MAY, Idaho — Big Joe was just an average working ranch horse until he got stuck in a muddy death trap in an Idaho pasture.
A dramatic 14-minute video of Big Joe’s rescue has gone viral across the state and region, showing the Oct. 19 incident that almost cost the big draft horse his life.
It took three men, cables, ropes, a side-by-side and a skidsteer to pull the giant crossbred draft horse out. At one point, the ranchers worried that the saddle might give way.
“If it breaks, we’ll lose the horse,” one of the men said.
Back in the Saddle
Here’s what happened to Big Joe since.
For more than a month, Big Joe rested. Then on a cold December morning, Mickelsen decided it was time for the saddle to get back on Joe.
“Found a few cattle up on the mountain we needed to get, so I thought we’d give old Joe his first test ride since his ordeal,” said Mickelsen as he narrated a Dec. 5 video posted on YouTube.
It shows Mickelsen leading Joe with a light dusting of snow on the ground.
“He’s got a little mud on his head there,” he said. “Looks like he’s feeling good. It’s chilly today. Winter's coming.”
Mickelsen takes Joe into the barn, brushes him down and checks in with his horse.
Joe seems to flinch.
“Joe acts a little like he’s been through an experience, a little bit of trauma, imagine that. We’re getting brushed off here and saddled up,” said Mickelsen, who then leads Joe onto a horse trailer.
The video picks up with Joe triumphantly trotting across the windswept range and galloping after stray cattle.
“Big Joe was a champ today,” said Mickesen. “I roped on Big Joe for the first time outside like that, and he did great. I didn’t do so hot, but he got me right in there, and I got a throw or two, but we had a good day. Joe was healthy and strong.”
Joe’s Place
The Oct. 19 Facebook video of the horse’s rescue has more than 13 million views, introducing many to Big Joe’s home, the Rocking M Quarter Horses ranch, for the first time.
The ranch spans about 35,550 acres and features a classic Western landscape in the Pahsimeroi Valley, which runs for 60 miles between the Lost River and Lemhi mountain ranges.
It’s a nice place to be a horse, pastures with muddy sinkholes aside.
As Mickelsen said, “If you’re wondering, Joe’s in good shape.”
