REINED IN: Owners found after horses wander Mt. Holly neighborhood

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — Residents in Mount Holly have had some unusual visitors show up on their lawns and front porches recently.

Three horses roamed through the Autumn Ridge neighborhood this week.

[PHOTOS: Horses roam Mt. Holly neighborhood]

Neighbors watched as the horses jockeyed for position to find the best lawn for lunch.

"The owner of the house in front says she looked out and there was this horse looking in her window right on the porch, so it's a little more excitement than usual," said neighbor Nicholas Smith.

The ringleader of the group is named Josie. With her two sidekicks bringing up the rear, the horses trotted down streets and driveways, “cutting” the grass where it was too tall.

Channel 9 learned that Josie and her posse are repeat offenders. Smith said they stirred things up in the quiet neighborhood twice this week.

"This time it looks like the storms did it. It looks like trees took down the fence,” Smith said. “So when they do, they come out here and feast on the grass for a little while."

Neighbors knew they needed to rein in all the unbridled fun, so they hoofed it to Facebook and posted the photos of the horses in order to find the owner.

The animals quickly became Facebook famous and eventually, the owners were roped in and brought the horses home.

The owners told Channel 9 they jailed the horses in a barn for bad behavior. Fortunately for them, the neighbors don't mind the mares, so they're not asking the owners to pony up.

"She apologized. She was like, ‘I'm very sorry for the horses getting out,’” Smith said. “I was like, ‘Hey, they're not hurting anything. I've got to cut the grass anyway, and they're fun to watch.’"

Neighbors said the owners are saddling themselves with the responsibility of making sure their fence is repaired so the horses don't escape again.

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