Swimming is fun, but not in the wintertime.
So when Cappuccino the horse decided to escape his pasture Monday and go for a dip in the family swimming pool, he needed to be rescued by local emergency response crews.
According to Cappuccino's owner, Penny MacCormack of Botetourt County, Virginia, Cappuccino walked quite a long way from his pasture to get into the pool. And once in, he couldn't get out.
Luckily rescue crews in Botetourt are actually trained for situations like these, so when they got the call they knew what to do.
Animal Control Deputy Jake Gossett said in an interview with WDBJ7:
"Within the past 40 days, we've had two calls like that. You know, cows, horses, pigs, sheep, all that. We've got to take care of those calls too."
But despite their animal-related training, this particular call was still a bit of a surprise.
Brandon Golla of Botetourt County Fire and EMS said:
"So it's not something we're totally unfamiliar with. However, a horse in a pool is a little different ... It's a little shocking when you hear that go across the radio. And you try to wrap your mind around what you just heard."
When the firefighters arrived, they rigged a harness out of some ropes and attached it to Cappuccino.
"Pretty much after that it was Botetourt backbone pulling the horse out of the pool," Gossett said.
Cappuccino exited the pool with just a minor injury to one of his hind legs. The main health concern following his winter swim was hypothermia, but he managed to avoid complications of that as well.
"His temperature went back up," MacCormack said. "He ate some hot mash, and walked around."
She still doesn't know what sparked Cappuccino's desire to go for a swim, but is willing to live with the mystery.
Has your horse ever gotten himself into a crazy situation? Share your stories below.
