Four horses rescued from Berkshire stables blaze
Four trapped horses were rescued from a stable fire in Berkshire on Monday night (21 June)
Firefighters from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and a pump from Hampshire attended the incident at Paices Hill, Aldermaston, at just after 11pm.
One horse suffered burns to its quarters but is expected to recover well.
Martin Vile of the fire service, said: “All of our operational crews have now received animal rescue training and six RBFRS officers have been trained in advanced techniques, including animal handling skills.
“An animal rescue officer is sent to every incident involving large animals and we carry a range of equipment including head collars and lead ropes, which were used at this incident to lead the horses to safety. “
He said the service was about to buy more large animal rescue kit, including a quick-release lifting bar, harnesses, strops and a mud lance, to make animal rescues not only more effective but safer for crews.
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.