North Shore Horses On The Loose On Route 1 Thursday

TOPSFIELD, MA — Anyone who thought they saw three horses rambling down Route 1 in Topsfield early Thursday morning might not have been seeing things after all.

The Topsfield Fire Department said the three horses were found along the busy road Thursday morning after apparently breaking free from their usual overnight accommodations. They were taken to a safe place with the help of fire officials, police and "the hospitality of a helpful resident."

After putting out a public call for the horses' owner, Topsfield fire reported about 10 a.m. that the horses were "safe and sound and back at home."

"Thanks everyone who helped out!" the department said.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)