H orses involved in natural disaster and traffic accidents sometimes feature in the news, along with stories about them being extricated from sewerage tanks and swimming pools. There are many more stories of horses in dire situations that never reach the news, and it is an alarming fact that emergency calls for horses in distress are on the increase. While some horses survive the most unsuitable situations, at some stage in their life most find a way to hurt themselves with amazing ease, even on the best-planned and maintained property. They are vulnerable to accident and injury in any environment, and this is amplified greatly outside their immediate, familiar surroundings. While some emergency incidents involving horses are genuine freak occurrences, most are caused by human error in some form, either from failing to take responsibility, or to foresee what could happen and take preventative measures. True freak accidents do occur. Falling into mud holes is one, a rearing horse catching a hoof on a float, fence or other structure is another. Others happen when horses escape from a handler, or are confined. But most often they arise from neglect, laziness, bad judgement, or lack of foresight on behalf of humans. Horses fall into swimming pools, water tanks and sewerage tanks more often than may be supposed, often with tragic consequences. These are dangerous rescues; horses quickly suffer hypothermia, the smooth, straight sides of a swimming pool make extraction difficult, and the injuries and subsequent infections sustained, particularly from sewerage tanks, can be horrific. Continued