FIREFIGHTERS from Princetown were called to Swincombe near Hexworthy last Thursday to rescue a horse trapped in a bog.
The horse, which had thrown its rider, had been stuck for at least an hour by the time firecrews arrived and was beginning to suffer from stress, said Princetown firefighter Brett Johnson.
'Apparently they had been trying to get this horse out for an hour.
'They had machinery all set up to pull him out — they'd done a good job, it was just the last bit they couldn't manage.
'You need to slide them in bogs, rather than lift them, because of the suction,' he said.
The Princetown crew were assisted by firefighters from Buckfastleigh and Camel's Head.
Mr Johnson advised animal owners to contact the emergency services 'sooner rather than later' in this situation. 'If they get stuck, don't hesitate — we've got the equipment to get them out and it saves the animal a lot of stress,' he said.