Heavy rains helping to alleviate California’s long-standing drought displaced some horses there last weekend, while flash floods in Nevada, resulting from the runoff of melting mountain snows, forced the rescue of several others.

On Jan. 7, rains began falling near the Pacific Equestrian Center in Wilton, California, where Donna Schiffer boards her horse. Long before local authorities called for the voluntary evacuation of the area, equestrian center operators had already made arrangements to move more than 50 horses out of the water’s way.

“The Cosumnes River was rising and they were worried that there would be overstopping of levee,” said Schiffer. “It had never happened in the seven years I’ve been here, but nobody wanted to take that chance.”

In all, the equestrian center operators evacuated 60 horses to different locations. Schiffer’s horse, along with 21 others, went to an equestrian facility in nearby Rancho Murieta