A GREEDY pony bit off more than she could chew when she got stuck in a hay feeder and had to be rescued by fire officers.

Francesca – a two-year-old Shetland pony – sparked the rescue after she got stuck between the bars of her hay feeder in a field in Craghead, Stanley in County Durham.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue’s White Watch, which is based in Bishop Auckland, responded to calls for help at about 2pm on Monday (February 15).

The operation took about 90 minutes and involved the team using hydraulic cutters to snip the bars and then lift her free.

Graham Watson, from White Watch, said: “She pushed her way in between the big bars to get the last scraps of hay and she got stuck with the bars across her hips.

“She’s only a filly and she had never even had a head collar on before. We waited for the vet to give her some sedation and waited about 15 minutes for her to get sleepy.

“When she got out she was a bit sweaty where the bars had been rubbing her but she’s fine now.”