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Fire crew rescues horse named Nanna stuck in the mud near Hicks Lake. See the photos

LFD3

Lacey Fire District 3 was called to the 2000 block of Carpenter Road near Hicks Lake after 9 p.m. last Thursday to rescue a horse named Nanna from the mud.

Deputy fire chief Jennifer Schmidt said the department has handled a number of livestock rescues, but they don’t usually take place in the dark.

Lacey Fire District 3 was called to Carpenter Road near Hicks Lake Thursday, Aug. 8, to rescue a horse named Nanna from the mud. Using a tractor as an anchor point, a large animal net, ropes and a 5-1 haul system, the horse was freed from the mud.
Lacey Fire District 3 was called to Carpenter Road near Hicks Lake Thursday, Aug. 8, to rescue a horse named Nanna from the mud. Using a tractor as an anchor point, a large animal net, ropes and a 5-1 haul system, the horse was freed from the mud. Courtesy LFD3

Schmidt said when crews arrived, Nanna’s owners had already been working to free her from the muddied creek bed for more than an hour, after the horse escaped its holding area. Neighbors were also assisting and helped direct traffic once fire crews arrived.

Schmidt said neighbors also offered up their heavy farm equipment for firefighters to use to get Nanna out of the mud, and they did. Still, Schmidt said it took crews an hour and a half to free the horse.

Lacey Fire District 3 was called to a muddy creek bed near Hicks Lake Thursday, Aug. 8, to rescue a horse named Nanna from the mud. A veterinarian from Olympia Equine Veterinary Services sedated Nanna, who was in the mud for about 3 hours before she was pulled out.
Lacey Fire District 3 was called to a muddy creek bed near Hicks Lake Thursday, Aug. 8, to rescue a horse named Nanna from the mud. A veterinarian from Olympia Equine Veterinary Services sedated Nanna, who was in the mud for about 3 hours before she was pulled out. Courtesy LFD3
A veterinarian from Olympia Equine Veterinary Services tends to Nanna, a horse stuck in the mud near Hicks Lake. Lacey Fire District 3 got the horse out of the mud late Thursday, Aug. 8.
A veterinarian from Olympia Equine Veterinary Services tends to Nanna, a horse stuck in the mud near Hicks Lake. Lacey Fire District 3 got the horse out of the mud late Thursday, Aug. 8. Courtesy LFD3

A veterinarian from Olympia Equine Veterinary Services sedated Nanna, and using a tractor as an anchor point, a large animal net, ropes and a 5-1 haul system, the horse was freed from the mud.

Schmidt said nearly as soon as Nanna was upright, she was able to bear her own weight again.

Lacey Fire District 3 Deputy Chief Jennifer Schmidt said nearly as soon as Nanna was upright, she was able to bear her own weight again. Nanna was stuck in the mud near Hicks Lake for about 3 hours.
Lacey Fire District 3 Deputy Chief Jennifer Schmidt said nearly as soon as Nanna was upright, she was able to bear her own weight again. Nanna was stuck in the mud near Hicks Lake for about 3 hours. Courtesy LFD3

Schmidt said the last crew cleared the scene about midnight. The battalion chief and some crew members went back Friday, Aug. 9, to see Nanna, and she was having a speedy recovery and acting like nothing ever happened.

Schmidt said the battalion chief said he would’ve liked to be called to the scene to assist the horse earlier. She said if it ever looks like a situation is going to become dangerous for an animal or its rescuers, it’s best to call the department right away.

Lacey Fire District 3 was called to the 2000 block of Carpenter Road near Hicks Lake after 9 p.m. last Thursday to rescue a horse named Nanna from the mud. The battalion chief and some crew members went back Friday, Aug. 9, to see Nanna, and she was having a speedy recovery and acting like nothing ever happened.
Lacey Fire District 3 was called to the 2000 block of Carpenter Road near Hicks Lake after 9 p.m. last Thursday to rescue a horse named Nanna from the mud. The battalion chief and some crew members went back Friday, Aug. 9, to see Nanna, and she was having a speedy recovery and acting like nothing ever happened. Courtesy LFD3
Ty Vinson
The Olympian
Ty Vinson covers the City of Olympia and keeps tabs on Tumwater and other communities in Thurston County. He joined The Olympian in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at the Northwest Indiana Times, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic as a Pulliam Fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription
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