Volunteers comb forest in search of lost horse

Debbie LaPlante barely ate, drank, or slept for the first week Charlz was missing, spending countless hours scouring the familiar trails of Freetown State Forest for her lost horse.

"I was doing it all alone," said LaPlante, of East Freetown. "And I was frantic."

Then word spread. One person told another. Postings were placed on mountain bike and equine bulletin boards, a newspaper story was written, and before long, hundreds of strangers came forward to help search.

Now, almost six weeks after Charlz disappeared in the vast 5,400-acre forest, LaPlante is struggling to maintain hope as the effort to find Charlz draws in even more volunteers.

The good news is that there have been four reported sightings, the most recent last Saturday. That's important, given that when Charlz ran off, he did so with saddle and bridle still on - making him vulnerable to being snagged on a fence or branch, unable to get to food or water or fend off the dangers of the forest.

"I would like that happy ending, for me and all these people who didn't know me from a hole in the wall but came out anyway," LaPlante said. "I hope it wasn't all in vain."

LaPlante and a friend were riding the trails on May 25 when a dangling branch suddenly came down on her, and she fell to the ground. The branch also hit Charlz - whom she had adopted a year and a half ago after he had been abused by a previous owner - and he panicked and bolted.

LaPlante searched for him, to no avail.

Since then, volunteer pilots have cruised the forest, hoping for signs of the brown horse with a black mane and a white blaze on his face. Hikers, bikers, and ATV riders - in pairs and large groups - have made continuous trips through the preserve, and feeding stations with hay and water were put in place.

LaPlante has worked closely with Foxborough native Susan Correia, now of Rochester, N.H., a fellow horsewoman who read about Charlz's plight and helped organize the search. The two, who now say they feel as close as sisters, have yet to meet in person.

Correia works at Liberty Mutual Insurance and said she tries to live the company's theme of "take responsibility."

"When I was a new horse owner, I wouldn't have known what to do, so I knew I had to help her," she said. "I can't be there. But I can work from here."

Correia got pilots up in the air, and helped arrange for the Bristol County Mounted State Police to conduct a training exercise in the forest. Searches have underlined the need for better markings in the preserve, she said.

"This has also been an exercise in getting people from all walks of life to work together for a common goal," Correia said.

"I can only imagine how scared this horse is. There's lots of thunder storms. A lot of ATV activity. And now the July Fourth fireworks are coming up this weekend."

Not to mention, she said, that the fall hunting season is nearing.

Correia and LaPlante have conferred with Kenny Harlow, of Virgina, a noted "horse whisperer." A next step is to find a bloodhound trained to track animals, and to use the recorded calls of familiar horses to try to lure Charlz into a natural three-sided corral.

Some signs are heartening. Manure believed to be Charlz's contained pine needles and berries, significant considering that drastic diet changes from hay and grain to other forage can cause colic in a horse, a leading cause of death.

LaPlante is also riding her mare, Glory, on those same trails, hoping the scent will bring him out.

Volunteers were planning to form a human "grid" this weekend in the area where Charlz was recently seen, in hopes of flushing him out.

It's hard not to think about the mud bogs that sink 8 to 10 inches deep, the risk of coyotes, and other threats, LaPlante admitted. But she is focusing on the best-case scenario.

"Once I find him, I'm going to get him home, bring in the vet, and then throw a huge barbecue in my backyard for everyone who has helped me," she said. As for Charlz, she joked: "I've got to change his name to Houdini."

Anyone with information is urged to call LaPlante at 774-634-9272.

Michele Morgan Bolton can be reached at mmbolton1@verizon.net.