On a Sunday afternoon, a horse from Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch needed rescue after falling through the ice on a frozen pond west of Loveland. Loveland Fire Rescue Authority and Berthoud Fire Protection District units responded to Larimer County Road 31D at 1:22 p.m. to find the horse submerged in icy water and unable to climb out.
Ranch staff noticed something was wrong when another horse on the property showed distress, indicating the herd’s concern for each other. The horse spent about 45 minutes submerged before LFRA arrived. Crews used rescue straps to lift the exhausted animal out of the water and onto solid ground, a 15-minute operation due to the horse’s weight and exhaustion.
Afterward, heaters and blankets were used to warm the horse before a veterinarian treated it. This incident marked the second animal rescue in icy water for LFRA this year, highlighting the challenges of such operations compared to other rescues.
LFRA typically handles a few large animal rescues annually, dealing with various situations like horses stuck in fences or cows in ditches. However, ice rescues present additional difficulties due to the manual labor involved, cold temperatures, and hazards. Despite the challenges, crews successfully rescued the horse and provided necessary care.
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