A 25-year-old horse called Duchess commanded attention on VE day after she fell in a ditch and fire crews spent three hours rescuing her.
Two fire engines and the animal rescue unit were called to a ditch off Terence Hall Chase in Great Horkesley, near Colchester, yesterday evening.
Duchess had fallen on her side into a ditch and was stuck – firefighters could not tell how long she had been there.
Crew manager Kieran Davis said they are used to seeing royalty on VE day – but this year a different kind of Duchess took centre stage.
“Working alongside a vet and the owner, we used lines and slings, attached to our Animal Rescue Unit, to pull and slide the horse out of the ditch,” he added.
“Once she was out we waited about 20 minutes for the sedation to wear off and made sure she was able to get back on to her feet and go off to get her dinner.
“It’s always great to see the range of expertise and skills our firefighters have, and this is yet another example of the specialised work we do to keep our communities, even the four-legged ones, safe.”
It took around three hours and several firefighters to bring Duchess to safety.
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