Horse rescued after being stuck for more than four hours

The horse named Buster was winched to safety Credit: Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue

  • Watch Emma Wilkinson's full report below

An elderly horse which became stuck on a footbridge is 'doing amazingly well' after being winched to safety by firefighters.

One of Buster's hind legs had become trapped in the wooden bridge and after struggling for hours he was exhausted and bruised, but avoided any serious injuries.

The rescue lasted nearly four hours Credit: Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue

The 28-year-old horse had to be sedated by a vet as he was winched to safety by the Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service.

The fire service's specialist team carry out between 60 and 70 animal rescues a year. This operation took nearly four hours.

The fire service praised Buster's owner, Angela Bellamy, for keeping him calm during the rescue. She said she was 'overwhelmed' when they lowered him down to the ground and he took a few steps.

Both Angela and the fire service are reminding people to shut gates when walking through fields with animals in.