RSPCA Buckinghamshire rescues young pony stuck in deep muddy ditch

A young pony is recovering in the care of the RSPCA after being saved from a deep bog by RSPCA rescuers and the fire service, who had to coax the terrified colt through mud so deep it reached his belly.

The RSPCA had been aware of the group of ponies kept close to A40 at Denham after local people raised concerns for their welfare. On visiting last week to check on the animals, RSPCA rescuers discovered the young colt stuck in a deep muddy bog with dangerous barbed wire just a few feet behind him, unable to free himself.

Inspector Becky Timberlake knew she would have to act fast to save the terrified colt, but would need a helping hand from the fire service to move such a large animal.

Becky said: “We’ve been checking on this group of ponies for a while to make sure they’re doing okay as we have yet to get to the bottom of who owns them.

“Unfortunately during our checks last week we found this lovely young colt completely stuck between a barbed wire fence and a drainage ditch that had become completely bogged down. There was no way he could have got out on his own, he must have been so anxious to be away from his herd.

“I called Claudia Corner, our Equine Welfare Operations Manager who came to the field to assess the situation, but we knew we’d need the help of the fire service to help us move him - even a young pony still weighs a huge amount and if a horse panics they can be really dangerous to handle, but luckily the London Fire Brigade were able to spare some time to come and help us to gently guide the colt through the mud and up the bank to safety. We couldn’t have done it without them and are always so grateful for their support in rescuing animals whenever they can.”

Thankfully, the pony was not injured, but he is in poor body condition, and after a vet visited to check him over, they certified he was likely to suffer if he wasn’t helped further, so after police placed him into RSPCA care, he was transported to a specialist boarding stables.

Becky added: “Nicknamed ‘Teddy,’ the colt is recovering well and enjoying plenty of TLC. He’s a sweet, friendly pony and in time we hope to find him a lovely new home.”

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