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Hungry horse sparks rescue operation
A hungry horse sparked a major rescue operation involving 14 firefighters, cutting equipment and a vet after he wandered into a caravan for a bite to eat and got stuck inside.
The drama began when peckish two-year-old Welsh Cob cunningly used his teeth to open the caravan door in Newgate Lane, Fareham, after smelling the bales of hay which were inside.
Unable to rein in his appetite, the stallion, called Triple Five, climbed in the caravan and began to munch away.
But when Triple Five had eaten his fill and went to leave he found there was not enough room for him to turn around and began to panic.
Firefighters from Fareham, Havant and Portchester took an hour to free the helpless horse after being called to the private stables just before 3pm yesterday.
They used specialist equipment to cut off the front end of the two-berth van so the young stallion could be led to safety.
Watch manager Paul Moss, from Havant station, said: 'He just walked inside the caravan and started eating – he must have fancied a munch. But then he found he was facing the wrong way to turn.
'He was quite a young horse so naturally I think he was a bit frisky.'
A vet and the RSPCA were on hand to make sure the horse was unharmed, and sedated him while firefighters tackled the van.
Mr Moss added: 'We are all specially trained in large animal rescues – we learn about the physiology of the animals, what to expect and how to handle them.
'They gave him a little something just to calm him down, but when they walked him out he was fine.
'They were just walking him around to make sure the relaxant had worn off.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 11 February 2012
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