Hampshire riders are being urged to stick to bridleways after a dressage horse was rescued from a bog last week (11 June).
The 12-year-old 16hh horse lost its footing on the uneven ground and sunk into the boggy ground after leaving a bridlepath near Ibsley in the New Forest.
Jim Green from the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Our animal rescue team, along with 3 local crews, were able to free the horse from the bog and move it to higher, firmer ground.
“The horse was then helped to its feet and taken back to the stables by its handler. It was a laborious job, but the end result was a happy one.”
Mr Green said riders might feel that due to the recent good weather going across forests and fields is safe.
But he warned, “given the rainfall experienced earlier this year, many areas are still heavily waterlogged and may be hazardous to horses and their owners.”
