The horse could have lost its life if it weren’t for the good samaritans who joined forces for a rescue mission on an icy lake.
The incident happened on Saturday, December 26th, 2022, when a tree fell on a fence, creating an opening for the horse to leave the stable.
This was according to Frontier Stables, who later on helped reunite the horse with its family.
DJ Ryan, one of the good people who helped rescue the horse, said he saw a post on Facebook on Saturday night from a neighbor about a horse wandering around.
He and another neighbor went out on a cold evening to investigate.
“We did find its trench and I thought it was on its way home,” he told ABC News.
The following morning, some residents saw the horse walking on the frozen lake.
A surveillance camera caught footage of the time the horse fell into the water around 8:30 in the morning.
According to Mike Strub, the president of the Big Wood Lake Association.
Ryan, along with other neighbors went quickly to the scene to help rescue the horse.
“We saw it out there struggling and bobbing out, about 150 yards off the shore,” said Ryan in a local news agency.
They named him Jack, after the character in the movie Titanic.
Ryan, who also owns horses and has a veterinarian mother, said that the horse was a Mustang.
They are known to have a very high tolerance for cold weather conditions.
However, he admitted that it was only a matter of time before Hypothermia would take over Jack’s body and take his life.
Ryan and his neighbors spent a long time trying to figure out how they could remove Jack from the cold water without harming him.
Strub mentioned, “On the scene, there was a veterinarian. As long as the horse was still moving and kicking it was savable. That’s why they never gave up.”
After several attempts, trials, and errors, the good samaritans were able to get a nylon strap under the horse’s body.
This helped them guide the horse into the ice slowly.
Ryan told the news that they started to get that taut and pressure to get him on the edge of the ice.
The horse then kicked and thrust himself out of the freezing water.
The rescuers had to push the horse and move it away from the lake.
Not long after the rescue, Jack was already on his feet and was walking normally.
“He had a look like what the heck was going on?” Ryan said.
“We were amazed that he was able to get up and walk as fast as he did.”
They then moved Jack to a horse trailer and transferred him to a climate-controlled stable.
“We had all people with binoculars watching it from the lake and cheering. It was a point of pride,” Strub said.
He also told the local news that despite the below-zero temperatures and the lack of resources, his neighbors never gave up until they could get Jack to safety.
While in Frontier Stables, Jack was continuously monitored and they told the news that the horse was doing well.
Jack was then reunited with his owners a few days after they got contacted.
“It’s part of living in the country here in rural Wisconsin,” Ryan said. “You see everything and everyone is willing to help.”
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