It’s that time of year again when stories of our beloved horses and ponies falling through ice make the headlines. For one lucky horse in Clayton, Wisconsin, its human rescuers devised a clever scheme to keep it alive and well after its ordeal.
Posting on its Facebook page, the Town of Clayton Fire Rescue showed its ingenuity during the rescue.
The 13-year-old named Chief was one of a gang of six horses who broke out of a paddock, according to his owner, Melinda Bosmans. The horse fell through the ice of a pond and although he eventually managed to extricate himself and was returned to the stable by barn staff, he was freezing cold and wet, which can quickly lead to dangerous hypothermia. The quick-thinking fire rescue team arrived and jumped into action with a novel plan.
“Over the weekend we were called for a report of a horse through the ice. Thanks to the quick action of the facility staff, the horse was safely in the barn by the time CFR arrived on scene. We were able to use the heater that we carry on Engine 143 to send some warm air under the horse’s blanket, to help dry and rewarm him. The original purpose of that heater/fan is to provide warm air to patients during extended vehicle crashes in the cold, and to provide fresh air during confined space calls. When we bought it, “horse-warmer” wasn’t on the list of things we thought it’d be used for, but it worked great!”
The images say it all really — a horse that is loved and cared for by people who ensure it can make a full recovery.
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