Firefighters near Grande Prairie, Alta., used their specialized training to rescue 10 frantic horses that broke through an ice-covered slough on Sunday. 
 
 Dramatic video shows how firefighters saved the horses, three of which later died from the ordeal. 
 
 The herd had wandered onto the ice before falling through, said Trevor Grant, regional fire chief in the County of Grande Prairie. 
 
 "With the warmer temperatures, the ice on the dugouts the horses are used to being on all winter is a lot thinner," Grant said. 
 
 About 35 regional firefighters and members of a search and rescue team responded to the call about 65 kilometres west of Grande Prairie, which came in at around 4:15 p.m. 
 
 Firefighters used chainsaws to cut pathways to the shore. They then used slings and boards to get the horses over the mud and melting ice at the edge of the slough. 
 
 All 10 horses were removed from the water by 6 p.m., but three died later: two from exhaustion, and one from injuries incurred due to the kicking of other horses, Grant said. 
 
 'That ice can change in a matter of hours. What was safe in the morning may no longer be safe in the afternoon.' - Regional Fire Chief Trevor Grant 
 
 A veterinarian said Monday that the seven remaining animals were in good shape and should be OK, Grant added. 
 
 "To rescue seven was a great feat, especially when having such a large number in the water," Grant said. 
 
 The rescue was especially rewarding for the firefighters from La Glace, as several members are trained in large animal rescue, Grant said. "This program has been evolving over the last couple of years out of the need." 
 
 Grant is warning landowners to be aware of their animals around sloughs at this time of year. 
 
 "With the changing conditions, that ice can change in a matter of hours. What was safe in the morning may no longer be safe in the afternoon." ||||| CTV News has obtained dramatic video showing a number of horses being rescued from a frozen dugout in northern Alberta over the weekend. 
 
 The video shows rescuers cutting into the ice in the dugout, located off of Highway 43, about 65 kilometres west of Grande Prairie. 
 
 Officials told CTV News ten horses wandered onto the ice, and fell through. 
 
 Rescue crews were first called to the area, a property west of Hythe, Alberta, at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday. 
 
 Crews from Hythe, Beaverlodge, Laglace and Grande Prairie were involved in the rescue operation – rescuing the animals proved to be a challenge, as crews were also dealing with thin ice, cold water, and the risk of being injured by the animals. 
 
 “It is one of the more difficult ones that our crews have had to deal with,” Trevor Grant, Fire Chief of the County of Grande Prairie’s regional fire service said. 
 
 “Fortunately we do have people that are trained in this type of rescue, so it helped reduce that risk.” 
 
 Grant said the type of horses that fell through the thin ice also made the entire rescue more challenging. 
 
 “They weren’t domesticated,” Grant said. “They were a wild broncing horse, used in rodeo. So they’re not the docile horses that are standard riding horses.” 
 
 Rescuers used chainsaws and other tools to cut a path through the ice, allowing most of the horses to walk to safety. 
 
 A total of seven horses were saved, Grant said two died from exhaustion, and one from injuries sustained during the ordeal. 
 
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– Dozens of firefighters and rescue crew risked their own safety to save 10 horses that fell through the ice Sunday in Canada—and it was all caught on video, CBC reports. After the horses fell through the thinning ice in northern Alberta, rescuers had to use chainsaws to cut a path back to the shore before using boards and slings to get the horses to dry land. Rescuers were at risk not only from the cold temperatures and thin ice, but from the frantic animals, which were "wild broncing" horses used in rodeos and not domesticated, according to CTV News. All 10 horses were removed from the water after two hours, though three later died. "To rescue seven was a great feat, especially when having such a large number in the water," a local fire chief tells CBC.