West Newbury firefighters, with help from other first responders and the Essex County Technical Rescue Team, were able to right an 1,800-pound Belgian Draft horse Sunday afternoon at a private home.
Firefighters were dispatched around noon to the 2 Georgetown Road home to help the horse named Summer, achieve an upright position. West Newbury Chief Michael Dwyer said first responders found the horse on the floor of a barn stall in “significant distress.” The initial call reported the horse was in a “casting” position, defined by Kentucky Equine Research staff as “A horse that has lain down too close to a fence or wall and gotten into a position from which he can’t get up…Cast horses sometimes panic and struggle, while others simply lie in the cast position until help arrives.
“I would like to thank our amazing group of West Newbury first responders and the equine community in and around West Newbury for all of their assistance,” Dwyer said. “This operation involved teamwork between multiple agencies and many individuals. Because of that joint effort, Summer was rescued.”
Firefighters worked with specialty equine rescue personnel and the horse’s boarders to get it upright. After 90 minutes, Summer was up and being cared for by emergency veterinarians.
The Amesbury Fire Department and Atlantic Ambulance also joined West Newbury firefighters and others at the scene.