The 9-year-old horse survived a horrifying horse float accident and almost five hours of emergency care on Cluden Hill, near Tarras, late last month and is set to head south for life in some new paddocks.
The 17.5-hand Gisborne-bred Clydesdale horse was involved in an accident which left him lying half-in half-out of his float in the middle of State Highway 6 as traffic whizzed by.
"It wasn’t looking good. We are very lucky that two people who stopped were equine vets. They ended up helping us and after more than four and a-half hours being stuck in the float and being worked on and getting sutures, he is now up and home in Wānaka. He is very, very lucky to be alive . . . The vet Sarah has been amazing," horse owner Taylor Painter said.
He was sedated again before she stitched wounds on his legs and neck.
Ms Eyers has inspected Bones twice since the accident.
"Bones is doing really well. I think he should make a full recovery and I think he should be fine to travel," she said.
Ms Painter was transporting Bones to Christchurch in a horse float about 8am last Friday for a weekend competition.
Her partner was following in another vehicle.
Descending Cluden Hill, at the southern approach to the Lindis Pass, she heard a large crash from within the float and saw the back flap had come open.
She stopped as soon as she could and found Bones, also known as My Whiskey Neat, had fallen in his float and could not get up.
While scrambling around, Bones went forward through internal cupboards and the front of the float, which remained upright.
Ms Eyers had just finished her sutures when two equine specialists came along, one on holiday from Rangiora and another who works at Alexandra.
"It was incredible that not one, but two, arrived," she said.
The equine vets, who offered advice and helped examine Bones, and the firefighters had all been "amazing", Ms Eyers said.
Ms Painter said her "big old gentle giant" did not panic, although he was close to passing traffic.
Bones has been eating well since his accident and was being treated with painkillers and antibiotics.
Ms Painter and her partner have been working on farms around New Zealand and Australia for several years. They will both begin new farming jobs in Southland next week and will be taking Bones with them.
