Photo of Flex, by Rosalynn PeschlA horse that bolted from the trail in a remote countryside area of Alberta has been found after a “crazy journey” that saw professional trackers, planes, and emotional support from strangers as far away as Germany, all lend a hand in looking for him.
Flex is a championship endurance horse, and an inseparable companion to Houston Peschl, resident of the small hamlet of Bragg Creek in Station Flats, but no matter how close a bond one has with a horse, when they spook, they spook.
In this case, Flex bolted after suffering a bee sting whilst Houston was saddling him. He ran so fast and so far that Houston lost all sight and sound of his horse’s whereabouts, and a frantic search that stretched across days began.
Houston initially went out with his bike to comb the trails around the West Bragg Creek Day Use trail area, but when no sign of Flex was found, he and his wife enlisted social media to lobby for assistance, with many of their friends coming from the horse community and feeling their distress keenly.
“There’s a saying that ‘a stranger is a friend you just haven’t met yet,’ and I felt that that was just so incredibly true,” said Houston’s wife, Rosalynn Peschl.
“These are friends I haven’t met, even though they’ve been so tremendous and pivotal in this whole crazy journey.”
On Wednesday, the search continued, and by Thursday, professional tracker Terry Grant, who starred in 6 seasons of the Canadian reality television series Mantracker, came into town to help. A cowboy at heart, Grant was also able to sympathize with the Peschl’s plight, and took the day off work to come to Bragg Creek and help.
Grant told CBC News that basically looking for a horse involves looking for the things they need—water, good forage, and shade.
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By Friday morning, the search gained the addition of a small airplane which proved the ultimate difference in locating Flex. The neighbor and pilot spotted a horse with a saddle sitting in a clearing, yawning and chewing, a sign of releasing stress.
“By the time I had the halter on him and knew that he was secure, we both just started crying with relief and joy and all of the emotions that have been bubbling under the surface for the last couple of days,” Mrs. Peschl told CBC about the ordeal.
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Houston had bought Flex 10 years ago after a failed career as a racing horse. He was timid and nervous around people, but Houston forged a bond with the beast that allowed them to win several endurance championships. He describes the horse as his best friend, and one can assume the horse would say the same.
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