More High-tech horse ambulance makes Olympic debutPostmedia News 07.25.2012Members of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery prepare for an inspection on the parade ground of their barracks in St John's Wood before departing to fire a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park to mark the 60 anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 2012 in London, England. The 41 gun salute also signifies the official start to the celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and comes after the King's Troop left their barracks in St John's Wood for the final time. The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will relocate from their North London barracks, where they have been based since their formation by King George VI in 1947, to a purpose-built equestrian site in Woolwich.Oli Scarff/Getty ImagesAerial view of Greenwich Park which will host equestrian events during the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 26, 2011 in London, England.(Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)ShareAdjustCommentPrintLONDON — The equestrian venue for the Olympic Games has been provided with a purpose-built, motorised, hi-tech horse ambulance — one of only three such vehicles in the world.It's the first time this type of vehicle will be used at an Olympic Games. The only two others are used by the racing industry in Ireland and Dubai.Built at a cost of £94,000 specifically for the Games, the ambulance is air-conditioned and includes closed-circuit TV cameras and cushion-ride suspension. Its most unique feature is the turntable floor, which allows a horse to be forward-loaded and unloaded via a wide rear ramp. The rotating stall also allows maximum flexibility, widening and narrowing as needed, at either the horse's head or tail, to provide optimum support for a sick or injured animal."The turntable operates by hand," designer and engineer Bill Fellowes said,, "so it can be moved as slowly as needed for a particular horse. So far, they don't seem to mind it."While the motorised ambulance provides many advantages compared with trailers, the major benefit is that a medical team can comfortably travel alongside a horse, tending to its needs during the transportation or transfer process.Olympic News Service
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