Firefighters in Bad Salzuflen, North Rhine-Westphalia, were called to a field on Tuesday after a 29-year-old female found herself in a precarious situation.
The 29-year-old Sally, however, is not a young woman but an elderly mare who had fallen into a half-metre-deep drainage ditch. The horse had landed awkwardly on her back and, with all four hooves in the air, was unable to get out on her own. Fortunately, there was no water in the ditch at the time.
Given Sally's considerable weight, firefighters brought a telescopic handler with them to the scene. To prevent injuries to both the horse and the rescue team, Sally's hooves were secured first. The ground around her was then carefully dug away, initially using the telescopic handler and later with shovels.
Once there was enough room in the ditch, the elderly horse could finally be rolled onto her side. From there, Sally was able to get back onto her feet by herself.
According to the fire service, a rider remained with Sally throughout the rescue to keep her calm, which made the operation considerably easier for the emergency crews. A vet was also called to the scene.
In total, the rescue took just 30 minutes before Sally was back on her feet and apparently uninjured.
