1,200-pound horse that fell through barn floor "doing great" after hours-long rescue
IPSWICH - A 1,200-pound horse is "doing great" after falling through a barn floor in Massachusetts and getting stuck in the broken floorboards, prompting a rescue effort that took about four hours.
The 8-year-old Lippizaner gelding was standing in his stall Monday morning in Ipswich when the floor unexpectedly gave way. The horse ended up wedged between two support beams with its legs going through the ceiling of the barn space below the stalls.
The barn owners contacted their local veterinarian, who called the MSPCA at Nevins Farm.
"I have seen horses get themselves into quite silly predicaments, but I've never seen a horse who has fallen through a stall floor before," equine rescue manager Kaycie McCarthy with the MSPCA told WBZ-TV.
Rescue effort took 4 hours, specialized equipment
Working with the Northeast Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team and Ipswich firefighters, rescuers used specialized straps and large animal equipment to free the horse.
"It took about four hours and the help of everyone on the scene, but we were able to get this sweet horse out with no life threatening injuries," McCarthy said.
The horse named Valcour seems to be doing just fine after the "terrifying ordeal." Veterinarians expect the horse to make a full recovery.
Horse is walking normally after falling through floor
"He's doing great," McCarthy said. "I actually called his owner ... and she said he is walking around like nothing even happened."
The barn is believed to have been built in the 1800s and the wood floor may have rotted.
McCarthy said this is a good example of why the MSPCA offers training on horse safety and rescue to first responders and barn owners so they know what to do when emergencies happen.