Firefighters rescue horse stuck in mud in ditch

Firefighters rescued a horse from a ditch after it became stuck in deep mud in Nottinghamshire.

The Cob horse Arna is believed to have got into difficulty after venturing into the mud to eat reeds in a field where she is kept in West Bridgford between late Sunday evening and Monday morning.

Four fire crews were called to the scene at 13:40 BST on Monday to reports of a large animal in need of rescuing.

Owner Carly Wilford, 36, from Bingham, said: "They were amazing with us and Arna, we know it's an extremely tough time for [firefighters] at the moment."

Arna was successfully rescued without any severe injuries and is being monitored by vets, her owners said.

The rescue operation - which involved crews from Highfields, London Road, Newark and West Bridgford, a vet and a tractor borrowed from a nearby farm - took about two hours to complete.

Wilford said firefighters worked hard to pull Arna from the mud even without the help from the tractor.

"They got her so far out [of the mud].

"She weighs about 500kg, so it's a dead weight pulling her out from that boggy mud and still keeping everyone safe.

"They got the tractor to help pull her out at the end, it's amazing the kind of stuff that the crews can do nowadays," said Wilford.

Wilford said a firefighter stayed with the horse during the rescue to keep it hydrated and reduce its stress.

"At the moment, with all the fires, we're so lucky to have them," she said.

Veterinary surgeon Claudine Wallace, 28, who oversaw Arna during the rescue, said these incidents were incredibly rare.

She said the scene was "quite upsetting" as Arna had "mud all the way up to her ears".

"I think she calmed down when she knew people were helping her," Wallace said.

She said when the horse eventually stood up, people from homes nearby who had been watching were cheering for her.

Joe Brennan, 37, from Bingham, who co-owns the horse, recognised the rescue came at a busy time for the fire service.

He said one of the fire engines had to leave to deal with another incident at one point, but came back later to help with the rescue.

"Just massive respect and massive thank you to Nottinghamshire's firefighters for their help," he added.

Brennan said Arna had to follow a strict diet of soft food and water when she was out of the mud but could now have some treats which was "perking her up".

Andy Bailey, station manager at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The crews worked extremely hard in tough conditions to ensure the horse was cared for and remained the focus at all times.

"The co-ordination and communication between the crews, the vet, the owner and the tractor driver resulted in a positive outcome."

Correction 19 August 2026: An earlier version of this article stated that the horse was at a farm in Newark. In fact, she is kept in a field in West Bridgford.

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