A pregnant mare has been rescued from neck-deep mud on a construction site in Doncaster after being stuck for several hours.
South Yorkshire Fire Service said the mare had strayed onto the building site where a new link road was being built.
Heavy rain had turned the sandy road ballast into mud and a silty quicksand, and the horse quickly became trapped.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Fire crews from Edlington, Doncaster and Dearne fire stations spent four hours rescuing the horse. A JCB was used to remove mud from one side of the mare, allowing crews to fit a harness around her and winch her free.
The mare was unhurt and returned to her owner.
“This was a difficult rescue, but we used all of our specialist equipment and experience to bring the mare to safety,” said a spokesman for the fire service.
“Animal rescues like this one are not our day job, but were very happy to see this one come to such a happy conclusion.”
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.
