On December 29th, we received a call about a horse named Gus with a previous leg injury that was stuck laying down in the mud and unable to stand. Our Technical Rescue Team responded along with our equipment truck.
Upon arriving on scene, we assessed the situation and devised a rescue plan. Gus was lying in mud and was on a slope. The mud plus the slope worked against his attempts to stand. Additionally, he had a reported injury on his hind leg. The plan was to move Gus to flatter and drier ground and give him a chance at self-rescue. If that failed, we would have the tripod ready to hoist him to his feet.
We got to work setting up the tripod and rigging Gus for his move and potential lift. During this time, the veterinarian, Dr. Butler of Tahoma Equine, arrived on scene as well.
Once the team and Gus were ready, the veterinarian administered some sedation just before the start of the haul. We hauled Gus by hands on a rope onto the large animal glide using rescue straps. We then pulled him up the small muddy slope and out of the pasture. From here, we attached the haul rope to a tractor and the tractor moved the glide with Gus under the tripod. We attached Gus to the Becker bar for the raise and our haul team raised Gus. He was able to stand on his own quickly, maintain his position, and walk a bit. We waited under he seemed steady and certain to stay on his feet before we deconstructed the tripod.
Once Gus was standing on his own power, we packed up all gear, debriefed, and headed home for the evening.
We are glad to have been able to give Gus a lift to his feet. Thanks to all of our volunteer members who helped.
Mule Needing Help Out of Mud