Getting a hands-on lesson in large animal rescue

First responders got a chance to learn what its like to rescue large animals. CTV’s Hannah Schmidt got a look at the hands-on lessons.

First responders, horse owners and trainers took part in a special lesson that could save lives.

Equine Guelph, the University of Guelph’s equine research and education centre, hosted the course on large animal rescue in partnership with the Hamilton Mounted Police.

Participants gathered at HollyOaks Farm in Lynden, Ont., a small community west of Hamilton, Ont., on Wednesday. Firefighters, police officers, other first responders and members of the public with experience handling horses took the chance to learn skills that could make all the difference in a real-life emergency.

“We deal with a lot of calls for injured and distressed animals,” Hamilton Police Const. Ryan Clarke, who has been with the mounted unit for the last two-and-a-half years, said. “We have to be able to respond to areas such as barns, waterways, ravines and rural properties to be able to rescue these animals.”

The training included simulations using life-sized horse mannequins. Those mannequins are fully articulated and weigh up to 700 lbs. The lessons mimicked what rescuers could face if they were called to a tractor rollover, barn fire or flood. They were also taught how to safely pull an animal out of a ditch or deep mud.

“We want to be able to help that animal,” said Susan Raymond, a spokesperson for Equine Guelph. “But if you are trying to help an animal without proper training, you can either put yourself at risk or first responders that are coming to assist the animal.”

“This training is not intuitive”

Participants practiced safe-handling techniques, emergency response procedures and how to use specialized equipment. They were also taught what to do in less-than-ideal conditions.

“We show best practices with the best equipment,” Raymond said. “But then if you don’t have any of that, [we show you] what you can do with what you have on hand.”

For people living and working in rural Ontario, the importance of the training was obvious.

“This training is not intuitive. It’s not things that we learn in vet school,” Toveah Caldwell, a veterinarian, said. “In my own career, I’ve probably been involved in six or seven rescues of various kinds and without this training, I think it’s very difficult to navigate those and to have a safe outcome for yourself, for your team and for the animal.”

“It might not just be horses, it could be cattle,” Sean Marak, trainer and volunteer firefighter with Wellington North Fire Services, said. “[It could be] fires as well that you’re dealing with. So, knowing how to handle livestock in those rare cases that we have makes all the difference.”

Organizers said the need for this type of training is becoming increasingly important as development expands into rural areas where livestock and residential communities often intersect.

“With subdivisions and more commuting, there’s definitely an increased risk,” Raymond said. “There’s definitely an increase in terms of animals getting loose and coming into more populated areas.”

Caldwell believes these lessons are critical so people know what to do before they find themselves in dynamic, and potentially dangerous, situations.

“When people are stressed and unsure, they behave erratically,” she said. “Sometimes you act before you think.”