His owners don’t know where he went or how he ended up back at home, but after nearly a week of wandering, Comet is safe at home.

Comet, a quarter horse, escaped from his Whaleyville barn Monday and on the sixth day of the search effort he was found in a field behind the house by neighbor Gina Roberts.

“We don’t know where he’s been or what he’s been doing, but he finally circled back to the field behind our house, where our neighbors were looking for him,” owner Frances Holland said. “When I got the phone call that they found him, it was just pure happiness. I was just so happy to know he was OK and back.”

Holland said he was little scratched up from breaking out of the barn, but otherwise was in good health.

“He just looked so happy to be home,” Holland said. “You can tell with a horse. His eyes were all bright and happy. He’d been gone for a long time.”

The horse escaped around 4 p.m. on Monday from its barn on Arthur Drive and headed into the forest toward Longstreet Lane, according to Holland.

After two hours of searching through the forest, Holland called animal control and then resumed her efforts the next day with the help of friends and neighbors.

For the past six days, the fields and forest around their farm have been filled with family, friends, neighbors and strangers searching for the horse.

After reading an article in the Suffolk News-Herald, Vickie and Delisha from Dominion Equine Clinic, Kelly from Coastal Equine Clinic, Christina from Oaks Veterinarian Clinic and other then-strangers came out to help with the search and even loaned her a horse to ride while searching, Holland said.

Now that Comet is back in his stable, Holland is finally breathing a sigh of relief.

“Not having him there was like having an empty bed,” Holland said. “It’s just good to see him back and eating with his friends. Once he gets all healed up, he’ll be back out helping me train and doing his job. He loves it.”