Exhausted Pony Successfully Rescued from Muddy Flood Water
Equestrian News :: Everything Horse
A young piebald cob who was stuck fast in the muddy banks of water in fields off Irthlingborough Road, has been rescued by RSPCA officers, and fire-crews in Wellingborough.
RSPCA inspectors Michelle Hare and Susan Haywood went to help the stricken pony on the Friday evening (31 January). She said:
The poor pony was so far from any roads or access so it’s incredibly lucky that someone spotted him. When we arrived we had to walk for 25-minutes across the field before we found him.
There was no access at all so Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service had to come into the field from a different side and it took them a further 20 minutes to find us in the dark.”
The pony – thought to be a youngster – was submerged in the muddy banks surrounding a large area of flooding. After two hours of trying to get to the pony, his rescuers were finally able to assess the best way to free him.
We have no idea how long the poor pony was stuck neck-high in the muddy water,”
Michelle added.
He was in such a remote location he could have been like that for hours – or even days. He was very lucky to have been spotted.
We put some boards down and managed to get the straps around him so we could begin trying to haul him out.”
The team finally freed the little pony who was understandably, completely exhausted.
He was absolutely shattered,”
Michelle said.
He wouldn’t stand or move and we were really worried about him. We couldn’t get him to a vet because we couldn’t get a trailer to him across the waterlogged fields.
We stayed with him and finally we heard some whinnying in the distance and a large mare appeared. The youngster got straight to his feet, rushed over to her and started feeding. It was so lovely to see. With some warm milk in his tummy and his mum by his side I’m sure he’ll be okay.”
Michelle is now working to speak to the horses’ owner to ensure the safety of the pony in the future.
Anyone who sees an animal in need of help or who has welfare concerns for any animal should contact the RSPCA’s 24-hour emergency line on 0300 1234 999.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.