Scugog firefighters help pull fallen horse from well

Aug 24, 2023

Scugog firefighters were called to a Scugog Line 8 address just after 2:30 p.m. on May 30 after a mare toppled down a well, located in a pasture. - Scugog Fire Department photo

While Mark Berney is accustomed to responding to a wide variety of rescue calls, the Scugog fire chief had to question what he heard on May 30 when the township fire department was asked to help a horse.

"When I got notified, I asked them to repeat what they said ... because I couldn't believe what I heard," Berney recalled.

Scugog firefighters were called to a Scugog Line 8 address just after 2:30 p.m. on May 30 after a mare toppled down a well located in a pasture. It's believed the animal backed into the well hind-end first, falling about 15 to 20 feet to the bottom, said Berney.

After realizing the horse was at the bottom of the well, the owner called Scugog firefighters, who were joined by caregivers from Port Perry Veterinary Clinic and a crew from Pindar's Towing.

Once everyone was on the scene, the horse was tranquillized by the vet clinic officials to reduce its anxiety, and then firefighters used "tools of the trade" to lasso the horse with rope and tow straps while remaining at ground level, said Berney.

While the firefighters initially thought draining the well would be a good plan, they subsequently decided to add water using a tanker truck to float the animal and lessen the load on the towing equipment, added the Scugog fire chief.

"Initially, they believed they had to remove water to protect the horse, but as they continued to develop their action plan, they realized that the water would be their asset," said Berney. "They added water to help lighten the load (for the towing equipment), and it ... definitely help(ed) with the stress of the horse."

The animal has since been moved to another farm owned by the family, where it's being cared for and recuperating.

"It's fine," said Berney. "After a couple of weeks of bad news stories, that was a good news story."

Over the past few weeks, Scugog firefighters have been called to a fatal house fire, a head-on collision on Scugog Island that claimed a woman's life and other serious motor vehicle accidents.