Excerpts from theDailyHerald.com:
Barrington Police Department officer Brian Hansen found himself learning to halter a chestnut mare and how to blindfold her in case of a barn fire. It was all part of a horse safety and rescue clinic hosted by the Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society and the Riding Club of Barrington Hills.
More than 40 officers turned out for sessions held in a private Barrington Hills barn. They included police and firefighters from Barrington, Barrington Hills, and the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District.
Donna Ewing, founder of the Hooved Animal Society, created the training course four years ago after realizing some of the
first responderspersonnel working in the heart of horse country had never been around horses.“In this area, horses can break out and get loose,” Ewing said. “The police didn’t have a clue how to approach them or what to do to capture one that was running down the street.”
The Riding Club of Barrington Hills estimates there are 600 to 800 horses in at least 250 barns in the greater Barrington area.
Officers and firefighters practiced haltering a horse and guiding it to safety. They took turns leading horses through an obstacle course deliberately designed to challenge them. They learned how to capture a horse running at large and what to do if horses are inside a burning barn.
“After horses break out, they can be scared or even injured,” Britton added. “We’re trying to simulate a more active environment, which puts (the horses and the officers) to the test.”
thanks Dan
