Feral Horses Rescued From Lake Powell Beach By National Park Service

Two feral horses, a mare and a foal that had been stranded by rising waters on a Lake Powell beach in Navajo Canyon since early June, have been rescued by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area crews.

The horses had been receiving hay from NRA crews since June 7. The park contacted a veterinarian to assess the horses' condition. It was concluded that the two horses were trapped on the beach due to rising lake waters and they had no way to escape on their own.

It's possible that the mare had given birth on the beach and that the two had a limited food supply that eventually ran out as Lake Powell water levels continued rising. Horses are great swimmers, but for unknown reasons, the mare stayed on the beach until she was too weak to make the quarter-mile swim with a newborn, a park release said.

The horses were not in danger of being inundated by the rising lake levels. They had access to the Lake Powell water and National Park Service staff fed the horses hay while a plan was developed to safely remove them. Normally, the park does not interfere with natural wildlife or feral animal issues, but this beach is a very popular camp and recreation spot for boaters so there was a safety concern to the public.

Several factors aligned to make the rescue possible, including the proximity to a marina and the availability of a Park Service vessel that could accommodate a horse trailer. The most important contributions to the rescue efforts were made thanks to the generosity of the Kanab Veterinary Hospital and Best Friends Animal Society’s Sanctuary in Kanab.

The team was successful in sedating the mare and getting both horses safely into a horse trailer on the boat, and they were transported to Kanab. “Mom and baby are now eating, resting and safe at Best Friends,” said Jen Reid, manager of Horse Haven at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. “We were thrilled to be part of this incredible rescue and look forward to helping these horses find a great home when they’re ready.”