04/06/2026
On April 5, 2026, at 11 a.m., Mers received a call about a 31 year old horse in Lonedell Mo., that was cast in her stall with her head in a very awkward position. A team of 10 members converged on the scene and two members applied handcuff straps and rolled the horse from the wall. Two members applied the protective head gear to the horse, named Lucky. The team loaded all necessary equipment onto the polaris and moved it closer to the staging area. The team then applied a rear assist strap and another strap just behind her front legs and pulled her to a safer position and then rolled her onto the glide. The veterinarian on scene gave her an injection to relax her and approved moving her. The team pulled her from the stall to a lean-to area. Lucky attempted to get up but was very unsteady and fell to the ground. We pulled her to a safe location away from a wooden fence and began to assemble the A-frame. The A-frame was assembled and anchored in several locations. Lucky was then put back onto the glide and moved under the A-frame. Lifting straps and the spreader bar were attached and the lifting rope was secured to the Polaris winch. All members were in position and Lucky was pulled to her feet. She failed to put weight on all four hooves and after 7 minutes she was lowered to the ground to rest. After resting Lucky was lifted again and the team worked hard to get her to stand on all four hooves. She remained unsteady so we keep her lightly lifted, in case she fell. We moved her forward, backwards and in circles while still attached to the A-frame, in an attempt to get her steadier on her feet. Lucky was given some enticing treats, water and some green grass and she began to regain her strength. After about an hour and a half the veterinarian gave the go ahead to slowly move her into a paddock area. With the team keeping her steady, she slowing walked forward and seemed to be much sturdier on her feet. The straps and head protector were removed and she was turned over to the owner and veterinarian. The team disassembled the A-frame and loaded all equipment onto the Polaris and into the trailer. This team consisted of 4 seasoned members and 6 newer members. The team worked together well and precisely and all seasoned and newer members did a wonderful job. Thanks to everyone for leaving their Easter family shindigs to help out this wonderful horse. The team debriefed and headed back to base. The callout ended at 3:40 p.m. with 20 miles traveled.
