Oklahoma Tornado Hurts More than People

I spent a lot of time around horses in my earlier years.  One thing I learned, is when a horse is postured like the one pictured above, they have most likely been through some sort of hell.

Out of all the horrific photos I've seen after the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, this one speaks to me almost as loudly as any.  One horse and one pony, obviously beaten down by the F-5 tornado that hit Monday afternoon.  Beaten down, but still standing.

I saw the picture and thought about people like Doc Barz from Northwest Veterinary and Supply or Rhonda from Ranchers Outlet. I also thought about the mini farm that Sioux Falls south side is growing around and the beautiful horses they have.

Horse lovers must have thought of it first and wondered, 'how many horses' were lost in the storm.

According to the Q Racing Journal:

Among the tremendous damage and loss was the destruction of several horse properties, including the Orr Family Farm and Celestial Acres training center. A large number of horses, believed to be approximately 75-100, have been killed in the storm. According to reports, many of these horses are believed to be American Quarter Horses.

This is one of the saddest moments I've seen out of this whole tornado story.  It reminds me of an old episode of 'The Rifleman' or maybe it was Bonanza where the

barn is on fire and someone is trying desperately to get a horse to leave a stall but it won't because it's in a state of panic.  It's hard to imagine what it must have been to by trying to save your family and co-workers lives knowing that there was nothing you could do for your animals.

Loads of compassionate people are helping with the clean up nationwide.  I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the AQHA and some of their members were helping out as well.  In ways not maybe expected.

Orr Family Farm posted a message to its Facebook page: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of those fellow horseman who have volunteered their services, supplies and acreage. At this time, we are assessing the damage and are reconciling the number of animals lost or injured.

Moore, Oklahoma will be working hard to recover from this storm for a long time.  Obviously a lot of animals will be recovering too.