Key Points
- LAER training enabled a safe, organized rescue of retired police horse Dottie in winter emergency.
- Equine Guelph’s course taught critical teamwork, incident command, and safe rescue methods.
- Tracey advises: “Definitely take the course! … They’re amazing tools to have.”
Thanks to quick thinking, teamwork, and specialized training from Equine Guelph’s Large Animal Emergency Rescue (LAER) program, a 29‑year‑old retired police horse named Dottie was successfully rescued after becoming dangerously unable to rise on a snowy, icy winter morning at Trinity Trotters.
What began as a routine check‑in by barn manager Tracey Abramovic on Dec. 30, 2025, quickly turned into a critical situation. Dottie, well‑loved and known for mobility challenges, was found lying in a position that made it impossible for her to stand on the slippery ground.
“The way she was laying down, I knew there was no way she was getting up,” Tracey explained. Initial attempts to help her rise only confirmed those fears. “We tried for about 10 minutes, but she wasn’t even trying.”…