Early Monday morning in south Reno, a horse fell into a swimming pool after mistaking the pool cover for solid ground, prompting an emergency rescue. Washoe County Animal Services, alongside the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and Least Resistance Training Concepts, responded quickly in the dark to save the exhausted horse, which was struggling to stay afloat.

Using technical large animal rescue equipment and the homeowner’s backhoe, rescuers carefully pulled the horse from the pool. The animal was then covered with blankets and taken to Comstock Equine Hospital, where it was found to have only minor injuries and exhaustion. Officers also located and reunited the horse with its owner, along with a second horse found nearby.