top of page

This is Amy's Story

Amy..a big, healthy, beautiful, 1800 pound Belgian Draft Horse mare. Mild mannered and gentle. She was just chilling outside the barn yesterday. Unexpectedly, a waste truck pulled through and spooked her. She ran for the safety of her stall. Her stall, as would be expected, is 2-3 times the size of a standard sized horse. However, in her haste, and to the horror of her human family, she ran into one of the smaller stalls, slipped and fell. Being such a big lady, she was unable to get her legs under her to stand in such a small area. Her family tried and tried..as did she..to get her to stand. She was exhausted from trying. Her family, realizing they could not get her up on their own..reached out to NC ART. With trained personnel, and specialized equipment..we responded. We began preparing her to get her out of this situation, while we waited for the Veterinarian and the local fire department. A huge "Thank you" to the Griffith Volunteer Fire Department, and Amys' friends and family for their tremendous assistance during this stressful rescue. Please click this link to see the step-by-step rescue of Amy. SPOILER: With a few bumps and scratches, Amy was treated and cleared by the vet, and expected to be just fine! It took a village, and this village saved a life! Thank you to everyone involved!

NCART responded to a neglect/abandonment situation on 10/31/17 near Hillsville, VA to roundup, transport and relocate several horses. These horses weren’t what we typically see in neglect cases. They were all a little over weight. A pony in the group was extremely over weight and severely foundered. All of the horses had been left to fend for themselves and a neighbor came every now and then to dump a 50lb bag of feed in a pile which caused the 9 horses to fight. This herd had 2 stallions and several mares that are very pregnant. We were able to successfully load all of the horses in several horse trailers using loading techniques acquired during rescues we have done with the ASPCA and feral horses. Calmly and safely all horses were loaded and transported to a holding facility with much better accommodations and reunited. The plan going forward is to have the stallions gelded, then placed into their new homes, the foundered pony has an appointment at DCLAH to have a professional farrier bring her hooves back to normal and the pregnant mare will be given a safe and warm home to have her baby. All horses will receive vet care and training. They are not very trusting of humans but we hope all of the mistrust will melt away as they are shown love and care.

During the recent local flooding event, 2 horses were found trapped on a small piece of land surrounded by water. The Forsyth County Sherriff’s Department jumped into action by reaching out for assistance. NCART was contacted by the Sherriff’s Department to collaborate a plan. Knowing that it isn’t always the best idea to remove animals from what could possibly be the “safest” place for the time being, NCART suggested that a swift water team be asked to assist. A plan was discussed between NCART and the Lewisville Fire Department Swift Water Team to take hay to the stranded horses by boat, assess their condition, their surroundings and keep them there. A volunteer from HERO supplied hay, the swift water team arrived, deployed their boats and found the horses. Hay was delivered to two very appreciative horses. Based on the forecasted rain fall that night, the team felt sure the horses would be safe where they were. Early the next morning the horses were checked and found to be a little anxious but just fine. By day 2 the water receded enough for the owner to walk his horses to the nearest gate safely.

NCART would like to thank the wonderful people involved in making sure these two horses remained safe. Many times the urge to remove horses from where they are in a flooding situation is very strong. Many dangerous situations lie beneath the flood waters that could cause harm to horses and those who are trying to help them. Unseen fencing, large debris and fast moving water are all nearly a sure disaster for moving large animals through flood water. Do you have a plan if disaster strikes your barn or your home? Contact NCART for ideas to insure you have the best plan possible to keep your pets safe in the event a disaster strikes.

bottom of page