Whether for rescue or therapy, this device can help both animal and people survive equine emergencies. Safety Precautions Moving trapped horses requires careful handling, and trained rescuers safeguard the horse while extricating it from danger. Tomas Gimenez, DMV, Large Animal Rescue Instructor for the American Humane Association and Professor of Animal Science at Clemson University, teaches workshops for Large Animal Rescue Teams. It is safer for the horse to use wide webbing material around the horse's torso, whether it is for a forward assist, a backwards drag, or a vertical lift. Sometimes, as in the case of overturned trailers on the road, it is best to bring the trailer back to an upright position, and let the horses walk out the door.
Horses fear losing their footing, and a down horse can expend a lot of energy struggling to rise.
The trapped horse might resist being harnessed and dragged with the sling. Panic wears him out, which can make him easier to handle, but a fatigued horse can give up all effort to survive. Gimenez tells us the story of a mare stuck in a mud hole. After hours of struggling, she was exhausted and stood quietly while rescuers stood around her on plywood digging mud around her chest, then placing a sling behind her front legs. After providing additional support to the head and back end, we hooked the sling to a winch and moved her out of the mud.