When a line used to transport water to the troughs at a horse sanctuary in Hugo froze this week, firefighters at the Hugo Fire Department came to the rescue.

This Old Horse Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization devoted to providing support and sanctuary for rescued, retired and special-needs horses. It operates the Phoenix Farm on Elmhurst Avenue in Hugo and 11 others horse sanctuaries in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

After trying unsuccessfully to thaw the line from the well to the barn during the day on Tuesday, when the high temperature never got out of the single digits, Phoenix Farm officials reached out to Hugo Fire Chief Jim Compton Jr. on Tuesday night.

A crew responded with a tanker truck and filled the troughs and every available bucket in the horse barn with an estimated 200 gallons of water, he said.

“They called and asked if it was a service we could help them with,” Compton Jr. said. “They had exhausted all other options including going out and buying a lot of bottled water. As soon as we started filling the first trough, the horses started drinking. They were thirsty.”

There are currently 30 horses living at Phoenix Farm waiting to be adopted out, said Allie Nakasone, the farm’s program coordinator. “It was a very stressful situation for us and for them to just so willingly come out and help, it just was a really beautiful moment. We are so incredibly grateful.”

The main water line remained frozen on Wednesday; the line will have to be dug up and wrapped up in a thermal wrap, Nakasone said. In the meantime, a big stock tank with fresh water was being delivered on Wednesday afternoon.

This is the first year that the line has frozen, Nakasone said. “Usually, the snow on the ground provides insulation, but with just 2 inches of snow on the ground this year, there’s not enough to insulate the ground, so it’s freezing down further.”

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This Old Horse officials said in a Facebook post that the help from the Hugo Fire Department was “unexpected and most welcome.”

“They immediately responded, kindly offering to bring their tanker truck to supply water to fill tanks and buckets to stockpile enough water to keep the herds supplied until the pipes are thawed,” the post states. “They cheerfully and competently cared for us and were delighted by the warm hospitality of our friendly and curious herd of horses. There’s something to be said for experiencing some horse hugs and kisses as part of a day’s work.”

Hugo firefighters were happy to help, Compton Jr. said.

“We’re here to help,” he said. “When somebody doesn’t know who to call, they can call the fire department, and we’ll figure out a solution.”