By Elizabeth Cloutman

A Los Altos Hills horse took a dip in a Dawnridge Drive resident’s lap pool just before midnight Thursday, but it wasn’t intentional.

According to the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department Westside substation’s log, the horse got “spooked” and escaped while its owner was placing food in its corral. The frightened animal became entangled in the narrow lap pool’s cover and was trapped because the pool had no steps. Fortunately, the pool was sufficiently shallow that the horse could stand upright.

County firemen were already on the scene at 11:57 p.m., when Deputy Rory Duggan responded to a call to assist them in removing the frightened animal from its unfortunate situation.

They drained the pool, using a fire department pump, and used bales of hay to construct makeshift steps for the horse to climb.

The Los Altos Hills equine was not seriously hurt.

“The horse sustained only minor abrasions from hitting the sides of the pool,” Deputy Kris Tarabetz reported from the log.

Duggan, who was off duty and thus unavailable for comment as the Town Crier went to press, also experienced a minor repercussion from the incident - getting ribbed by his fellow officers.

“He’s been teased mercilessly around the department,” Tarabetz said.