COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - As people leave the coastal areas ahead of Hurricane Irene, many are taking their horses. Some horse owners in Horry County are heading to the Midlands to wait out the storm.
Stalls at Equine Park are ready for horses from the coast if needed. 70 stalls out of 290 are already booked, a surprise for the park's management.
"Honestly, it's an aspect of the parks operation that we never really thought about," said President of Promotions Laura Shull.
The park is normally used for events, but this weekend it will become a shelter as Hurricane Irene nears the Carolinas. Shull said she started receiving calls this week from people in Horry county about available stalls, folks already familiar with the park's amenities.
"It just came back to their minds that if we need to go some where this would be a convenient, good safe place for them to come," she said.
RV hookups are available for the owners to stay there too, and the cost is relatively cheap with no time limit. The park is only charging $20 per horse.
"That is just to cover out cost of clearing out the stalls after they've left," Shull said. "We are no way trying to make any money should hard times fall on these people, we just want to do what we can to help them."
"If they need us, we're ready," added Shull. "We're prepared, we hope for their sake that they don't."
Park officials started receiving calls Monday. If you know someone from the coast who's looking for a place to store their horse, call 803-427-4326.
Copyright 2011 WIS. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WISTV, a Raycom Media Station. 