Shropshire fire crews rescue horse trapped in slurry pit

The usually brown and white Chester was left discoloured after falling into the trench in Goldstone, near Market Drayton, yesterday morning.

The seven-month-old animal has also been left shaken by the fall and is believed to have suffered a puncture wound behind one of his knees.

Christine Ebben, owner of the pony, said a vet was due to return to the private equine yard where Chester was being kept today to see how he was recovering.

"He is obviously not himself and it has shaken him up," she said. "We are not sure how bad his injuries are.

"Obviously the next 24 hours are going to be crucial. There is a chance he may need to be referred to somewhere else."

Chester was discovered missing by Judi Martin, joint owner of the equine yard.

She said: "Every morning we check to see where the horses are.

"I couldn't see him so I went looking for him and fortunately one of the other horses was looking in a certain direction which I headed in.

"He had managed to get through the tape and barriers and fell into the pit.

"The pit is on the edge of our land so we are not sure who it belongs to.

"Whoever it belongs to, it needs making more secure."

Firefighters from Market Drayton and Wellington spent more than an hour helping to rescue Chester from the pit.

Mark Smith, from Market Drayton Fire Station, said: "We were called to an animal in distress after it had fallen into a cesspit.

"Thankfully the animal was successfully rescued.

"It took about one to one-and-a-half hours to rescue it.

"When we got it out it was very cold and was shaking. But within 10 minutes it was walking and was reunited with its stable mate."

Chester is the latest in a series of animals which have been rescued by firefighters from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service this year.

In August, Jester the horse had to be rescued by firefighters after he got stuck on top of a farm gate after trying to leap into another field.

The large horse had to be winched free after getting trapped on the steel gate in the field at Little Ness, near Shrewsbury. The black and white horse is thought to have got stuck when he tried to get into a different paddock.

His bid for freedom ended with his forelegs on one side of the gate and his rear legs the other side, and he was unable to get himself free.

He had to be sedated by a vet before he could be freed by the firefighters, who were from Baschurch and Wellington stations and included specialist animal rescue personnel.

Following his release he was checked over by the vet and treated for minor cuts, grazes and bruises he had sustained in his own attempts to scramble free.

He was otherwise unhurt and didn't suffer any major injuries.

Meanwhile, in July emergency crews spent two hours rescuing a cow which had become stuck in a culvert in Minsterley, near Shrewsbury.

Crews from Wellington and Minsterley were helped by a vet and a local JCB driver to help the animal.

A ramp was dug using a JCB and the trapped cow was rescued using specialist equipment by the animal rescue experts from Wellington.

The rescue happened just days after a major exercise involving the specialist team in which a full-size model horse was rescued using ropes.

The team is called to help stricken animals and last year hauled out two cows that fell into holes on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury.

Mr Smith added: "We do pick animal rescues up now and again and get our fair share, whether they are cows or horses getting stuck in slurry pits or ditches, to the ones people laugh about, like cats getting stuck up trees.

"Rescuing is very much part of the job and in successful outcomes it can be very rewarding, especially when you see the animals reunited with their owners."