New Horse Rescue Team Saves 29-Year-Old Dream from Creek

When Dream, a 29-year-old horse, tumbled off a bridge into an icy Belgrade creek on a Sunday morning, help arrived faster than anyone expected.

The new large animal rescue program in Montana's Gallatin Valley got its first real test that day. Just months after training together in December, Central Valley Fire District crews and local veterinarians rushed to Airport Road to find Dream trapped in cold muck.

Dr. Jared Hardaway from Hardaway Veterinary Hospital got the call and immediately headed out. His family-owned clinic had partnered with the fire district and fellow rescuer Amelie Kuglin to create this specialized program earlier in the year, knowing moments like this would come.

"When we showed up, there were already quite a few hands there," said firefighter EMT Eddy Ivey. Six to eight rescuers worked together, using slings and ratchet straps to pull the elderly horse from the freezing water.

Dream's condition was critical. His body temperature wouldn't register on the thermometer, his heart rate had dropped dangerously low, and hypothermia was setting in fast.

The team moved quickly. They covered Dream in blankets, dried him off, and started an IV to warm him from the inside. Their December training kicked in naturally, guiding each decision.

After stabilizing Dream at the scene, they transported him to Hardaway Veterinary Hospital. He stayed under care until Thursday, recovering his strength day by day.

Sunny's Take

This rescue is about more than saving one horse. "Every animal has a parent attached to it," Hardaway explained, capturing why this work matters so deeply.

Dream's owners got their companion back, bright-eyed and hungry. The rescue team proved their training worked under real pressure. And Gallatin Valley now knows they have people ready to help when large animals face life-threatening emergencies.

Both Hardaway and Ivey want the community to know this resource exists. When critical situations happen with horses, cattle, or other large animals, calling emergency services can save lives.

Dream is home now, eating and drinking like the fall never happened, and a dedicated team stands ready for the next call.