A fire service has put its recent large animal training into action when it freed a horse who was “wedged” in a ditch.
The gelding was being ridden along the A465 near Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, on the morning of 20 May when he was spooked by a passing lorry which caused him to lose his footing and become trapped in the ditch.
A spokesman for Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said the rider was able to raise the alarm and the road was closed while a large animal rescue team from Bromyard fire station and a crew from Hereford fire station attended the scene. A vet also attended and sedated the gelding.
“Using specialist equipment and with the assistance of a local farmer with a telehandler, we were successfully able to remove the sedated horse from the ditch,” said Adrian Thompson, station commander.
Crews from Bromyard fire station had recently carried out large animal rescue training on 16 May, practising on a model horse who had been “trapped” on a metal gate.
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(Image credit: Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service)
In a statement, Bromyard station said it had put it’s recent training “into action for real” when it attended the trapped gelding.
“We’re glad to be able to provide large animal rescue as part of our normal service at Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and love these happy outcomes,” said a spokesman for the station.
“Horses are by nature a flight animal and can move sideways at remarkable speed when startled. Please give them the width of a car when passing and drop your speed to 15mph.”
The gelding has since made a full recovery.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
