An 11-year-old horse that fell into an unmarked well escaped with minimal injuries thanks to an innovative rescue effort.
Daisy fell into the covered hole, which was over five metres deep, Wednesday on a farm near Martensville, according to her owner, Russ Thiessen. The 1,700-pound horse was only able to escape after a tow truck was called to lift her out.
Thiessen said it was his wife’s idea to call a tow truck.
“She said, ‘We’ve got to find something to get her out of the well,’” Thiessen recalled. “Just an ordinary tractor from the loader wouldn’t do it.”
He estimates Daisy was stuck for up to four hours before she was found.
Towing crews, neighbours and a veterinarian all helped with the rescue. The crew needed three tries to successfully pull the horse from the well.
“She was a lot more calm than I was expecting when I showed up,” said veterinarian Jesse Vargo. “You could tell she had been struggling to try and get herself out.”
Vargo gave Daisy some medication to ease her pain and shock before she was hauled up. The horse hardly kicked and, after she was lowered, just lied on the ground.
She suffered a few bruises and some abrasions on her front legs and above her eye.
She was able to get up on her own and walk around within 20 minutes of the rescue, Thiessen said.
Thiessen had no idea the well was on the property.
“We’ve had horses in that pasture for 10 years and there was absolutely no indication at all that there was an old well,” he said. “Obviously it was in the back of the pasture. It could be 50 years old.”
Daisy was still a little sore Friday. Thiessen said a horse chiropractor will likely visit the property next week to check up on her.
