A dramatic rescue unfolded at a stable in Somerset, England, where a horse accomplished what six humans could not.
Beatrice, a 16-year-old shire horse, suddenly fell seriously ill after developing equine colic — a condition known to cause severe abdominal pain and potentially life-threatening complications. The pain became so intense that she collapsed inside her stall, putting her life in immediate danger.
For horses, remaining on the ground for extended periods can be fatal. Prolonged immobility increases the risk of reperfusion injury, a condition in which blood flow fails to properly circulate to certain parts of the body, potentially leading to organ failure.
Her owners, Donald MacIntyre and Jane Lipington, quickly called four farm workers for assistance. Racing against time, the group attempted to lift the one-tonne animal using a makeshift pulley system attached to a tractor and heavy-duty straps. Despite hours of effort, they were unable to get her back on her feet.
As Beatrice’s heart rate and blood pressure climbed to dangerous levels, the couple began considering euthanasia if she could not stand soon.
Just 20 minutes before that heartbreaking deadline, Jane remembered she needed to let Beau, Beatrice’s 11-year-old companion, out into the yard. When she opened his stable door, Beau did not head outside as expected. Instead, he walked straight to Beatrice’s stall.
Sensing distress, he placed his head over the divider and began nudging and nipping at Beatrice’s neck, gripping her head and pulling upward in an apparent attempt to lift her.
In an astonishing turn of events, Beatrice rolled over and managed to stand up.
“We all watched with amazement. He lifted her so that her chest and legs came up off the ground, with a little encouragement from us she got shakily to her feet and we quickly walked her out into the yard trying to stop her falling down,” Jane tells Liftable.
Beatrice later made a full recovery. She and Beau had shared a stable for four years, and their bond proved stronger than anyone had realized.
The incident, originally reported in 2018, continues to resonate as a powerful reminder of the emotional intelligence and instinctive empathy animals can display — especially in moments of crisis.
