Trust keen to expand horse ambulance use

A trust building ambulances for horses is keen to expand their use beyond equine events.

Three ambulances have already been built by Green Island engineering firm TL MacLean on behalf of the New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust, and a fourth is in production.

Trustee and Mosgiel equine vet Peter Gillespie said the ambulance project began six years ago.

"We never had a system in New Zealand for taking injured horses off a racetrack.

"We've built this for if there's either an injured horse or a deceased horse."

The ambulances were able to be lowered via a suspension system, which was easier and less stressful for an injured horse.

The ambulances have been deployed six times so far.

"Having being a racetrack vet for close to 25 years, I'd seen how restricted we were in getting injured horses off the track," Dr Gillespie said.

"Injured horses don't like walking up a ramp or backwards.

"Instead of asking a horse to walk up a ramp, they just have to step up."

There are also metal arms that help keep horses in place while they are inside the ambulance.

"We see ourselves as the custodians of horse welfare. To be able to safely transport a horse from the point of injury into a hospital is important."

All of the ambulances are designed and created in Dunedin, with even the upholstery and floors made locally.

Dr Gillespie said the idea of keeping the project local excited him.

"I was adamant that, because the idea was seeded down here, everything stayed down here.

"I'm proud that it's been done locally, that we've had the ability to do it here."

The first ambulance was completed in November 2018.

They take three months to build and cost about $140,000 a unit, including the ute for towing.

Dr Gillespie said the trust had enough funds for seven ambulances, but hoped to create 10.

At present there are two ambulances in the North Island and one in the South Island, used at different race events across the island.

The next one would be sent to Waikato, and the following one would be based in Dunedin.

The trust was also looking outside the racing industry, collaborating with Civil Defence about using the ambulances for horse rescue during disasters.

Dr Gillespie said he was involved in a sea lion rescue with the Department of Conservation a few years ago and was interested in building off-road ambulances for similar situations.

"I realised Doc have no system in place for getting injured sea lions off a beach. So there's lots of applications for something like this."

-By Samuel Rillstone