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First responders gathered at the University of Maine’s J.F. Witter Large Animal Research Center on Sept. 19 to participate in a seminar on horse-handling techniques in preparation for emergency situations that involve the four-legged animals.
Lauren Mack, a fourth-year pre-veterinarian student, has been coordinating the program as her senior project.
In the Bangor area alone, there have been numerous horse-related incidents this year, including a loose racehorse on Interstate 395 and several more incidents on Interstate 95. A growing concern is the majority of first responders called to these situations are not trained in handling these animals and therefore are unable to adequately control the situation. This is dangerous to not only the horses, but to the public as well.
“A lot of this for me was seeing all the recent incidences, putting all these stories together and being like, ‘Well, we have a problem. Let’s fix it, or do what we can to fix it.’ It’s a win-win situation for the university, the people attending and the horses in the long run,” Mack said.
The seminar was led by professor Shea Porr, superintendent of the Virginia Tech Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Middleburg, Va., who developed the course. First responders who attended were taught basic handling techniques, horse behavior and were able to experience hands-on training with the university’s own standard-bred mares at Witter Farm. James Weber, an associate professor of animal and veterinarian science at UMaine, lectured during the seminar about basic equine first aid to prepare first responders in dealing with injuries before the veterinarian arrives to the scene of an accident.
“I’ve had several [horse-related] calls this summer as well as last winter, and I had absolutely no experience with horses, so when this opportunity came up, I jumped on it,” said Vivian Axmacher, a local animal control officer who attended Saturday’s seminar. “I thought this was a great way for me to learn how to handle a horse … and most of all, how to understand their behavior.”
Porr has provided the university with the resources necessary to continue offering the program in the future, and possibly allow for higher levels of instruction.
“It was beneficial to the university because we were able to involve many of our own students to help teach and to get the connection with the public and the first responders,” said Melissa Spencer, the equine lecturer, trainer and horse barn manager at Witter Farm. “It was also a chance for us to show how well trained our horses are.”
Spencer wants people to understand the importance of the horses at Witter and said that they’re used for more than pleasure riding and the UMaine Equestrian team.
“I think [the seminar] helps the program because it’s another way to let people know that we’re here and that we aren’t just a bunch of girls riding around on horses. We do have a purpose for the community and for the university,” Spencer said. “One of the things that I’m passionate about is showing people that these animals here are vital to the university and what we’re doing for pre-vet students.”
All of the horses at Witter Farm are standard-bred mares — they are retired harness racers that are donated to the university. Veterinarians and UMaine professors use the horses for innovative reproduction. The horses are connected with the pre-veterinarian curriculum, according to Spencer.
“This benefits the university because the community sees the university giving back in a really open sense. It promotes our mares and in addition to the community, the next horse that gets loose has a better chance,” Mack said.
Bangor Daily News