Registration Open for Kentucky Horse Council's Large Animal Emergency Rescue Training Class to be held Sept. 27-29, 2024, at the Kentucky Horse Park

Lexington, KY (July 29, 2024) - The Kentucky Horse Council’s three-day Large Animal Emergency Rescue (LAER) training is slated to return to the Kentucky Horse Park on Sept. 27-29, 2024.

LAER is taught by Justin and Tori McLeod of 4Hooves Large Animal Services, LLC, a North Carolina-based company that specialized in large animal technical rescue emergency response and training for emergency responders and veterinary professionals. The course is geared specifically toward veterinarians, emergency responders and animal control officers, but horse owners and industry professionals will also find the course beneficial in learning how to care for and extract equines in potentially hazardous situations while remaining safe.

The course will cover topics like animal behavior; handling and restraint; containment; motor vehicle accidents and overturned trailers; entrapments; unstable ground incidents (mud, ditch, ice, etc.); water rescues; and natural disaster preparation and response. Specialized instruction will be given to participants based on their background and auditors are welcome.

“This three-day, technical training is an incredible learning experience for attendees – both hands-on and auditors,” says Sarah Coleman, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Council. “Instructors teach emergency personnel, veterinarians and horse owners how to work together, leaning into the specific knowledge each faction has in an effort to secure the best possible outcome for horses in perilous situations.”

Attendees will split time between attending lectures at the Kentucky Horse Park Visitor Center theater and spending time out Park grounds, practicing the skills they learned inside. Horses used for the hands-on portion of the class are graciously provided by the Lexington Mounted Police.

Continuing education credits for veterinarians are available through the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. Sponsorship opportunities are available here.

For more information, click here or contact the Kentucky Horse Council at 859-367-0509 or info@kentuckyhorse.org. Learn more about 4Hooves Large Animal Services at 4hoovessmart.com.