This article is from page 14 of the 2013-10-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
A HORSE, who was trapped in the River Fergus for a number of hours or even days, is recovering well after her ordeal.
The horse entered the river close to Victoria Court area on the Lahinch Road and became trapped an unable to free itself. A passerby noticed the animal and contacted the authorities who came to assist the stranded animal.
The animal could not be coaxed closer to the bank of the river, so Clare County Council’s dog warden, Frankie Coote, was forced to don his swimming gear and enter the river. After some effort the horse was rescued from the Fergus and is recovering well.
“We got a report that there was a horse stuck in the River Fergus just off the Lahinch Road, behind Victoria Court. The horse had obviously been there quite a long time it was very cold weak,” said Frankie.
“Unfortunately the horse could not be caught from the banks so I had to swim around trying to get near the horse it took just over half hour to get the rope on. Garda Colin Egan and Garda Damian Quaid were there to help and we were able to find and notify the owner.
“I would like to say thanks to everyone that helped and especially to Pat Tierney from Drumcliff stables who often would help. Thankfully the horse is now recovering well.”
This dramatic rescue comes less than a month after a healthy horse choked to death when it became entangled in a rope used to tether it on the outskirts of Ennis in September.
Indeed, horses have had a number of difficult years in the county. Horse ownership grew dramatically during the Celtic Tigers years with a number of people not able to afford to maintain their animals once the recession hit.