RETAINED firemen from Coleford, farm workers and neighbours struggled for hours in mud and rain on Tuesday to rescue a horse trapped in 40ft deep iron ore workings.
Lucy the carriage horse had slipped into the gully, one of many ancient mines in and around Hillcrest Farm, Sling, in atrocious weather and quickly became mired in the narrow gulley surrounded by a thicket.
The alarm was raised just before lunch when her plight was discovered by owner, farmer Rod Williams, but she had probably fallen there during the night and found herself unable to turn around.
The firemen, police and a vet were called and the team began to clear a path up the side of the ravine and line it with straw so that Lucy could be led out once she was freed from the trap.
"It would have been very sad to lose her," said Mr Williams. "She is one of a pair, Lucy and Lottie, that I use for private carriage driving. I don't know what Lottie would do either if we lost Lucy."
Both are big 16hh black mares that have been used to draw carriages for weddings and other functions.
A torrential rainstorm broke as the rescue started, turning the site into a sea of red mud.
At first it was thought Lucy would need to be sedated but the vet considered she would be better with her wits about her.
Eventually she 'popped out' to the great relief of the rescuers and appeared none the worst for wear.
The vet's verdict: "slightly lame but right as rain, and he should make a full recovery".
Hillcrest Farm has been in the news fairly recently – during the Foot and Mouth epidemic a pet cow named Moo was slain there by lethal injection and hoisted unceremoniously onto a truck before the eyes of diners at the Miners Arms just across the road.