A veteran horse that fell into a ditch had to be pulled out by firefighters in a three-hour rescue.
Teams from Colchester and Chelmsford were called to a field in Great Horkesley after 25-year-old Duchess, got stuck in the ditch.
Crews from Essex fire service worked with animal rescuers – who sedated the horse – to get her out safely.
She was unharmed and soon ‘back on her feet to go off to get her dinner’, crew manager Kieran Davis said.