On February 26, a horse named Misty got stuck in a frozen pond on a farm in Michigan. Misty’s owner, Mary Tegethoff, owns and operates Mary’s Country Critters, a farm where kids can learn and interact with animals.

Initially, Tegethoff attempted to free Misty herself, telling a local news crew, “I went and got a lead rope and tried to get her out, but after about 15 minutes, you realize you’re not going to be able to get her out of there.” Her next step was calling 9-1-1.

Deputy James Kimber, who had spent 12 years on the Allegan County Sheriff’s mounted division, was first on the scene. “She told me she thought [the ice] was about 5 inches thick, and the horse was coming up on her withers, which is about shoulder height on a horse, and she didn’t know how long that the horse had been in there,” Deputy Kimber said in a report. Then he added, “When I first got there and walked to the edge, you could see ripples coming off of her, she was shaking so bad when you were up close. So I knew she was in rough shape.”

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