Large Animal Rescue Equipment
Häst, PSC
2787 Floyd Highway South
Floyd Virginia 24091-3055
Telephone: 518-302-0784 E-mail Häst Fax: 540-745-4036
Häst is a professional service corporation dedicated to the needs of rescue personnel. While client driven, our top priority is safety, with ease of use being our second. During a rescue, failure of equipment is simply not an option. Much care and consideration has been given to every detail. And while we have established products, we constantly strive towards improvements on each and every detail. Interest in our products comes from all over the world. To see our sales in slings, water rescue harnesses, and component sales, click on this link for a detailed list by state: Product Distribution
NEW: For our international customers anywhere in the world, we are now able to get ocean shipping rates port to port!
While we can certainly ship via air, we feel that this may be too expensive for most. For example, from San Francisco to Melbourne Australia is over
$980 by air, and only $298 by sea. This is an additional cost as with the "Out the Door" option, the ground shipping fees within the United States
are already included. Transit time by ocean is usually in the 30 day time frame. At this time, the customer will be responsible for any customs, tariffs,
or other fees specific to that country. However, we are still working on those issues to make your purchases as easy as possible!
| Becker Sling Developed in 2004, the Becker Sling has been the flagship of our rescue equipment. The design originated from one used by Tomas and Rebecca Gimenez in their technical large animal rescue instruction courses. Subsequently, the design was enhanced with the addition of tactical D rings along the body and chest webbings for the use of tag lines during a rescue. In addition, the spread bar was strengthened and tested and was found to withstand a load of 21,600 pounds before failure. To our knowledge, no other sling carries these ratings. Durable custom marine vinyl pads are also made at our facility which make the lifting process very comfortable on the animal. For more information and to order: Becker Sling |
 Photograph courtesy Milton Roundup, Milton Georgia |
 Photograph courtesy John Haven, University of Florida |
Water Rescue Harness Several years ago we received a call from a horse facility with a water treadmill. They had suffered an accident with a horse that turned itself upside down in the water. They had no easy means of rescue. Fortunately, they were able to drain the water quickly so that the horse did not drown. From that request, the water rescue harness was conceived. It can be used prior to swimming a horse or during a rescue. The unit is designed to be placed on the horse much like a driving surcingle and has closed cell foam so that it will float! For more information and to order: Water Rescue Harness |
Recently, we have been examining the existing A-frames that have been available for rescue teams. A-frames can be an important tool when extracting an animal and either a crane is not available or the location for extraction is simply too inaccessible for a crane or other heavy rescue equipment. To date, there appear to be no specific standards by which A-frames are rated. Some of the current designs appear to have issues with "bending moments", or torques placed on the legs which can cause failure under loads that are only marginally above the weights of the animals being lifted. Here at Häst, we are working on a revolutionary new design that will all but eliminate bending moments. Made of 6061-T6 aluminum (with a tensile yield of about 40,000 PSI), this relatively light weight frame will be added to our product lineup hopefully sometime in the late Summer or early Fall of 2011. Our goal is to produce a frame that can withstand a load of 10,000 pounds at all of the angles that may normally be experienced during a rescue.
For a better appreciation of the loads placed on an A-frame in a typical rescue evolution, click on: A-frame Loading for some load numbers.
16 September 2011
The aluminum arrived a couple of days ago!! The drawings have been completed, many of the templates and special fabrication tools are done, and we have begun cutting the aluminum tubing to specifications. A note about the fabrication of this A-frame. Much of this work requires a high degree of precision. For the holes to line up properly, they must be placed within 0.03" of being exact. This takes time and set up to accomplish. This process with not be hurried. The initial frame may take some time, but these are important steps. Again, stay tuned for progress news. I'll try to have a new page set up with pictures!
The Blanket Lift Assist is another product in development. The origins of this concept comes from those equine patients that may be elderly or health issues cause them to otherwise find themselves down somewhat frequently and needing assistance in rising. The idea on this product will be a typical horse blanket (or summer sheet) placed routinely on the horse. However, sewn along with the blanket will be webbing and heavy duty D rings on the top, so that if assistance is needed, there is no need to apply a full sling as the lift harness is already in place. It is the intention that this lift assist be priced economically so that individuals might get the help they need without breaking the bank. Work on this project is set aside for now, however, if there is interest, please let us know and we will bump its development up on the calendar!
This page last updated on 29 FEB 2012 at 1926 UTC.
For questions or comments, please e-mail us at Häst, PSC