COLUMBIA — A horse died of hypothermia Wednesday morning after it was pulled from an icy pond on its owners’ property near Dripping Springs Road.
Several people tried to pull the horse to shore before firefighters from the Boone County Fire Protection District arrived at about 8:30 a.m. at the property at 12221 N. Kinder Drive
Units specializing in large animal rescue used a harness and a rope to pull the horse out of the water. Division Chief Gale Blomenkamp said the pond was three inches thick with ice. About 15 firefighters and a veterinarian were at the scene.
After the horse was brought to shore, it was covered with blankets and ridden to improve circulation. Firefighters then transferred the horse onto a large metal hay bale feeder and brought it to a sheltered area using ropes and a tow truck.
The horse died of hypothermia soon after. The horse’s owner, Linda Kinder, declined to comment about the incident.