Horse rescued after sinking in bog

A horse has been rescued after falling into a bog in Herefordshire, the fire service has said.

Ruby, an 800kg Belgian draught managed to get through electrical fencing before getting stuck in the muddy trap on Wednesday morning, near Bromyard.

Her owner requested the help of Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, as well as a vet and a neighbouring farmer.

A service spokesperson said: "On arrival the fire crew found Ruby up to her neck in the bog and straw was placed in front of her and pushed down to try and give her something to stand on."

They added: "She was already very tired. A plan was put in place to lift her out of the bog but it wasn't easy to get the strops around her body for the lift.

"After some time the crews were successful and [the vet] sedated Ruby to keep her calm during the lifting process."

Once she had been lifted to safety she was allowed to stand in the lifting harness for a time to find her legs again before she was walked back to her stable.

A vet then gave her a thorough check and confirmed she was uninjured and in good health.

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