Equestrians race to save horses abandoned in Ukraine warzones

Mykhailo Parkhomchuk, founder of the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation, pets a horse in a makeshift stable, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Lviv region, Ukraine, April 1, 2022. REUTERS/Joseph Campbell

LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - When bombs began to fall as Russian forces poured into Ukraine in late February, thousands of people fled for safety, leaving their homes and property behind.

Those who could often took beloved pets with them. It wasn't so easy for horse owners, though, who faced the agonising decision to leave their animals behind.