Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jan 1, 2013 at 4:21 pm

Horse droppings may be a clue to the route. From my experience (very little) of horses on streets, it is unlikely that 4 horses would leave no droppings while wandering down a street, grazing fresh grass, or doing whatever horses may be doing on a roadway.

Posted by Nayeli, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jan 2, 2013 at 9:32 am

I hope that the two drivers are okay. I know that it can be difficult to know that you hit and killed an animal. Several years ago, my husband back up and killed a stray cat while attending grad school. It happened shortly after we were married. He had a very difficult time sleeping after the experience.

I also feel for the owners of the horses too. It must be difficult losing them (regardless of the circumstances).

Posted by Nayeli, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jan 2, 2013 at 9:33 am

* While my husband was attending grad school -- not the cat.

:-p

Posted by HaHa, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Jan 2, 2013 at 11:20 am

Nayeli -- Yes, in this town of high achievers it is important to be clear on who, precisely, was attending grad school. :) Thanks for a lighter moment in this sad story.

Posted by Felicity, a resident of Los Altos, on Jan 2, 2013 at 2:53 pm

I guess the clues on the route were obliterated by other hoof prints and horse scat so those cannot be used as clues (though I would have though that initially the fresh hoof prints would have made it easy). I find it interesting that it is the wild mustang that survived. Probably coincidental though he probably led the way and the whacked out thoroughbreds were deer in the headlights (they frequently have trouble in the great outdoors as they are generally 'ring horses). The quarter horse would have survived if he had remembered to run with traffic, not against it. Yes, I love horses and used to ride a whacked out thoroughbred.

Posted by heidim, a resident of Los Altos Hills, on Jan 2, 2013 at 7:44 pm

Seriously??? Whacked out Throughbreds? Made that way by people . .the same people that profess to love horses . . . .what a tragedy.

Posted by DDee, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Jan 2, 2013 at 11:47 pm

Anywhere but Palo Alto, this chain of evidence would lead us to suspect that we might have some horse wranglers afoot and a-thieven in the area.

Horses going up toward the sound of traffic and away from food... unlikely. More likely that a truck was waiting up there and they got spooked off by the arrival of other vehicles or something.

Word to the other people with horses along the road, padlock your pastures until it is cleared up.