Attendees at the American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention have enjoyed accounts of spectacular helicopter-assisted equine rescues for the last several years during the popular Kester News Hour session. In 2007 the presenter of those reports, John Madigan, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, director of the large animal hospital at the University of California, Davis, had retired as co-presenter of the Kester News Hour, but he still spoke, and he did more than just report rescues. He explained how to safely airlift a horse during a session of the convention, which was held Dec. 1-5 in Orlando, Fla.

"Most horses we lift are healthy, they are just trapped somewhere they can’t get out of," he noted. "We do all airlifts on standing horses."

The first thing to do, he reported, is to look into all other available options of moving the horse, as they’re usually a lot easier and less dangerous. Or, moving the horse might not be time-critical; for example, a horse in a flooded area could move to high ground and be cared for there until floodwaters recede.

If it’s decided that an airlift might be necessary, the horse’s owner makes direct contact with the helicopter operator, approves the costs, and places the helicopter on standby, pending scheduling and future determinations