Horse stuck in mud sparks seven-hour rescue mission
An elderly horse stuck waist deep in mud has triggered a full-scale rescue mission at a property in Sydney’s north west.
Operation horse float was launched to pull Mishnah the mare from a very cold creek.
Suspended in mid-air with mud-covered hooves, 35-year-old Mishnah was carefully hoisted to safety.
Cheers marked the finish of a seven-hour operation.
Scott Hayward from Fire and Rescue NSW said they planned to walk the horse out of the creek but it didn’t work.
“Then we started to dig it out,” he said.
“Eventually we actually had to sedate the horse so we could actually dig its hooves out of the mud, just kept getting plugged into the mud.”
Mishnah was stuck waist deep and at the mercy of more than 20 police officers, firefighters and SES crews.
The new recruit to the local fire brigade came to the rescue with his mini-excavator.
“We weren’t doing anything this morning and they said can we come and dig a horse out so I thought, ‘oh yeah’,” James Davis said.
Mr Davis wouldn’t think it, but his careful manoeuvres saved the day.
“I just kinda did as I was told and yeah, we eventually dragged it out,” he said.
It wasn’t their typical rescue, but crews were happy with a job well done.
“It was great, everyone worked together well, everyone was calm,” Mr Hayward said.
A vet was by Mishna’s side throughout the ordeal and although exhausted, it’s hoped the horse can get back to retirement in greener pastures.
