Horse Breaks Loose in Old Town, Gallops Down Busy Chicago Streets

A horse that escaped from an Old Town stable Thursday morning began galloping down busy Chicago streets before it was captured by a bystander.

The scene, captured on camera, caused several onlookers to do a double take.

“I was riding down Wells Street on my way to work, around 9 a.m., and I just heard the sound of a horse galloping and it took me a second when I realized the horse was running on its own,” said Kathleen King, who took the video. “It was a large horse and it was barreling down the street at a pretty quick speed. I was expecting something horrible to happen.”

The Belgian paint horse, named Forrest Gump, was being transported back to his home farm in Forest Glen when it broke loose of its halter, said Debbie Hay, owner of Antique Coach and Carriage.

“It happened so quickly that everybody was just kind of shocked and didn’t know what to do,” King said.

King said several area business owners ran out of their stores to try to stop the horse, and some bystanders were waving their arms to stop the animal.

“That did not work at all,” she said.

Bill Davidson is seen in the video driving his Mercedes down the street in reverse after the animal.

Forrest ran down Wells Street and onto North Avenue before Davidson corralled him safely and held onto the animal until officials and farm staff arrived, Hay said.

“He’s fine,” she said. “Everything is fine.”
 

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