Rescuers save horse from Woodford Co. pool

KENTUCKY -- It's not the type of call first responders typically receive. Emergency crews responded to a Woodford County home on Thursday after receiving a report of a horse in a swimming pool. Woodford County Animal Control, the fire department, emergency management and Anderson County Large Animal Rescue all showed up to help.

"You never know when you got an animal in distress, what you are going to have to do," said Woodford County Emergency Management Director Keith Slugantz. He says the horse belonged to a neighbor. There was no telling how long it was in the water before crews arrived.

"The property owner woke up this morning and goes out and finds his horse in the pool," said Slugantz. He says it broke through a fence and

tried to walk though the cover of the in-ground pool.

"Not knowing what that cover was, walked on it and fell through. Of course, he was in distress and tied up in that cover," said Slugantz. Rescuers cut the cover away. Firefighters got the horse to the shallow part of the pool. The 1,200 pound horse was then pulled out and examined by a veterinarian.

"They started IV drips on this horse as soon as it got out of the water and then they had blankets for it," said Slugantz. The rescue lasted about two hours. Officials say they're happy with how it turned out.

"Had a good outcome for this horse and that's what our intent was," says Slugantz.

(WKYT - Jan 22, 2015)