Butter the miniature horse falls into 60-foot California well — and lives. ‘Miracle’
A miniature horse was rescued during an hours-long effort after falling down a well, California officials say.
The horse, named Butter, was walking over a plywood-covered well when she crashed through the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 1, Riverside County officials said in a Nov. 4 news release.
The 12-year-old horse fell 15 feet, officials said.
When officials came to her rescue in the unincorporated area of Warm Springs, they siphoned water from the well, officials said.
They realized it “was actually 60 feet deep,” Riverside County Animal Services said in a Nov. 4 Facebook post.
With “such a drop,” rescuers said they worried the horse may have died or suffered severe injuries.
Firefighters with the CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department wrapped a sling around the 350-pound horse, “and she was safely hoisted up using a front-loader,” officials said.
Itzel Vizcarra, a veterinarian with the shelter, examined Butter after she was raised from the well, the shelter said.
“She was visibly shaking while still strapped,” Vizcarra told officials.
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Vizcarra determined she was not seriously injured, treated her wounds and gave her pain medication, officials said.
“We were all amazed she came out without any major trauma,” Vizcarra said.
Fearful Butter may get hypothermia, Vizcarra told officials she had colleagues dry her and wrap her in a heavy blanket.
“It’s astounding that she walked away fine the same day,” she said.
The rescue came to a close at about 10 p.m.
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“This was a huge team effort by many rescuers, so it’s uplifting to learn Butter will be OK,” Vizcarra said.
Butter was reunited with her owner and treated by her regular veterinarian, who said her “minor injuries were already healing up and looking good,” the shelter said.
“This is quite the miracle,” rescuers said.
Users on Facebook echoed the sentiment, calling Butter “a mini unicorn.”
Warm Springs is about a 60-mile drive southeast from Los Angeles.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Butter the miniature horse falls into 60-foot California well — and lives. ‘Miracle’."
