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Horse rescued after falling through floor of Ipswich stable
"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."
A floor at a stable in Ipswich turned out to be not quite as sturdy as its name implied this week, after a horse reportedly fell through it and required emergency assistance.
The 8-year-old Lippizzaner gelding is now safe and recovering from the incident, which required the help of both first responders in Ipswich and a specialized team from the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen, according to an emailed statement from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“The horse — named Valcour — was standing comfortably in his stall (Monday) morning at his home in Ipswich when the floor below him shattered, causing him to partially fall through and get stuck in the broken floorboards,” the MSPCA noted.
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“The owners reached out to their local vet [SRH Veterinary Services] after it happened,” said Kaycie McCarthy, equine and farm animal outreach and rescue manager at Nevins Farm. “The doctor knew immediately that they needed more help — and special equipment — to free poor Valcour, so they called us.”
McCarthy and Roger Lauze, Nevins Farm equine rescue training manager, arrived at the scene with specialized large animal rescue equipment.
The horse’s entire hind quarter had gone through a hole in the floor of its stall and was suspended above the stable’s lower level, an Ipswich Fire Department release noted.
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Officials sedated the 1,200-pound horse amid the rescue efforts for the safety of both the animal and the officials at the scene, the fire department added.
“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.
Veterinary personnel expect Valcour to make a full recovery after any follow-up care, the MSPCA noted. The horse’s owners reported that he was walking normally as of Tuesday.
“We aren’t sure how this happened,” McCarthy said. “There was empty space in the barn below the stall, so it’s possible that the wood rotted, and that’s why the floor broke, but the important thing is that the horse is safe.”
Ipswich police and fire officials and the Northeast Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team assisted at the scene.
“We work hard to train first responders on how to handle these kinds of emergencies, and they know they can call us when something comes up that they aren’t able to handle,” McCarthy added. “But this is also a good example of why it’s important that everyone with pets — including horses — knows what to do when emergencies happen.”
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