USRider Equestrian Motor Plan has teamed up with Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) to conduct large animal rescue training for the second consecutive year. The training was initially offered at EKU through two training sessions in March 2005.

The first seminar is reserved for EKU students and will be held March 17-19, 2006. The second seminar, which be held March 21-23, is open to the public and is geared toward fire and EMT responders, veterinarians, and others. Both training sessions will be held at EKU’s Meadowbrook Farm, located in eastern Madison County.

“USRider adopted large animal rescue as our philanthropy when our organization was established in January 2002,” said Mark Cole, managing member of USRider. “At that time, the issue was barely on the radar screen. We found that emergency responders, while trained experts in human rescue and extrication, had no training in large animal rescue. Because of this lack of training, these responders were being put at great risk. Moreover, in many accidents and disasters, animals without life-threatening injuries were being injured further or even killed by use of incorrect rescue techniques.”

Last year, USRider established an endowed fund at EKU to promote large animal rescue efforts and support related training programs, including these training sessions. Working with the university, USRider offered large animal rescue training through EKU’s Fire and Safety Engineering Technology Program. The training was designed to prepare students to handle incidents involving the rescue of large animals, particularly horses