Equines fall victim to problems as fresh snow hits the UK

The snow has claimed its fair share of equine casualties this week, with fire and rescue crews being kept busy up and down the country.

Yesterday in Worcestershire an elderly horse died in Feckenham, after falling over in the snow.

Firefighters were called to the incident yesterday evening, and helped the 15hh horse to its feet — it had fallen in the field.

Although the animal was winched to its feet, it was unable to bears its own weight. The owner called a vet and decided it was best to put the horse to sleep.

On Tuesday, 12 January, another horse was put down after falling in the snow on Birmingham Road in Bromsgrove.

On Sunday, a dad of six had to be rescued from frozen water by firefighters after trying to aid the rescue of his daughter’s horse in West Yorkshire.

Nigel Selby, 41, was helping the fire and rescue crew pull five-year-old gelding Harry from the frozen Wintersett Reservoir near Wakefield when he, too, fell in the water.

Mr Selby had been walking Harry in-hand when the horse pulled away from him, trotted in the direction of the reservoir and fell through the ice.

And firefighters were out again on Saturday, 9 January, rescuing a pony trapped in ice in the River Ouzel near Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire.

Some time during the night the piebald pony had fallen into the stream, and became stuck as the water turned to ice around him.

He was spotted by passers-by on Saturday morning, and pulled out of the ice by firefighters in dry suits.

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