Accidents and emergencies with horses involved can’t be scheduled for convenient times and places where help is immediately available. Thanks to ERA (Equine Rescue Ambulance), a horse ambulance with trained personnel is on standby at Maryland steeplechases and other equestrian events.
ERA was founded in 2002 as a standby for steeplechase meets by Rachel Westerlund, Jean Class, Danielle Class, and Renee Townsley. Based in the Baltimore area, the group broadened its focus and became an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization at the beginning of 2008.
Now, a new branch of ERA has opened, operating from Fair Hill, Maryland to cover the needs of that area.
“The Central Maryland Division is mainly transport and standby at races and horse events,” Fair Hill Division Team Leader Jo Ann Bashore said. “I was more experienced with technical rescue of horses so that’s what we were working with up at this end of the state.”
Bashore is well known in the Fair Hill area from her work as a park ranger at Fair Hill Natural Resources Center. She has long been a source for help and information when an equine rescue situation arises.
“When I retired, I was getting calls but did not have equipment,” Bashore said. “We had the basic horse rescue equipment at Fair Hill but the equipment could only be released to a 911 call. It could not be released to the general public.”
The horse ambulance from Fair Hill is available to provide coverage for events, plus they are also able to respond to emergencies and rescue situations. Not limited to the state of Maryland, they can respond within any feasible travel distance in the tri-state area of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
It might be a buggy horse involved in an accident on the road, a horse cast in its stall and unable to get up, or an animal in need of immediate transport to an emergency medical facility when there is no conventional trailer available.
It is not just horses that benefit from the ambulance. Rescues are also made when cattle and other large animals are trapped or injured.
To train volunteers to staff the ambulance and provide training for other first responders, the organization holds educational sessions on how to respond and how to use equipment. Participants work with 900 lb. horse dummies so that they get practical experience with something that replicates the size and weight of the animal.
“We’re getting a broad spectrum of people. We make them aware that there are technical ways to extricate a horse from dangerous situations without making a human another victim,” Bashore said.
Just as important as learning how to rescue a trapped horse is training the volunteers to keep themselves safe. They also must have the proper equipment to work with as well as proper training.
“Often the horse owner is in an emotional state where they rush in and there you have your second victim,” Bashore said. “We look at it as an emergency medical situation for the equine and possibly for the human. There’s a whole scene safety scenario.”
Already Fair Hill ERA has received a donation to cover the cost of a rescue glide. This is an important piece of equipment that is the equivalent of a stretcher for large animals. With it a down horse that is too weak to stand can be moved, or it can be pulled with a gator to transport a horse from a location that is inaccessible to a truck and trailer. The next fundraising goal is funds for the purchase of a trailer.
“It’s going to take money and training and that’s what we’re asking the community to help us with,” Bashore said.
The first day for Fair Hill ERA was Nov. 2, 2018. “Within 36 hours we had our first call for a large Percheron mare that was down and could not get up,” Bashore said. She explained that the horse owners had tried their best to get the horse up using lead shanks tied to the legs to try to pull the mare, but the shanks were not strong enough for the weight and broke after tightening around the legs. “What they thought they were doing to help had not been productive.”
Sometimes the ERA is called to the scene when there has been a traffic accident involving a horse. In these situations, the first step is to have law enforcement respond to the scene. If the owner of the animal is not present, the rescuers have no authority to act.
“We have no legal authority to treat animals or even touch them in the case where there’s no one present. A law officer or animal control officer can officially take possession of the animal, and they direct us,” Bashore explained.
That need to work closely with law enforcement is so important that Bashore is working to let area emergency responders know about the new resource that they have available. “We’re trying to get the word out and make everybody aware,” she said.
Depends on Donations
As a non-profit organization, ERA depends on donations to stay in operation. “We do not charge for our services. We do ask for donations to help with the cost of maintaining the equipment and training the volunteers,” Bashore said.
Bashore is available to make presentations at club meetings and for groups that would like to know more about the organization.
The next 8 hour training class is scheduled for April 5 at Fair Hill, MD. Participants will learn how to roll a horse safely using a boat hook and a 30 ft. strap, and how to use the rescue glide. They will practice using the full size horse dummies and learn how to work as a team.
The training is open to everyone, although space is very limited. “Every horse owner who has been through it (an emergency rescue) asks who do I call, what do I do,” Bashore said.
To learn more or to make a contribution, visit the web site at horseambulancemd.com. Donations may also be sent to Equine Rescue Ambulance Fair Hill Division, 71 Elk Mills Road, Elkton, MD, 21921. Bashore may also be reached by phone at 443-553-6184 or by email at fairhillera@gmail.com.