A horse had to be pulled out of a muddy ditch by firefighters after it became entangled in barbed wire. 

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service rescued the horse on Monday, September 25 after the equine had become tangled in barbed wire and stuck in the mud in a field at Peggy’s Wicket, Beamish in Stanley.

It took the team around 30 minutes to untangle the barbed wire from around the horse’s leg and then hoist her to safety.

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RSPCA inspector Suzanne Edgar attended to check on the welfare of the horse - and said the rescue was a great example of partnership working. 

She said: "This poor mare had got herself well and truly stuck. She had a wound on one of her back legs just above the hoof caused by the barbed wire and then unfortunately slipped onto her side in the mud.

"Thankfully, she was on her feet when I arrived so I could check her over. The wound didn’t look too deep and she could put her weight on it - but we contacted a vet as well to be sure she was okay.

The Northern Echo: A multi-agency team responded to the stuck horse.

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"Once the mud was washed off her, she looked like an entirely different horse. Her owner arrived shortly afterwards so I was able to reunite her with her owner and her horse friends in the field.

"I also gave the owner some advice about ensuring the fences in the area are maintained to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.

"We’re incredibly grateful for the help of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service who were able to help rescue this horse and bring her to safety. This was a great reminder of what we can achieve together for animal welfare."