Chance of freedom for wild horses found wandering Sahuarita neighborhood

SAHUARITA, AZ (KOLD) – Four wild horses roaming in a neighborhood south of Tucson are getting a new home. The Arizona Department of Agriculture captured the stallions in the subdivision Rancho Resort in Sahuarita.

For months the unexpected guests would come and enjoy the green grass and shade.  Now that they're gone, residents say they will be missed

"The dog would stand up and watch the horses and bark at them," says Carl Lafferty.

He only has pictures now to prove the creatures really did roam free in his neighborhood.

"I think there were more people who wanted them to stay out here," he says.But concerns over hygiene and the horses' safety prompted Arizona's Department of Agriculture to step in and round up the pack last week.

This weekend they are being transported to Aravaipa Canyon north of Oracle to a 3,200 acre ranch.

"The rancher that agreed to take them wants them to just be running free," explains Livestock Officer Rudy Aceveda.

The four stallions may be nervous but their new home will be better than a community center he says.

"It's the best thing that could have happened to these horses because they are not going to be in a location where they are going to get hit by car".

The move is being coordinated by Equine Voices Rescue and Sanctuary.Finding a home for wild horses is challenging.

Karen Pomroy says they're hard to train and they require a lot of space.

"These horses are used to being free and free roaming and the fact that the opportunity came that they can have that back I think is the best option," she says.

It's a happy ending for the animals, although residents in Rancho Resort say the neighborhood won't be as interesting without them.

"Definitely we already miss them," says Lafferty.

One more horse is still roaming in the community. The Department of Agriculture is hoping to catch him and reunite him with the others.

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