This Is Why You Should Always Wear A Belt and Carry Peppermints...

Keep 'em handy at all times!

In today's Holy Crap! news, a Boston, Massachusetts area train dispatcher went above and beyond her normal duties when she left her post to chase a horse that was galloping near the commuter rail tracks.

Yep, you read that one correctly.  The horse was galloping near the commuter rail tracks.

Train dispatcher Paula Nicholas saw the horse and began chasing it.  Nicholas told a reporter for the Boston.com metrodesk that the horse stopped, and Nicholas was then able to use some peppermints she had in her pocket to catch the mare. She then wound her belt around the equine escapee and escorted the horse off of the tracks.


Luckily, the oncoming saw the commotion and train was able to slow down.  Commuters were only delayed 11 minutes.

Seems Nicholas is used to chasing horses, as she has one of her own.  That would explain the peppermints in her pocket.  Bet she wasn't expecting to have to catch a recalcitrant equine during her day job, though.   The report says the mare in question is none the worse for wear and is waiting in a nearby barn for her owner to come get her.

Nice job, Paula!

Horse Tries to Swim English Channel, Cites Velvet's Mom as Muse...

English horse attempts record setting Channel swim...

Here's one for you from the "Odd News" category:  Off the coast of Sandwich, England a horse was rescued by RNLI lifeboat crews after it had swum more than an 1/2 mile out into the Channel.  The horse had spooked and unseated it's rider in the shallows, and then panicked and swum out into deeper water.

The owner called the lifeboat crews, who were able to attach a line to the horse 's bridle and coax it back to shore. 

With a mastery of understandment only the British can comman, the reporter states, "It's not known if the animal was actually trying to get to France."  Priceless!!!  Perhaps the horse had heard French equines had it better and was heading off to improve his lot in life!

Best quote ever was from one RNLI crew member, "Leading a horse to water is one thing but persuading it to come out again is a completely different issue.”



All's well that ends well!