An 8-year-old Lipizzaner gelding is fortunate to be alive and well following a scary ordeal in June 2024 that required the expertise of first responders and a specialized team from the MSPCA-Angell: Nevins Farm.
The horse — named Valcour — was standing in a stall at his Ipswich home when the floor below him shattered, causing him to fall through and get stuck in the broken floorboards.
“The owners reached out to their local vet after it happened,” explained Kaycie McCarthy, Equine and Farm Animal Outreach and Rescue Manager at MSPCA-Angell: Nevins Farm. “The doctor knew immediately that they needed more help — and special equipment — to free poor Valcour, so they called us.”
McCarthy and Roger Lauze, MSPCA-Angell: Nevins Farm Equine Rescue Training Manager, hopped in a trailer and immediately headed to the scene.
“It took about four hours and the help of everyone there, but we got this sweet horse out with no life threatening injuries,” said McCarthy, who credits the Ipswich Fire Department and Northeast Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team for providing critical assistance.
“We train first responders on how to handle these kinds of emergencies, and they know they can call us when something comes up that they aren’t able to handle,” she added. “But this is also a good example of why it’s important that everyone with pets — including horses — knows what to do when emergencies happen.”
The MSPCA-Angell at Nevins Farm offers specialized equine safety and rescue training that uses innovative rescue equipment in hands-on workshops. More information may be found at mspca.org/equinesafety.
