Conservation officer, RCMP team up to rescue horses running along Highway 97

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Conservation officer, RCMP teamed up to rescue horses running along Highway 97 near Clinton.

A BC conservation officer and the RCMP teamed up to wrangle some wayward horses.

Earlier this week, conservation officer Joel Kline and a youth employment program participant were heading north from Clinton when a call came in over the radio: four horses had escaped from their enclosed corral and were headed northbound on Highway 97 near Chasm Road, between Clinton and 70 Mile House.

Kline asked RCMP if they could use assistance with the four horses that were spotted heading northbound along the highway at a steady trot.

“We turned on the red and blues and slowly followed them, signalling to traffic to slow down, and occasionally we had to herd one of the horses back into single file,” said Kline.

Once the Clinton RCMP member and the horse owners arrived, the four horses, one BCCOS truck, one RCMP cruiser and three assisting pick-up trucks all helped guide the horses home.

“The horses had travelled over three kilometres up the highway by that point, so we began the slow convoy back down the road, herding the group together,” said Kline.

The RCMP cruiser was in front leading the group with lights on to slow and stop northbound traffic as needed. The BCCOS truck followed slowly behind with lights on as well to slow southbound traffic.

“We eventually reached the Chasm Road turnoff and somehow convinced the horses to turn into the side road without incident. I hope the horses knew they were almost home safe,” said Kline.

The conservation officers assisted the owners in wrangling the horses back into their corrals. Eventually someone showed up with a bucket of oats, and things went a lot smoother from there!

“I never know what each day on the job with the COS will bring, but this was a particularly exciting afternoon,” said Kline.