Control received a call at 9:01am with the caller reporting that a horse was stuck in water up to the top of her neck.
The female, 5-year-old horse, weighing 620kg and standing at 15 hands, had been walking with her owner along a pathway that ran under a bridge when it slipped into the Little Ouse River that runs alongside.
The owner had taken the pathway because the bridge she would usually use is currently out of action.
Crews were mobilised from Brandon and Bury St Edmunds stations, and assistance from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) was requested.
Firefighters from Thetford and Methwold attended with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service personnel, which included our specialist water rescue team.
As well as two fire engines from NFRS, an all-terrain Unimog, fire engine and rescue tender were mobilised from Bury St Edmunds, as was a fire engine from Brandon.
The rescue was challenging due to difficult access to the waterway. However, at 11:43am, under close supervision by an attending equine vet, the horse was pulled free.
The owner has since thanked all those involved and reports that her horse has fully recovered from her ordeal and is "none the worse for wear."
The incident was stopped at 11:43am and closed at 3:04pm.
