Description of Placement Procedures for Common Methods Used in Equine Emergency Rescue Using a Simplified Loops System

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Horses can become entrapped, stranded in confined spaces, exhausted, or injured and become recumbent and unable to rise. Horse can injure themselves struggling to rise and endanger the personnel trying to rescue them. Successful rescuing of these animals often requires expedient manipulations. We designed a lightweight portable kit for movement or lifting of a recumbent equine using a novel Loops System. Using an equine life size mannequin, we describe the placement procedures of the Loops System without knots, J hooks or specialized accessory devices. Five maneuvers commonly used in equine technical rescue are illustrated with step-by-step instructions for forward assist, rear assist, full body roll, rear drag, and vertical lift. ABSTRACT: Entrapped, stranded and recumbent equids often require emergency rescue. The success of the rescue is often affected by secondary injuries from struggling of the horse to rise and from injury secondary to attempted rescue by pulling on the head or limbs of the equid. Therefore, having ready access to simplified rescue equipment which can be easily applied would be desirable. The devices currently available for these manipulations are not always readily available at the site of an incident. Here, we describe and illustrate the step-by-step use of a Loops System consisting of 183 cm round slings, which can be positioned on the recumbent horse utilizing commercially available and reasonably priced equipment. The Loops System is basically composed of four round slings placed in such a way that utilizes the skeletal system for support. The procedures are illustrated utilizing a recumbent life-size horse model or mannequin. We suggest that the Loops System kit may allow enhanced ability for responders to provide care to a recumbent horse.