EXETER – Firefighters rescued a 16-year-old horse after its hind legs fell through the stall floor in a barn at 137 Linden St. Sunday night. 

Tim Sirois, crew chief with the Exeter Fire Department, said the department received the call at around 6 p.m. Upon arrival, he said they found the horse named Mulan still upright, but its back half was left suspended straddling a support beam, while its back legs dangled below.

With the help of Katherine Dwyer, director of the Rowley, Massachusetts, nonprofit Patriot Equine Technical Rescue, and veterinarian Kirk Smith, of Amesbury (Massachusetts) Veterinary Hospital, firefighters hatched a plan to place loop rescue straps under the 1,600-pound animal, then roll it onto its left side and safely slide it out of the barn while sedated.

Sirois said after he and four other firefighters responded, three others were called to help pull Mulan on the rescue mat.

“This was my first horse rescue. The good thing about the fire service is you never know what the call is going to be,” Sirois said. “As we rolled the horse over, we pulled the skid mat at the same time. There was actually plenty of room for its legs.” 

Dwyer said she arrived before the Fire Department, along with Smith. She said once firefighters determined the barn was structurally safe to access the horse’s stall and begin the rescue, Smith sedated the animal and work began.

“It’s emotional to see a horse in distress like that, but you have to take a step back and make sure you do the rescue in the right order,” Dwyer said. “The Fire Department had to decide what we could and couldn’t do to rescue the animal because we can’t have the horse fall through completely and land on a rescuer.”

Dwyer said once they started the rescue it took approximately one hour and 15 minutes to extricate Mulan’s hind legs by rolling the horse onto its side and dragging the animal on a rescue mat. The horse was then put onto a grassy area outside so it could wake up from the sedation.

“It was a great team effort because it takes so many moving parts to get right,” Dwyer said Monday. “Within 10 minutes after sliding her outside, she was able to stand and was eating grass.”

Dwyer said the rescue was made easier by the fact the horse remained upright with its chest on the ground. She said had it rolled over in the process of partially falling through or had completely fallen through the floor and ended up on its back, it would have made for a much worse situation. 

“Aside from the hazards to rescuers, any time a horse is down for a long period of time; just the weight of her body can cause a cascade of medical problems that can affect the outcome for the animal,” Dwyer said. “Sternal recumbency is better for the horse rather than being flat on its side, on its bottom or upside down on its back.”

Dwyer said the horse only sustained “superficial” abrasions to its rear legs. However, she said horses because of their enormity require additional evaluation.

“It can take up to 48 hours after rescuing a downed animal to see if she’s suffering from something else unseen,” Dwyer said. “But the vet let me know today she is doing well and we’re all happy with her progress.”

More:Future firefighters train at Sanford Regional Technical Center, with community backing

More:'Tears to our eyes': Hampton firefighters help Seabrook man paralyzed in fall