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Rescuers Pull Horse From Icy Area

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP — A patch of ice at a farm in Monroe County created quite the stir. A horse, weighing roughly 2,000 pounds, fell on the ice Friday morni...

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP -- A patch of ice at a farm in Monroe County created quite the stir.

A horse, weighing roughly 2,000 pounds, fell on the ice Friday morning.  But getting the animal back on its feet took quite an effort.

Gregory Maloney is keeping a close eye on his horse Midnight. She's now wrapped in a blanket keeping warm after she slipped and fell on a patch of ice while roaming around the farm near Stroudsburg.

"Usually they roll over and they get up.  But the thing was she had no traction with her hoof because it was all ice so she couldn't get up," said Maloney.

The area where Midnight was found looked like it was snow-covered ground, but was actually snow-covered ice.

Midnight's owners tried to get the 2,000 pound animal up and used sand and kitty litter. They then realized they needed extra help very soon.

Midnight, the owners feared, was starting to shut down.

"We could tell that she didn't want to try to get up. I think she was getting hypothermic. She was getting sleepy and her eyes were closing," said Maloney.

When Newswatch 16 arrived, Schlier’s Towing and Blue Ridge Hook and Ladder Volunteer Fire Department had just got the animal back on its feet.

The horse was shaky standing up and still slipping on the ice. The people helping the animal were also slipping on the snow-covered ice. But to get 2,000 pound Midnight standing was an enormous task.

"We somehow put a harness under her belly, brought it around, hooked it to the hooks of the tow trucks then they slowly lifted her," said Maloney.

Crews on scene say it wasn't easy.

"We worked together to get straps underneath her, and worked together on getting her up. The township came, Hamilton Township, and spread cinders," said Debbie Repsher of Blue Ridge Hook and Ladder.

For the owners, they're just very thankful Midnight is back in her stable warming up under her blanket.

"It's nice to have her safe," said Maloney.

The owners of the horse called us Friday afternoon to tell us a veterinarian came out to check Midnight and she is doing well. The owners will now be more careful where they let their horses roam when the winter gets messy like it's been.

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