Animal rescue crews were working Monday to figure out how to hoist an eight-year-old horse out of a ravine after he fell 100 feet off a cliff in a remote area of Jamul.
The retired thoroughbred named Dobby slipped on a rock and fell 100 feet down a cliff Sunday evening, said Mandy Morrell, who was riding the Hollenbeck Canyon trail with her neighbors when the accident happened. The horse's owner was able to jump off Dobby before he slipped down the hillside and then tumbled several times before becoming stuck at the base, she said.
A rescue team made up of crews from the San Diego Humane Society, Border Patrol and Cal Fire San Diego hiked around 5 miles to reach the "sweet boy," who was standing on a slope and injured.
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"He has a lot of cuts and gashes on him and um, they were able to give him first aid and they gave him some care last night," Morrell said. "They brought him out food and water and blanketed him overnight."
Morrell said Dobby hasn't been fully assessed by a veterinarian yet but they're hopeful the wounds appear superficial. Dobby's rider, who does competitive jumping with Dobby, was uninjured.
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The plan was to use a helicopter to hoist him out of the area on Monday, but they were unable to do so, the San Diego Humane Society said. Instead, the emergency response team hike back out to Dobby and worked for four hours to walk the horse back up a cliff.
After receiving some treatment from a veterinarian at the scene, the thoroughbred was transpoted to a critical care unit, the humane society said.
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