Spider Horse Goes for a Winter Swim

Firemen were called to rescue a 11-year-old American Paint horse that had fallen through a snow-covered pool cover in a swimming pool in Sherborn, Massachusetts. 

When firefighters arrived Spider horse was in the deep end of the pool shivering with cold and nervousness. Firefighters dealt with a range of rescue options, finally decides to cut through the ice and pool cover and keep the nervous horse to safety. 

The horse had taken a walk from his barn, but no one was looking. Unfortunately, the gates between the barn and swimming pool could not be closed because of snow, which also obscured the inground pool. 

Spider and the horse went out on the surface of the pool that was protected with a high strength pool cover. Advertisers of this special pool covering proud to announce that it can take the weight of a small elephant. Unfortunately, the high strength pool cover was not strong enough to take the weight of both snow and the horse. 

There were fears that Spider would succumb to hypothermia as the pool heaters were no longer in use and the water was covered with a layer of ice. But firefighters were able to return him to his stable for about half an hour. He had suffered a few minor scratches on his feet and ankles, but the biggest concern was hypothermia. 

Spider the horse was treated for a strong rub down and heated with propane heaters. It was obvious that he had not suffered any adverse effects from his cold, mid-winter dip. 

Pool owners are warned that their swimming pool covers might take a lot of weight, but if there is already snow and ice on the cover, and then it went to the extra weight may be enough to tear the cover. Combine this risk with camouflage effect of snow and you have an immediate hazard to both animals and humans. Pool owners urged to put a security fence around their inground swimming pools to prevent accidents like this.