The Question of Equine Rescue by Susan Dawson-Cook
If you or your hiking companion breaks a leg during a hike on the trail, a call to 9-1-1 will yield a medical rescue. But what do you do if you are on horseback and your horse takes a tumble?
Mark Flint, a segment steward for the Arizona Trail Association was confronted with this issue during a February mountain biking excursion in the Tucson Mountains. On the trail, he encountered two horseback riders in distress. A horse had lost its footing, fallen into a ravine, was unable to get enough traction to free her hind leg, caught on a rocky ledge. Fortunately, the rider had been able to dismount as the horse went down.
In an effort to assist them, Flint first called 911. The operator connected him to the Drexel Heights Fire Department. They didn't respond to that type of call, so they gave him a toll free number to dial, which offered a recording saying he wasn't authorized to call the number. Flint next contacted Steve Anderson, principal planner with the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department, who contacted an animal services officer from the Arizona Department of Agriculture via cell phone while the horse's owner called a veterinarian.
The mare continued to struggle unsuccessfully to right herself. With the help of some mountain bikers and hikers, and under the guidance of the animal services officer, they were able to get the mare to a sitting position, but she was unable to stand.
A veterinarian arrived, and administered IV fluids. By 10 p.m.¨Cthe mare had fallen before noon¨Cit was clear she wasn't going to get stronger, and the horse was put down. Could she have lived had a quick response team been standing by? There is no way to know for sure, but the hours of struggling before help arrived likely weakened her irreversibly. Considering the number of equestrians in the Tucson area, similar tragedies may be just around the corner.
The April 2005 edition of Equus magazine describes programs in various states across the country, including Kentucky , South Carolina and California , where trained veterinarians have teamed up with emergency responders to rescue horses in various predicaments. Veterinarians play a key roll in safety during rescue operations, since horses should always be sedated before they are moved.
Organizations such as the Veterinary Emergency Response Team (VERT) at UC-Davis and the Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue are reputed to provide large-animal rescue training and assistance for firefighters and other professionals.
Perhaps groups like these could train interested professionals in Tucson so a viable equine rescue plan could be established. Initiating such a program will require support from local veterinarians, firefighters and other professionals, which will require dedication of time and effort. We urge PTA members interested in forming a committee, with connections with the fire department or a veterinarian, to send an e-mail to editor@pta.org. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
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