By Sally Harrison

The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA), producer of the world’s richest equine events outside of racing and a leader in animal welfare, recently unveiled a custom-built horse ambulance to be available on-site at all major NCHA events.

“We were the first western stock horse performance association to develop a medication policy and now we are the first to provide an on-site ambulance with a specially trained emergency team,” said Lindy Burch, past president of the association and chairman of its Horse and Cattle Welfare Committee.

“Hopefully we never have an accident, but if we do, we can safely and easily move an animal into the ambulance, where it can be stabilized by our on-site veterinarian, and transported from the arena to an emergency equine veterinary clinic.”

Jerry Durant, owner of Durant Auto Group and a cutting horse owner, has donated the use of a new Chevy pickup for the ambulance during the NCHA shows.

The ambulance was custom built by Kyle Zanetti Trailers, Weatherford, Tex., with input from Burch, NCHA Welfare Committee member Chris Benedict, and two equine sports veterinary specialists. Its many features include a hydraulic ramp and a winch-operated Becker sling system to stabilize or suspend a horse, depending on its injuries.

“I make trailers for people who want special features that regular manufacturers can’t provide,” said owner Kyle Zanetti, who builds custom trailers with the help of six employees. “The NCHA Equine Ambulance was a collaboration with Lindy and Chris, who told me what was needed and shared their knowledge. But I did everything in my shop and have had my hands on every part of this trailer.”

“We as cutters are very proactive in caring for our horses,” Burch pointed out. “We love them, we want to protect their welfare in training and during competition, and having an equine ambulance at our events will give us peace of mind that we are better prepared, if an accident does take place.”

The sport of cutting evolved from cattle roundups, where calves were separated from their mothers for branding by cowboys or cowgirls on horseback. Today’s cutting competition demands highly skilled and conditioned athletes able to counter evasive calves with powerful precision, and at breath-taking speed.

“Still, it is good to know the ambulance is there, if something does happen to a horse or even a cow. And in the future, we hope to make it available to other equine events.”

In addition to the hydraulic ramp and winch-operated sling system, the ambulance can be lowered 3 ½ inches for ease of loading, and also carries a special “sled” that can be placed underneath a prostrate animal and winched inside the trailer.

Other features full air-ride suspension; alleys and doors to provide easy access to the animal from both sides; a 12 volt LED lighting system; a converter-charging system so that it can be plugged into a 110 volt outlet, when parked; cushioned Polylast flooring with anti-fungal and bacterial properties; and ample storage and refrigeration for medical supplies.

While the NCHA Equine Ambulance is the first of its kind for Kyle Zanetti Trailers, as well as for the performance horse world, it is not the only “first” with a Zanetti stamp. Last year, Kyle designed and built an 18-horse trailer for cutting horse trainer Adan Banuelos.

“That is an ultimate trailer,” said Zanetti of the Banuelos rig. “When somebody says nobody can do it, I say give me a shot. I grew up in this business and I love it, and I am always going to offer a premiere product.”

For additional information or photo images, contact Lindy Burch, Chairman of the NCHA Horse and Cattle Welfare Committee, at lindy@lindyburch.com or Julie Davis, NCHA Member Services Director, at jdavis@nchacutting.com