A horse was rescued after falling into a frozen pond Monday afternoon in Moore County.
According to Fire Chief Michael Cameron of Cypress Point Fire and Rescue, it happened around 4:30 p.m. on Hunting Horn Lane, an area known to locals as “Horse Country” due to having several horse farms.
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Members from Cypress Point Fire and Rescue, 4Hooves Large Animal Services, the horse’s owner, and a neighbor all responded to the scene.
“The fire department did a great job following advice and coming up with safe options for rescue without making the situation worse,” said Tori McLeod with 4Hooves Large Animal Services, a large animal technical response organization.
According to McLeod, the horse was in the water for a little over an hour.
“This was truly an accident. The pond was not inside the pasture, instead the horse had escaped its pasture,” McLeod said. “[It] was in the process of being approached and caught when it walked out onto the ice and fell in.”
After fire crews cleared the ice from around the horse, it was able to walk out of the water.
Southern Pines Equine Associates was able to check on the horse and provide additional care.
“[The horse’s] body temperature was slightly lower than normal when rescued, which is a good thing,” McLeod said.
Crews wrapped the horse in a blanket, gave it some hay and water, and put it in the barn to help it warm up.
The horse’s owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, was very grateful for everyone’s help and positive outcome.