sheeny
15-03-2008, 10:08 AM
It was shaping up really well. There was a bit of smoke around from a forestry burn off, but the moon about first quarter, occultation of El Nath to be observed, Lyn and girls had left to go show jumping for the weekend, so I'd have the place to myself and can set the scope up and try out the DMK on the moon...:thumbsup:
I was just about to start bringing some washing in off the line and then have an early dinner so I could set the scope up for the occultation, when the phone rang...
One of the horses had gone down in the float, could I come and help.:scared: They were about 45 minutes drive away:rolleyes:. As I left I passed a mate's place, and he was home so I stopped and asked him to come along - he's got a heap of rescue experience as well as being a big fella so he could come in handy;). We reckoned they would have the horse back up again before we got there... surely!:shrug:
The horse had fallen with his legs to the wall of the float and managed to get his head and neck under the cross beam which is normally in front of his chest. This was preventing him from standing up. The cross beam is an integral structural part of the float:rolleyes:.
Fortunately, Lyn flagged down an RFS truck on the way home (:shrug: we think?) from the fire, and so a few trucks stopped and were able to assist. Fortunately, one of the guys was a paramedic and he went about planning the rescue. They used a snatch strap (rigged so as not to squeeze the horse) to pull the horse back from underneath the chest bar in the float and then he was able to get up.
So the rescue was all done by the time we got there, fortunately, and we're very grateful to the RFS guys who stopped and gave a hand:thumbsup:. The Police arrived to shortly after I did, and collected particulars for a report, no doubt, and gave us a hand to load the horses again.
The showjumping weekend was aborted, as the horse has some cuts to his legs from scrabbling around trying to get up. The girls are out where he's agisted at the moment checking him out - hopefully all will be well with a little TLC.
Needless to say, I missed the occultation, and the moon was too low in the sky to set up and play with the DMK by the time I got home... oh well, fingers crossed for tonight.:)
Al.
I was just about to start bringing some washing in off the line and then have an early dinner so I could set the scope up for the occultation, when the phone rang...
One of the horses had gone down in the float, could I come and help.:scared: They were about 45 minutes drive away:rolleyes:. As I left I passed a mate's place, and he was home so I stopped and asked him to come along - he's got a heap of rescue experience as well as being a big fella so he could come in handy;). We reckoned they would have the horse back up again before we got there... surely!:shrug:
The horse had fallen with his legs to the wall of the float and managed to get his head and neck under the cross beam which is normally in front of his chest. This was preventing him from standing up. The cross beam is an integral structural part of the float:rolleyes:.
Fortunately, Lyn flagged down an RFS truck on the way home (:shrug: we think?) from the fire, and so a few trucks stopped and were able to assist. Fortunately, one of the guys was a paramedic and he went about planning the rescue. They used a snatch strap (rigged so as not to squeeze the horse) to pull the horse back from underneath the chest bar in the float and then he was able to get up.
So the rescue was all done by the time we got there, fortunately, and we're very grateful to the RFS guys who stopped and gave a hand:thumbsup:. The Police arrived to shortly after I did, and collected particulars for a report, no doubt, and gave us a hand to load the horses again.
The showjumping weekend was aborted, as the horse has some cuts to his legs from scrabbling around trying to get up. The girls are out where he's agisted at the moment checking him out - hopefully all will be well with a little TLC.
Needless to say, I missed the occultation, and the moon was too low in the sky to set up and play with the DMK by the time I got home... oh well, fingers crossed for tonight.:)
Al.