After cutting and hinging the fence post to reposition the cement ball, the rescuers tied a fire hose with a 6,500-pound rating around the horse’s hindquarters. The wide diameter of the hose would keep it from digging into the animal’s body. Spreading the load would prevent torqueing and twisting of the spine.
An eight-person haul team led by rescue specialist Brown righted the horse, and then the group set about removing it from the hole. They covered exposed roots and debris to guard the horse from injury and chiseled away at the embankment to create a ramp intended to help it walk out. But after at least three hours spent upside down, the animal was exhausted; it couldn’t hold its head up and buried its nose into the soft earth. Rescuers positioned broad straps over the horse’s withers and through its front legs and used a mechanical advantage system and plastic, sheet-sized slides to ease it out of the ditch. Once a veterinarian administered a medical cocktail injection, the horse perked up and walked back to the stables. The rescue operation concluded at approximately 10 p.m.
Maxson described the reunion between horse and owner as tearful and emotional. The woman declined to speak to reporters but told Santa Clara County Fire Department representatives the next day that her pet was doing well.
“It was just absolutely amazing that the animal survived given the extent of the entrapment and the duration of the event,” Maxson said. “I attribute it to everyone working hard and working well together.”
I think this is the feel-good story of the day. It especially resonates with our family because our daughter is an equestrienne and a veterinary technician, our son is training to be a firefighter, and we've owned horses.
