpg

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- At least three horses -- two yearlings and a mare -- were among the victims of the flood that inundated much of Georgia Monday.

Jerrie Self said she called her parents, Ed and Nancy Wellham, on Sunday night to warn them to prepare their 13 horses housed in two barns and pastures on their 60-acre ranch in Powder Springs, Georgia, half an hour northwest of Atlanta.

"I told them, 'You might want to start getting your stuff out of the barns; I think it's going to get bad," the 40-year-old construction finance manager told CNN in a telephone interview.

"They had no idea how fast it was gonna come."

On Sunday night, Self's parents, Ed, 60, and Nancy, 59, made sure the horses were in the barns or on high ground and then went to sleep, she said.

At 3 a.m. Monday, the storm awakened their son-in-law, who lives in an apartment in one of the barns. After he opened the door and 3 feet of water flooded into the apartment, he called the Wellhams and told them the horses needed to be moved.

The family scrambled, putting two horses into a trailer and hauling it to the house, then leading several show horses onto high ground behind the house, Self said.

The other horses remained on two acres of unflooded pasture near Sweetwater Creek, and the family went back to the house, she said.

"They thought they'd be fine till daylight," she said.

But when they looked out again when it was light, the horses were in neck-deep water trying to swim to safety, Self said.

A neighbor said the creek had risen at the rate of 1 foot every 20 minutes.

"We all got here and we swam out the ones that could swim out," she said.

Though they got two horses out that way, "we thought all five babies and three mares were lost," she said.

That turned out not to be the case. At noon Monday, they found that two of the mares had swum through the woods and made it to high ground.

But they found the dead body of one of the mares and two yearlings floating in the water, and three other yearlings are unaccounted for, she said.

The Wellhams, who moved to the area in the early 1980s, use their land to grow and sell hay and breed horses. Ed Wellham also owns a car-repair shop.

"My dad has lots of equipment: tractors, hay balers," Self said. "Until the water goes down, we don't know what's salvageable and what isn't."

She said her parents had tried to buy flood insurance years ago, but were denied, since their land is on a flood plain.

Self said her grandmother's home, which is also on the property, flooded so much that it is a total loss.

[Home Again Farm]

I am so very sorry to hear about Leslie Olsen's losses.

Jingling like mad for all concerned!

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

I didn't see the actual video footage, but here are slideshow pics of a girl swimming out 2 horses.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-332090

Jingles to everyone!

[Summit Springs Farm]

GIHP could be full. They just had a huge Saddlebred show there and some of those horses may not have been able to go home yet. There is a big H/J show there this weekend, and the ISR/ONA inspection is also there on Sunday. Even if some stalls are empty now, they may not want to fill them up with evacuated horses because they will need them for the scheduled events this weekend.

Glad you are okay, Summit. Where in Alpharetta/Milton are you located?

We are on Summit Rd between Freemanville and Bethany Rd. Its Brittle rd from Bethany and Summit rd from Freemanville kinda confusing.:)

You are probably right about the GIHP!

[TwoDreamRides]

My mom made it out today and the boys are fine. The pastures are underwater and Preston is lame in the shoulder. He must have slipped, or perhaps he is just stiff from being a big guy in a stall for so long. He was feeling spunky enough that he got away from her for awhile, so that was the end of his jaunt. Timi got a brief lunge. Sounds like the rain is lightening up, so they should be good until I get home.

FWIW, they are at the white barn with green roof ... where the Blue Valley Estates are going in.