March 6 (UPI) -- Multiple agencies responded in Michigan's Kent County after 15 horses absconded from a barn and went out for a run, with some of them making their way onto a highway.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office said on social media that deputies "found themselves in an unexpected roundup" Wednesday morning when the horses escaped from a barn at a boarding facility.
"What we're hearing from the owner is that one of the smaller horses got one of the doors open somehow, which let all 15 of them out of this barn and then they just started running from there," Sgt. Scott Dietrich told WZZM-TV.
The sheriff's office said the equines escaped near Wilson Avenue and 76th Street, near Byron Center, and some of them ended up spreading out over several miles of the M6 highway.
Michigan State Police, Kent County Animal Control and members of the community joined in the chase, which lasted for about an hour and a half.
Multiple roads were temporarily closed.
"We want to make sure that those horses are not going to cause an accident, so we're shutting down roadways if needed. We're getting as many deputies out there as we can that are available to try to get these horses off the roadway, and make sure they're out of the public's way," Dietrich said.
The horses were all safely returned to the barn and the roads were reopened.
