When a horse tumbled into a ditch it couldn’t get out of in freezing temperatures Sunday, several northeastern Colorado agencies responded to rescue the frightened animal.
The Ault-Pierce Fire Department, Eaton Fire Protection District, Windsor Severance Fire Rescue, Banner Health Ambulance, and the Weld County Sheriff's Office all braved freezing temperatures to safely extract the stranded horse.
It took three hours, some sedatives, and a tractor — a lot of horsepower for one horse.
"We're just happy that (our team) was able to get the horse out of the ditch and reunite it with its owner," said Melissa Chesmore, the Weld County Sheriff's Office spokesperson. "When we get these calls, we use the resources available in our county to safely rescue the animal."
No Horseplay
The Ault-Pierce Fire Department got the call about an "animal entrapment" at 2:24 p.m. Sunday. A horse was stuck in a ditch, and its owner was unable to lead it out.
"The horse was eating some grass and slipped into the ditch," Chesmore said. "It wasn't injured, but it couldn't walk out on its own."
Personnel with the Ault-Pierce Fire Department and the Eaton Fire Protection District responded. They tried lifting the horse out with a tractor, but the horse decided that wasn't a viable option.
"They tied some straps to the tractor, but the horse got spooked, slipped free, and remained in the ditch," Chesmore said. "That's when Windsor Severance Fire Rescue responded."
Windsor Severance Fire Rescue has a large-animal rescue procedure, including a tractor-forklift and a lot of gear to get the job done.
That would definitely get the horse out, but the earlier attempt showed that the frightened animal might not cooperate with the rescue effort.
That's when the Weld County Sheriff's Office's animal control officer stepped in. They contacted a local veterinarian, who came out to sedate the horse so it could be trussed up and lifted out of the ditch.
Using chains, a steel rig, and strong straps, the sedated horse was safely lifted out of the ditch. Its eyes were covered, giving the horse additional reassurance as it briefly became a Pegasus, ascending into the air before being gently set down on solid ground.
The entire rescue took three hours, and the sun had set by the time it was over.
Despite a wind chill of 16 degrees, nobody was daunted and ensured everything went smoothly and safely, Chesmore said.
"The horse was not injured and was united with its owner,” she added.
It Happens In The West
Folks in the Rocky Mountain west love their horses for their companionship and utility, but that comes with an occasional proclivity to end up in precarious circumstances.
While horses are smarter than many people believe, they're not immune to bad decisions. When desperate times call for desperate measures, it's best to leave rescues to the professionals.
In January 2024, the Campbell County Fire Department rescued two horses stuck neck-deep in a frozen pond near Gillette. They used chainsaws to cut a pathway through the ice to the shore, which the horses eagerly followed to escape their predicament.
In May, the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office called in air support to rescue a horse trapped on an island in the middle of the Yellowstone River in southern Montana.
A helicopter swooped in to lift the sedated horse out of the river and back to its worried owners waiting onshore.
"The horse wasn't too happy about the whole situation," said Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder. "He spent less than a minute in the air before he was dropped off where his owners were and immediately walked off to eat grass. Everything worked out fine."
Who You Gonna Call?
The Weld County Sheriff's Office has three full-time animal control officers on staff. When there's an animal-related incident, one or more of them are sent in to coordinate the necessary people and resources for a safe and efficient response.
"They respond to any incident that involves animals in Weld County," Chesmore said. "Anything livestock-related is within our jurisdiction, so that's certainly something they respond to."
Chesmore said the top calls the Weld County animal control officers respond to are "dog at large," "contained animal," and "animal bite," along with welfare checks and "general animal complaints."
A horse in a ditch would fall under "general animal complaints. It's not a common call for the Weld County Sheriff's Office, but they never know what could crop up.
Earlier this year, Evergreen Fire Rescue needed chainsaws and wetsuits to rescue a yak stuck in a frozen pond near Evergreen, Colorado.
Einar Jensen, Evergreen Fire Rescue's risk reduction coordinator, said residents in Western states should know they can call their local fire department when they need their livestock rescued.
"Everybody needs to know what their fire department does," Jensen told Cowboy State Daily in March. "If we don't respond, we know civilians will try to help the animals.
"That's an easy way for untrained, unequipped humans to get in trouble. Most of our firefighters are certified for rescue scenarios, so it makes far more sense for us to go out and help these animals get out of these predicaments."
That same resourcefulness was employed by the Weld County Sheriff's Office animal control officer on the scene of Sunday's horse rescue. They knew how to get the horse out of the ditch safely and who to call to help.
"We know which agency has what resources," Chesmore said. "If (livestock owners) make the call, we can call whoever we need to achieve a safe rescue."
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
