Dennis Ceremuga and his wife Kate McCabe retired at Piney Ridge Ranch in La Veta about nine years ago. And for eight of those years, their three Tennessee Walking Horses — Tobie, Dancer and Cody — have been a part of their lives.
“We’re getting a little too old to ride them, but they’re like big dogs,” Ceremuga said.
But when they were forced to evacuate their home after the outbreak of the Spring Creek fire, the couple had to leave their three beloved horses behind.
“We couldn’t get the horses loaded, so we turned them loose so they could fend for themselves,” Ceremuga said.
On Wednesday, Ceremuga and McCabe asked if they could search for the horses but they didn’t expect to get the green light. However, they were eventually granted permission and spent the day scouring the roads with a horse rescue team and a friend who had a trailer. The couple was about to give up, when they decided to check back at their house.
The trio of steeds was waiting.
“We were shocked,” Ceremuga said. “The three were standing there like they always do and wanted to get in the corral. We were glad to see them, and they were glad to see us, too, I think because they were tired.”
They took the horses to the veterinarian to get shots for inhalation, and Ceremuga reports that all three animals are healthy and in good shape.
“Now they’re safe in a green pasture at a friend’s house,” he said.
Ceremuga’s house is also still standing, which he said is a testament to firefighters’ hard work.
“It could be better, but it could also be a lot worse,” he said.
Ceremuga, who is an emergency medical technician, said he hopes to get back to work soon.
“Everybody is checking in with us all the time and right now we’re just trying to deal with our own personal matters,” he said, “But tomorrow I’m going to get back to work as an EMT and be there in case we need an ambulance.”