Publication Date:
Thu, 2010-03-18 01:46
Colorado spent five days stranded on the sandbar along the Gila River about 36 miles southwest of Phoenix. The Gila's swift-moving current prevented an earlier rescue and the horse was trapped on the sandbar with a few bushes and trees to munch on. His rider was one of three people rescued after they tried to ride in the river Friday. A veterinarian prepped the 900-pound horse for the flight Tuesday by injecting him with a tranquilizer before placing him in a harness with blinders on. Once he was airborne, Colorado flew effortlessly and never bucked, his black mane and tail blowing in the wind. As the helicopter gently let Colorado down, the horse's back legs buckled a bit before he straightened up.
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