Beatrice5
Well-Known Member
Called in to drop something off for a horse I am helping owners parents look after as owner at uni.
Saw her breakfast uneated and tack in the tack room. Alarm bells rang where was Floss?
Scanned field no sign. Was walking to where one field adjoins another and fence still accross but hear and grunt and saw a flicker of movement. Then in horror realised it was a leg!
Ran to find this aged poor mare upside down truly wedged in a stream partially submurged in freezing cold running water straining to breath. She had half her face out the other half under water clearly been there some time and shaking and distressed. I felt utterly useless I could not get in the ditch and help her at all.
I ran to my car scrabbled to get my mobile my hands shaking like a leaf.
Spoke to the operator and asked for fire brigade. Then called a friend with a tractor who was out for the day but luckily for me phoned around and got a friend to come and stand with me while we waited for the services. While waiting for the friend and the fire brigade I called the big equine hospital and the jumped straight in the car.
The fire brigade took about 20 agonising minutes the vet about 30 mins.
I tried calling her owner but couldn't get through. Friedn ran up to his parents house but no one home. I was desperate but felt useless. She was clearly suffering but all I could do was await help.
The firebrigade called for the specialist rescue team with winches and ropes but they needed something to divert the stream and lift her out.
We needed a farmer with tractor and loader and quick. After a frantic hour calling around I was loosing hope. No-one was answering or if they did they didn't have a bucket attatchment or loader.
The girl who was with me called her OH's boss and although he didn't have the right equipment he knew a man who did. Another half an hour passed and a tractor finally arrived.
Then the had to sedate her, tie her legs, cover her head and lift her out. It was gut wrencing.
She eventually stood shaking like a leaf and was walked to her shelter and I dried her off.
The vet asked me to find her a dry stable and suggested the local livery which made her up a stable without hesitstion.
Her owners father arrived just as the fire crew were leaving.
Once she had stopped shaking we walked her down, washed her cut legs and applied cream.
Know we have to hope and pray she makes the next 48 hours. Colic and pneumonia are the biggest worries but there is so much to watch out for.
I just wish her owner had had the forsight to fence the ditch off. It was an accident waiting to happen and I warn others please please please check and double check your fields for any possible scenarios that your horse could get into.
Saw her breakfast uneated and tack in the tack room. Alarm bells rang where was Floss?
Scanned field no sign. Was walking to where one field adjoins another and fence still accross but hear and grunt and saw a flicker of movement. Then in horror realised it was a leg!
Ran to find this aged poor mare upside down truly wedged in a stream partially submurged in freezing cold running water straining to breath. She had half her face out the other half under water clearly been there some time and shaking and distressed. I felt utterly useless I could not get in the ditch and help her at all.
I ran to my car scrabbled to get my mobile my hands shaking like a leaf.
Spoke to the operator and asked for fire brigade. Then called a friend with a tractor who was out for the day but luckily for me phoned around and got a friend to come and stand with me while we waited for the services. While waiting for the friend and the fire brigade I called the big equine hospital and the jumped straight in the car.
The fire brigade took about 20 agonising minutes the vet about 30 mins.
I tried calling her owner but couldn't get through. Friedn ran up to his parents house but no one home. I was desperate but felt useless. She was clearly suffering but all I could do was await help.
The firebrigade called for the specialist rescue team with winches and ropes but they needed something to divert the stream and lift her out.
We needed a farmer with tractor and loader and quick. After a frantic hour calling around I was loosing hope. No-one was answering or if they did they didn't have a bucket attatchment or loader.
The girl who was with me called her OH's boss and although he didn't have the right equipment he knew a man who did. Another half an hour passed and a tractor finally arrived.
Then the had to sedate her, tie her legs, cover her head and lift her out. It was gut wrencing.
She eventually stood shaking like a leaf and was walked to her shelter and I dried her off.
The vet asked me to find her a dry stable and suggested the local livery which made her up a stable without hesitstion.
Her owners father arrived just as the fire crew were leaving.
Once she had stopped shaking we walked her down, washed her cut legs and applied cream.
Know we have to hope and pray she makes the next 48 hours. Colic and pneumonia are the biggest worries but there is so much to watch out for.
I just wish her owner had had the forsight to fence the ditch off. It was an accident waiting to happen and I warn others please please please check and double check your fields for any possible scenarios that your horse could get into.
