In one week, a new horse farm moved onto Hilton Head and evacuated right back out

Chelsea Groggins had only been on her new farm for one day when Beaufort County was handed a mandatory evacuation.

As a Roanoke, Va., native, she was a relative newcomer to hurricane warnings, to Hilton Head Island, to the 35-year-old horse boarding facility at 200 Jonesville Road that she planned to call Palm Paddock, but which neighbors still called Sandy Creek Stables.

Groggins had just barely unloaded her two horses and welcomed her clients’ eight others when, with Hurricane Matthew baring down, she began making plans to ship them off again.

Not exactly good timing.

“I thought Hilton Head never gets hit with hurricanes. That’s part of the reason I moved here!” the 34-year-old said on Thursday. “We’ve had a lot of Murphy’s Law.”

It’s hard to argue that, as the old adage says, anything that could go wrong was going wrong. But with her evacuation in full swing — six horses were relocated Wednesday — Groggins was quick to note that plenty was going right.

“I think it’s been balanced by how amazing the people have been,” she said. “The amazing level of kindness of the people has been overwhelming.”

From the kids from The Paddocks on Jarvis Creek who came to help her water the horses to the woman who handed over the keys to her house — “Just in case I decided to stay” — Groggins felt the pull of her new community.

“These people don’t know me,” she said. “I come in and take over this property they have a lot of emotional attachment to and they have been so supportive.”

Still, the process was far from smooth.

First, she had to secure spots for all the horses in Camden, Greenville and Atlanta and Augusta, Ga., and get them there safely. A car that cut her off at the intersection of U.S. 278 and Spanish Wells Road on Wednesday nearly caused her to wreck, and sent the horses tumbling to the front of their trailer, Groggins said.

They weren’t hurt, but probably appreciated the drive no more than other evacuees.

Four others remained at Palm Paddock on Thursday: Two belonging to a client, and two of Groggins’ own charges, Signal the 11-year-old Trakehner and Radish the pony with the Napoleon complex.

The animals, including her other pets, were a source of comfort during her evacuation preparations. Her motley crew of dogs roamed the yard behind the stables on Thursday morning while Groggins rationed out horse feed and other supplies.

It turns out, packing a horse for shelter is a lot like packing anyone else.

They each need their own hay and food, portioned for each day, and supplements, like garlic or aloe vera. They even documents that prove they’re healthy and safe to be board with other horses.

The barn needed battening down as well. Groggins moved all her equipment inside, lifted as much as she could off the ground, and lined the entrances with sand bags.

She hoped to evacuate Thursday night. And to return less a newcomer than a neighbor.

“Welcome to Hilton Head,” she said.

This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 4:48 PM with the headline "In one week, a new horse farm moved onto Hilton Head and evacuated right back out."