Horse stuck in waterlogged ditch

At just before 12.30pm on Thursday, our control room received a call to say that a horse had become trapped in a deep, water-filled ditch on a farm in Eye. 

On arrival, crews found a large horse, named Vinny, stuck in thick mud and unable to free itself. The animal’s owner was present. A vet from Mid‑Suffolk Equine Vets, Charlotte, arrived soon after and, having assessed the horse’s condition, agreed that sedation was necessary to allow a safe and controlled rescue.

Alongside a standard appliance from Eye, additional resources were mobilised to support the incident, including:

• A standard appliance from Diss (Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service)
• A unimog all‑terrain vehicle from Princes Street, Ipswich
• A rescue tender, also from Princes Street, carrying enhanced rescue equipment
• The SFRS full water animal rescue team – White Watch from Princes Street

Once the horse was sedated, crews entered the ditch and applied specialist animal rescue strops. Using a coordinated and well‑practised front‑drag technique, firefighters from both services worked together to pull Vinny safely clear. At 2.23pm, the horse was successfully freed.

After being moved to safe ground, Vinny was monitored as the sedation wore off. The vet later carried out a full check and gave the horse a clean bill of health. Vinny was then able to walk away with his owner and return to a warm stable.

A stop was called following the rescue phase, and the incident was formally closed at 4.18pm.

Crews praised the professionalism of all teams involved, noting that vet Charlotte was outstanding throughout the incident.

While Vinny’s exact weight was not known, crews confirmed that he was "a particularly large horse".

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