Shropshire firefighters rescue horse stuck on farm gate
[gallery] His name is Jester - but it was no joke for this horse when 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.
Firefighters had to use a piece of heavy-lifting machinery to winch the animal free after he got stuck.
Jester, a 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.
Firefighter Craig Jackson said the horse had been quite distressed when the crews arrived at the field shortly before 5.30pm on Saturday.(AUG30)
He said: "When we arrived it was thrashing about quite a lot.
"It had quite a few grazes and bruises, it was quite stressed. But it was sedated and we managed to lift it safely off the gate."
The four-year-old horse had been in the field in Valeswood Lane when it had attempted to leap over the gate on Saturday afternoon.
His predicament was noticed and help called at about 5.20pm. The rescue took more than an hour to carry out.
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, and he was back on his feet when the firefighters left at 6.40pm.
