A 1,500 pound draft horse slid down an embankment into a muddy area of a pond in Apex on Sunday afternoon. Firefighters hooked ropes and pulleys onto trees and were able to pull her out safely.
By Maggie Brown, WRAL multiplatform producer
A 1,500 pound draft horse slid down an embankment into a muddy area of a pond in Apex on Sunday afternoon.
The horse, Tilley, had just been released from the North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine on Friday and still had a tracheotomy tube in.
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Apex firefighters rescue horse from muddy pond. photo from Dennis Blankenship.
According to neighbors, Tilley wandered out on Sunday morning and was found laying on her side with all four of her legs stuck deep in the mud. By chance, she landed with her head and tracheotomy tube out of the water.
Dennis Blankenship, who is the neighbor of Tilley's owners, said the community came together to help her get out of the mud.
Horse rescued from muddy pond by vet, Apex Fire Department. Photo from Dennis Blankenship.
The Apex Fire Department and veterinarian Dr. Stephanie Freese arrived on the scene to help sedate the horse and get her back on her feet.
Firefighters hooked ropes and pulleys onto trees on Blankenship's property and were able to pull her out safely.
"The horse owner is relieved," Blankenship said. "My wife Sherri is keeping Tilley in our barn for several days per the vets guidance and we have let the owners know they can come and go as they please to watch over her.
My wife and I (Dennis & Sherri Blankenship) have a 10 acre mini horse farm in Apex, NC.
This morning my wife informed me that our neighbors had a horse boarder whose 1500 lb draft horse had slid down an embankment into a muddy area of the pond we share. Tilley had just been released from NC State Vet school on Friday after surgery and had a traech tube in. She wondered out this morning and was on her side with all 4 legs stuck deep in the mud at the bank.
Luckily for Tilley, she landed with her head and tube out of the water. I am including pictures and have some videos I can send via email that I took before help the Apex Fire team pull her out.
Dr. Stephanie Freese and her partner were awesome in sedating Tilley, guiding everyone on how to get straps in place, hoist her out, and flip her to get her on her feet to walk her up the embankment and out of harms way. She is fine and resting in a stall at our barn now.
I think this is a feel good story as she could have easily given up and showcasing Dr. Freese and the Apex Fire department for the great work in saving this horses life is certainly worth a video on the news or an article.
I have several videos and pictures I can give you but have included a few here to give you a view of the great effort given to save Tilley.
Dennis Blankenship
Draft horses are usually large animals used for farm labor. This breed of horse can be more than 6 feet tall and weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.
