Four-hour operation to free gelding from narrow ditch
An event horse in New Zealand became trapped in a ditch that was just 80 centimetres wide.
It was thought the eight-year-old thoroughbred gelding became stuck in a two-metre-deep drainage ditch in the Horowhenua District on Monday night (9 May).
He was discovered early on Tuesday and rescue groups were notified.
Massey University Veterinary Emergency Response Team (VERT) were joined by firefighters and the Palmerston North Urban Search and Rescue Team.
The team began work at around 9am.
The horse was sedated and digger operator Scott Stratton worked for four hours removing soil while others monitored the sides of the ditch to ensure they did not collapse on the gelding.
Once the digging was completed, strops were placed on the horse, who was given a general anaesthetic before being lifted from the ditch.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
The horse was on his feet in around 15 minutes.
Vets gave him intravenous fluids and checked him over and found no bones had been broken.
“This extraction required a lot of movement of dirt,” said a VERT spokesman.
“The animal was squeezed into the muddy ditch, with the pressure from the sides compromising his breathing.
“We had an amazing digger operator. Once the dirt was removed from the chest and abdominal area he was able to breathe a lot better.
“We had a lot of happy responders and owners once we saw the horse standing.”
He said it was a “very challenging rescue” and thanked all those that assisted with the rescue.
“We have been overwhelmed with words of encouragement and support,” he added.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.