Equine Guelph kicked off its series of emergency response rescue courses recently with a reception attended by over 50 key stakeholders, including a lecture by special guest, Dr. Rebecca Gimenez.
In addition to the reception, Equine Guelph held an Emergency Preparedness workshop for horse owners and a Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (TLAER) operations course for first responders.
Fire safety and prevention in barns were discussed at length and students took part in extinguishing a burning hay bale.
With a lifetime spent with horses and 20 years participating in technical large animal rescue, Dr. Gimenez shared some amazing stories at all three events. Based in Georgia, USA, Dr. Gimenez is the President of TLAER, Inc. and an international instructor in technical rescue techniques, tactics, and procedures.
The theme for the Emergency Preparedness workshop, held at the University of Guelph, was improving safety during emergency situations for both people and large animals. Dr. Gimenez, who holds a Ph.D. in animal physiology, stressed the fact that large animal rescue is a constant learning process, and “It’s not about a horse in a rescue scenario, it’s about you!”
There needs to be an increased understanding of predatory versus prey tendencies when dealing with horses, she told the group of 32 attendees made up of horse owners, veterinarians and vet techs. “I can’t stress enough the need for proper equipment to be worn by ALL when handling these large animals in emergency situations, including a helmet, gloves, reflective vest on roadways, etc. If you’re not equipped, then stay back.”
Read the Equine Guelph story outlining all facets of the workshops.