Weather forces horses to take refuge at Sam Houston Race Park

HOUSTON – About 80 horses are expected to spend the night at Sam Houston Race Park after their owners became concerned about flood waters on ranches and equine facilities in the area.

"We don't really have another place to go," horse owner Rhonda Siemens, of the Cypress area, said.

She remembers what it was like in 2012 when floodwater overtook her farm.

"There were some areas of the farm that were under 20 feet of water," she said.

Yvette Roney, also from the Cypress area, brought nearly a dozen horses to safety after treading through chest-deep water two years ago. She remembers the water being the biggest, but the not only problem.

"We were leading horses out and fire ants created floating islands," she said. "There were also snakes."

Owners supply food to their horses at Sam Houston Race Park but there is no charge for boarding.

"Right now we have all of our stalls available because we don't' have live racing," Jamie Nielsen, Sam Houston Race Park marketing director, said. "We just finished on May 11 so we have several hundred stalls available."

Anyone who needs a safe place to bring horses in danger can call the race park at 281-807-8700.