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Note: This report includes a video of the rescue operation.
Report compiled by Willis Lamm on 6/18/12.
On the morning of June 17th (Father's Day) Mike Connell received a call for assistance with a quarter horse that had collapsed in Tahoe Vista, CA. The horse had returned from participating as part of a drill team in the Reno Rodeo Parade and had collapsed during the night, unable to stand up. Some folks familiar with the horse called him "Hollywood" and he resembled palomino horses from the famous Hollywood blood line. So for the purposes of this information sheet, we'll refer to the horse as "Hollywood."
After being down for so long and being unable to rise, Hollywood had to be extricated and transported to an appropriate large animal veterinary facility or he would have to be euthanized.
Michael cached out the TLAER rescue gear and we responded with Trailer 3. Providing documentation and logistic support were Sharon Lamm and Kaitlin Connell.
We found Hollywood in a wooded back lot being attended to by a veterinarian. A plastic tarp was providing shade and Hollywood's corral had been dismantled to provide egress for the horse. The terrain consisted of a light upward slope to the driveway littered by various size rocks and a couple of tree stumps. While the horse was being secured, people relocated rocks and logs and also spread some hay along the path where the horse had to be dragged to the Rescue Glide.
First look at Hollywood.
The Rescue Glide was positioned as close as was practical and an assist strap was "flossed" under the horse to drag him to the rescue glide. A life jacket was used to protect his down side eye.
"Flossing" the strap. Hay spread to provide an easier slide.
A backhoe was on-hand. Had the horse shown more vitality we might have tried to perform an assisted lift using the backhoe and Becker Sling. However the way this horse presented, such an attempt would have been a waste of valuable time. The backhoe was used to assist in the controlled dragging of the horse, under careful guidance and with the veterinarian managing Hollywood's head.
Sliding Hollywood to the Rescue Glide.
Positioning Hollywood onto the Glide.
Once the horse was secured onto the Rescue Glide, he had to be navigated past rocks and tree stumps to a driveway where he could be loaded into the trailer. A resident donated a camisole to place over Hollywood's head to further protect his eyes.
Applying the camisole.
Setting up the drag.
We still employed the use of the backhoe. In some portions of the drag the backhoe provided the pulling force. In order to change directions and navigate past obstacles, the backhoe was used as an anchor and people on-hand used Prusik cords as handholds attached to the haul line and they very capably adjusted Hollywood's drag path.
Navigating obstacles.
Establishing changes of direction.
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