New Forest firefighters rescue horse stuck in ditch
Hector had to be winched free after getting in a spot of trouble
Last updated 27th May 2021
Firefighters have winched a horse free after it was found stuck in a water-filled ditch in the New Forest.
Animal rescued advisers were called to Cadnam on Wednesday morning (May 26th) after Hector ended up trapped in the 10ft ditch in the forest near Crock Hill.
Hector’s owner Sarah had already called a local vet to attend as crews from Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Totton and Redbridge arrived on the scene shortly after 8am.
The horse was sedated by the vet as a HIWFRS USAR crew with the specialist Manitou vehicle, was called to assist.
Firefighters were then able to safely extricate the pony, allowing the vet to properly assess the animal, who was soon back on its feet.
Jim Green, HIWFRS animal rescue advisor said:
“With support from the vets at Seadown Equine, we were able to formulate a plan to extricate Hector, the 24-year-old Arab gelding from a challenging predicament.
“Hector was sedated to reduce his anxiety as the lifting strops were applied and then anaesthetised whilst being lifted out of the watery ditch.
“This was a particularly technical rescue with a number of obstacles to overcome. It demonstrates the benefit of years of investment in knowledge and skills for these incidents.
“Hector was reunited with owner, Sarah, who was extremely grateful for the efforts of all the team.”