REISTERSTOWN, Md. — After escaping through a neighbor’s fence with two other horses, ‘John’ fell into a large pit behind Ron Riley’s home---a potential hazard he wasn’t aware of when he bought his home on Old Hanover Road 25 years ago.
WATCH: Horse saved after falling in deep pit
“I didn’t even know it was there until it collapsed a few months back and thank goodness I wasn’t riding over it with my lawnmower or tractor falling in there, because it really could have been bad,” Riley told us.
Once Riley became aware of the large crater, which had formed in his yard, he went to great lengths to try to cover it up to keep anyone from falling inside.
RELATED: Firefighters rescue horse trapped in pit in Baltimore County
He says he knew it was an old dry well, which had caved in and his insurance company sent out an engineer who confirmed it, yet they were dragging their feet to pay the $450 to fill it with dirt.
“I built a platform and put plywood over it you know with two by fours and such to keep anyone from falling in there,” explained Riley, “but of course, a horse, knowing what they weigh fell and went right through it.”
When first responders arrived on the scene, they immediately called for a crane and a veterinarian to attempt to rescue the half ton, 32-year-old horse.
“The vet went into the hole and sedated the horse and that’s where they were then able to apply slings under the horse and connected that to the hoist from the crane and slowly and carefully lifted the horse out of the hole,” said Baltimore County Fire Lt. Twana Allen.
Now, Riley is left with the same large crater in his yard that he started with, but he’s hopeful his insurance company will take his claim to fill it seriously---more seriously than his work when he checked out early, because of the large-scale rescue operation unfolding in his back yard.
“They knew about this situation that I’m going through with the insurance company,” recounted Riley, “I told them at work about that and I said, ‘A horse fell through,’ and they were like, ‘And a dog ate my homework,’ you know? (laughter) I’m just glad that the horse was ok.”
