A coloured cob in Merseyside has been saved from serious injuries after becoming trapped in a wire fence.
The horse was spotted by a passing driver on 30 January, who saw the horse was struggling to move and contacted the RSPCA.
A charity inspector came out that afternoon to check the horse, who was in a field off Arrowe Park Road, Wirral.
“This poor boy was completely entangled in the wire fencing around the field,” said inspector Anthony Joynes.
“Veterinary staff from a nearby surgery, a local farmer and two workers from the nearby electricity works all pitched in to help me free the cob.
“We managed to secure him with a head collar and leadrope and offered him some hay to distract him while the farmer and I slowly began cutting away at the wire.”
The vet treated a wound caused by the wire tightening around the horse’s leg as he struggled to get free.
“The poor thing looked as though he’d been caught in the wire for some time. It is lucky he stopped struggling when he realised he was stuck as the injuries could have been much, much worse. It wasn’t as serious as it could have been.”
Appeal to owners
The RSPCA has contacted the horse’s owner to ensure the paddock is checked for any other wire fencing which could be dangerous and officers issued advice to avoid any similar incidents in future.
The charity urges all owners to ensure that they are checking on their horses every day.
“It’s easy for fencing to be damaged in windy and stormy weather so it’s really important that horse owners are checking fences, gates and perimeters of paddocks for any fencing which could cause injury or get tangled in legs,” inspector Joynes added.
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“It’s also important to ensure that nothing potentially dangerous has been blown into the paddock.
“Thankfully, this time, we were able to free the horse before any serious injury, but it’s very easy for a horse or pony to end up with life-threatening injuries from wire or barbed wire fencing.
“I’d like to thank the quick-thinking member of the public who spotted this horse in distress and immediately reported it to us. And also the team of kind-hearted people who helped rescue this cob from a very tricky spot.”
