Equine Guelph’s Large Animal Emergency Rescue (LAER) training team recently conducted fully booked hands-on workshops in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, attracting first responders, veterinarians, and horse owners eager to learn critical large animal rescue skills. The training, led by experts including Dr. Rebecca Husted, focused on practical techniques such as emergency halter creation, cast horse rolls, and trailer extractions, using a life-sized horse mannequin to simulate real-life emergency scenarios. These sessions highlighted the importance of preparedness in rural and extreme weather conditions, with local organizations like Equestrian Nova Scotia playing a key role in expanding access to such training.

Following the success in Atlantic Canada, the LAER team is returning to Ontario for another workshop at Grand River Raceway in Elora on October 17. This full-day course will continue to provide hands-on experience with rescue equipment and realistic scenarios, targeting a broad audience including first responders, veterinarians, animal welfare officers, and horse owners. With limited spots available, early registration is encouraged, and there are opportunities for communities to host future sessions to further build large animal emergency rescue capacity across regions.