“We are not here to re-invent the wheel,” said Tomas Gimenez, DrMedVet, a professor at Clemson University, addressing a group of first-responders and equine rescue personnel at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington in August. The event was sponsored by Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) PLLC, the Kentucky Horse Park, Throughbred Charities, Fort Dodge Animal Health, US Rider, and The Horse. “We’re using equipment and procedures that have been in place for years. You are going to be using equipment that is already available in rescue squads,” he added.

Sixty-three individuals attended the session taught by Gimenez and his wife, Rebecca Gimenez, PhD, on Aug. 9-11. On Aug. 14, the Gimenezes demonstrated rescue techniques to about 200 observers that were HDM clients, first responders, veterinarians, and the general public. A total of 60 first responders, HDM veterinarians, and technicians have already been trained in Central Kentucky over the past 18 months. “Central Kentucky has a high density of horses and therefore the odds of having an equine-related disaster are increased,” said Nathan Slovis, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Equine Rescue Director at HDM. “That is why we are proud to sponsor the annual technical large animal rescue symposium at the Kentucky Horse Park. Our goal is to train at least 100 first responders and veterinarians in Central Kentucky in the art of equine rescue. This course was invaluable when we responded to an 18-wheeler equine trailer accident six months ago and were able to extricate all 14 horses from the accident scene.”

The mornings of the rescue training were spent in the classroom teaching attendees everything from the behavior of stressed horses to physical and chemical methods of equine restraint. They discussed the roles of players on a rescue team as well as configurations and construction of horse trailers. Afternoons were spent learning hands-on how to use different types of rescue equipment, performing water and airlift rescues, uprighting trailers, and more.

“If you’re going to be involved in rescue, use rescue-quality equipment,” emphasized Tomas Gimenez. “Rescues are very unpredictable, but you can plan for the type of equipment that you use. Even the strong-looking rope at the hardware store is not as strong as this,” he said as he tugged on a piece of rescue-quality rope. “You use this because your life (not only the horse’s) is going to depend on it.” If a piece of equipment were to break, it could fly up and severely injure or kill a rescuer