California Firefighters Come to Aid of Injured Horse

Firefighters do not discriminate when it comes to saving lives. Redlands Firefighters rescued Xena, an 18-year-old, 1,000 pound polo horse Monday on the Westbound 10 Freeway at Tennessee in Redlands after the horse's leg got stuck between trailer slats and began bleeding heavily.

Xena, who is from Rancho Santa Margarita, became anxious on a ride back from Palm Springs at 3:45 p.m., Redlands officials said.

Xena kicked out the side of the trailer, causing her right rear leg to get stuck between slats.

She received a wound just above her hoof.

Redlands Firefighter, paramedic and captain of truck 261 Dempsy Chappell and his crew responded to the call.

"Xena's owner said that she had already been slightly sedated by a veterinarian in Palm Springs before the trip, because she was pretty anxious to travel in general," Chappell said.

Chappell said that by the time the owner noticed Xena's foot was caught, the cut was already pretty bad.

"The owners first called their veterinarian to ask what to do, then immediately called us. When we pulled up on the scene I noticed the horse's foot sticking out of the side of the trailer. But my engineer was the first one to really notice that the horse was bleeding pretty badly. You could see a puddle of blood forming on the ground at the bottom of the trailer, which made us start to work a little more quickly," Chappell said.

The Jaws of Life were used to extricate Xena's

leg, but the bleeding from the laceration worsened.

Chappell said that once the Jaws of Life were used to spread the trailer apart, the horse pulled her foot out, so that part was easy.

However, the serious bleeding prompted the Redlands Firefighters to contact local veterinarians to find some immediate treatment for Xena.

Xena was first transferred to the Family Friend Animal Hospital in Redlands, but the facility does not work with horses.

Xena was then transported to the Loma Linda Animal Hospital where she received triage.

Xena was then transported to the Chino Valley Equine Hospital, where a staff member said no other details would be released.

"I spoke with the owner after she left the local veterinarian office and was on her way to the Chino animal hospital for Xena to receive more serious treatment," Chappell said. "They probably had to do some kind of surgery or suturing to close up the wound."

This is one of Chappell's first animal rescues.

"This is one of those stories I will never forget. This was just another day on the job," Chappell said.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service