The horse that in the early hours of a winter morning fell into the icy waters of a frozen stream near Cochin, in Saskatchewan, Canada, was ironically renamed Frosty. The animal had been walking on thin ice between Jackfish Lake and Murray Lake until the surface gave way, trapping it in about 4 feet of water and ice.
The alarm was raised around 9.20am, when a resident reported the presence of the horse in difficulty. The mayor of Cochin, Mark Pattinson, immediately went to the scene together with a friend, only to find himself faced with a critical scene: Frosty was able to lift his front legs, but he didn’t have the strength to get out.
The failed attempts and the arrival of reinforcements
The first rescue attempts, carried out with ropes and human strength alone, did not work. Meanwhile, other residents stopped to help, along with two RCMP officers. The turning point came with the recovery of a Jeep equipped with a winch, parked some distance from the accident site.
Crossing reeds and stretches of bush, the rescuers managed to attach a resistant rope to the horse. In less than 30 minutes after being found, Frosty was finally towed off the ice. However, the conditions remained worrying: the animal was exhausted, covered in ice and struggled to stand on its legs.
For a few moments the situation appeared desperate. Frosty couldn’t get up and the rescuers feared the worst. Then, after being helped to position its legs correctly, the horse stood up on its own and began to walk slowly.
A united community for Frosty
Wrapped in a blanket, he was taken to a shed in the village to warm up. Residents brought hay, water and bandages, while his general condition, including body temperature, was checked. During the following hours, Frosty’s story emerged: his owner had died and no one had looked after him permanently. The horse roamed free in the area until the accident on the ice.
The community response was immediate. Some citizens offered financial support for veterinary care, while local farmers provided a horse trailer. Frosty was transferred to Lakeland Veterinary Clinic in North Battleford, where he is now being treated.
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