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Mass. firefighters, tech rescue team and vet rescue horse in stable floor collapse

First responders in Ipswich faced having to rescue a horse that had partially fallen through the stable floor

By Heather Morrison
masslive.com

IPSWICH, Mass. — A small crane was used to help rescue a horse after it fell through the stable floor, according to the Ipswich Fire Department.

On June 3, an 8-year-old Lippizaner gelding named Valcour had fallen through the floor at a stable located at 383 Linebrook Road. Officials said the horse’s “entire hind quarter had fallen through a hole in the floor of its stall and hung suspended above the stable’s lower level.”

The horse was 1,200 pounds, so it was sedated while it was being rescued, the fire department said. Officials then used a small crane to lift the horse as rescuers cut through the floor. It took about four hours to rescue the horse.

Valcour was evaluated on-scene by SRH Veterinary Animal Hospital and ASPCA. The 8-year-old horse is up and walking, the fire department said.

“I would like to thank our mutual aid partners for their assistance and response in safely extricating this horse. While this was a challenge given the size of the horse, it was an overall team effort and great save by all,” said Fire Chief Paul Parisi. “Our agencies went above and beyond in their efforts to safely remove [Valcour] from the floor. By working as a team we were able to bring this operation to a successful conclusion.”

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