The owner of a horse who became stuck over a stable door after she tried to jump out has praised the firefighters and vet who came to the rescue.
Samantha Graham told H&H she had brought her four-year-old cob Gemini in from the field first on 21 January.
Because her dam Bonnie was “acting up”, it took Samantha some 10 minutes to catch her, in which time Gemini had staged her bid for freedom.
“I walked in, and immediately thought: ‘Oh god, what’s she done?’” Samantha said. “I thought she was going to break her legs.”
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
The door was small enough, Samantha explained, that Gemini was able to touch the ground with all four legs, although she was stuck fast.
“She was just standing there,” Samantha said. “She must have tried to jump it, then thought she couldn’t get her back legs over. The door had dropped a fraction but it was really digging into her. She was so good to stay calm.”
Shropshire Fire and Rescue crews arrived on the scene, along with Samatha’s vet Max Schuster, of Severn Edge Equine, who had seen Gemini less than an hour earlier for her annual vaccination.
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“The horse was a bit fractious being in a stable on her own as she is usually kept with her mother,” Mr Schuster told H&H. “As I got back to the clinic a call came in to say she had tried to jump over the gate. I was not surprised.
“On arrival she was stood over her stable door, which fortunately was quite low and she was putting minimal weight through it. Much to my surprise she was as calm as I’d seen her. If anything she was confused as to what the fuss was about.
“Not wanting to risk her having a panic, I sedated her while the three fire engines arrived and unloaded.
“There were long discussions as to the best way to get her out of her predicament. In the end they asked for my thoughts and used some quieter machinery to cut through the bars. She was incredibly well-behaved throughout and once the final cut was made I was able to take the door out from under her and walk her off.
“There were absolutely no damage or trauma to Gemini and once back in her field with the sedation wearing off it was like nothing had happened.”
Samantha confirmed Gemini was “a bit sore” but unhurt.
“I think it was just her pride that was hurt; I can’t believe it,” she said.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
