News

NSW SES Hawkesbury Unit volunteers have rescued an old, blind mare called Felicia from a dam.

Dave King, Deputy Commander of the NSW SES Hawkesbury Unit and large animal rescue trainer said they received a call at 6:30am last Thursday.

“Felicia was stuck in a dam surrounded by thick weeds and was having difficulty holding her head up and out of the water,” said Mr King.

 “We got in the water, supported her head and fed her some food until a vet was available.”

 Dave said that, in equine rescue situations, it is important to ensure the horse is kept as calm and quiet as possible until a vet arrives.

 “One of the easiest ways to calm a horse is to feed them – horses love to eat.”

 Once the vet had assessed and sedated the mare, Felicia was carefully pulled out of the water, up a steep embankment surrounding the dam and returned to her stables to recover.

 Large animal rescue is just one of the specialist skills that NSW SES volunteers in certain areas can learn.