A horse that got stuck in a sink hole full of mud had to be rescued by firefighters who needed a tractor and mechanical digger to pull him to safety.
Thomas the horse got bogged down in the mud after falling into the 10ft deep and 20ft wide hole which opened up after recent heavy rain in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.
His attempts to escape the hole at Little Oakhill Cottage only made the situation worse as he had churned the surface water into a mud pit.
Rescue: Firefighters pull Thomas the horse from the mud filled pit at Shepton Mallet in Somerset after he got stuck
Stuck in the mud: The animal had fallen into the hole which had opened up after recent heavy rainfall
Distressed: The horse had to be sedated by a local vet while firefighters used a Land Rover and a tractor to pull him out of the hole
The animal was so exhausted that he had to be sedated and a fire crew from Shepton Mallet and a specialist rescue team from Exeter, Devon, had to haul him out.
Vet Kathryn Penn said: ‘I’ve seen horses trapped in ditches before but never in a sink hole.
‘There was a line of them that had opened up and Thomas got trapped after falling in.
‘His back legs were stuck fast.
‘He’d been there an our by the time the fire service arrived.
Joint effort: It took a fire crew from Somerset and a specialist rescue team from Devon to free Thomas
Caked in mud: The horse was covered in mud after his attempts to climb up the hole’s steep banks saw him churn surface water into a muddy bog
Heavy work: The Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service staff used a mechanical digger to make a slope from the ditch to pull Thomas out
Tired: Vets tend to the animal which was exhausted following his attempts to escape the hole
‘And it was another two hours before he was out. So it was some ordeal.’
The Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service staff used a mechanical digger to make a slope from the ditch to pull Thomas out.
They then used lines to secure the horse before pulling him out of the hole using a landrover and a tractor.
Despite his ordeal Thomas was back on his feet shortly afterwards seemingly none the worse for wear.
Vet Kathryn added: ‘Apart from the shock and trauma of what he went through and some mud in his eyes he was fine.’
Safer ground: Thomas the horse gets to his feet again after a sedative administered in a bid to help him relax wears off
No harm done: Aside from a bit of mud and tiredness, Thomas was back on his feet fairly soon after he was pulled from the hole, showing no adverse effects from his ordeal
Happy ending: Thomas the horse is reunited with owner Cliff Foot after getting stuck fast in a deep, natural sink hole full of mud