First responders get hands on lesson in large animal rescue

Firefighters in Ontario got a lesson in a very specialized skill. CTV’s Heather Senoran has the details.

A 700 lbs. mannequin named Rusty was the star of a unique workshop.

On Friday, firefighters from seven departments across Ontario took part in a training program at Grand River Raceway in Elora, Ont.

“Living in Centre Wellington and the highways coming through, we have to deal with a lot of farm accidents,” Sean Marrak, a firefighter with Centre Wellington Fire, said.

Equine Guelph and the Grand River Agricultural Society teamed up to offer this course to emergency responders. Throughout the course of the day, they learned the specific needs of large animals, such as horses, when it comes to potentially life-threatening situations.

One of the first lessons of the day involved using equipment to get the animals to safety.

“We use a reach tool so we can safely put the webbing on without putting somebody in a predicament where they could be kicked, bitten, rolled over or crushed,” Susan Raymond, Guelph Equine’s education program officer, said.

Equine Guelph is the horse owner’s centre at the University of Guelph and is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of horses through research and education.

Friday’s session of the Large Animal Emergency Rescue training program was helmed by Victor MacPherson, a lead instructor for both Equine Guelph Large Animal Emergency Rescue and Farm & Food Care Ontario Livestock Emergency Response, and veterinarian Christopher Riley. The courses offered through the program are tailored to first responders, law enforcement, animal control officers, veterinarians, emergency animal response teams, horse owners and livestock producers.

The lessons involve mock emergency situations, giving participants a feel for the hazards that could be present in a real-life situation.

That’s where Rusty the horse mannequin comes in.

In one scenario, instructors said Rusty had slipped on mud or ice and had fallen on his side. The firefighters were tasked with getting the hefty horse back up on his feet.

In another instance, Rusty was stuck in a hole or a well and his would-be rescuers only had access to the top of his torso.

“We were doing a safe Swiss seat configuration to lift him out of some kind of hole situation,” Raymond explained.

Instructors coached the firefighters through the exercises, warning them of the importance of keeping a horse’s head stabilized while using heavy lifting machinery and stressing the need to keep the animal’s hooves off the ground until the rescue is fully complete to minimize the risk of injury.

“Once they get one foot, two or three feet on the ground, they know they can move,” Raymond said. “Their instinct [is] they don’t want to be in a situation like that. An animal’s instinct most likely is to flee the situation.”

Various other training programs are offered through Equine Guelph.

In June 2024, firefighters from across the province took part in a two-and-a-half-day training program at the University of Guelph that involved live horses, smoke and other props.

Some of the subjects covered through the courses include how to safely move an incapacitated animal, how to handle them with care and how to prioritize incident control management in the event of an emergency.

Farm & Food Care Ontario offers resources for first responders, including training videos and virtual training sessions.

Equine Guelph’s upcoming Large Animal Rescue Workshops can be found online.