Pregnant Mare Rescued After Falling In 7-Foot Hole (PHOTOS)

By Associated Press

PUEBLO, Colo. -- Pueblo County sheriff's officials say a 4-year-old pregnant mare is doing well after being rescued from a 7-foot hole.

Sheriff's officials tell Colorado Springs television station KKTV (http://bit.ly/tMGpBE ) that the mare apparently stepped into the hole, which her owners were digging to install a faucet to water the horses. Rescuers used ditch maintenance equipment from the county road and bridge department to lift the mare out of the hole Tuesday.

(SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS OF RESCUE)

The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office said this about the incident in a press release:

Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, Pueblo Rural Fire Department, Pueblo County Road and Bridge, and Pueblo Animal Control responded to a confined space rescue this afternoon.

The rescue took place in the 61 thousand block of Huckleberry Road (the far eastern portion of Pueblo County). Veterinarians from Mesa Animal Hospital were able to get vital signs on the foal after the rescue and reports were positive. The mare is home and doing well tonight.

Why Pueblo County Road and Bridge? Their ditch maintenance equipment was perfect for lifting the mare up and out of the hole. Their efforts, combined with the specialty training of the other agencies on scene, are the reason this was a success.

The mare's owners are keeping a close watch on her now.

Authorities said that the stress could lead to early labor for the mare.

"Animal rescues give us practice and confidence, Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Bureau Chief Mark Mears said after the rescue. "That translates to experience and when a human life is at stake, we all know we can successfully work together," 7News reports.

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Comments

[LCfield90]

02:09 AM on 03/01/2012

Glad that the mare and foal were both saved!

[olitenup]

04:53 PM on 12/22/2011

Blessing to those who saved this mare! Nice to see their solution wasn't to kill her.

[Judith Jaehn]

11:43 PM on 12/14/2011

Bless all the wonderful people that helped rescue this horse and her baby.....

[BuckyJamesDio]

04:06 PM on 12/14/2011

It's irresponsible to leave a hole just lying around like that.

[DogDancer]

01:59 PM on 12/14/2011

Sometimes we get it right when things go wrong, and it's always good to hear about it.

[indysteve1227]

01:52 PM on 12/14/2011

It's a good thing horses can't file a lawsuit.

[demisfine]

01:10 PM on 12/14/2011

Unless the horse was in a hole when she fell, what she did was fall INTO a hole.
Who edits this stuff????

[2tango]

12:43 PM on 12/14/2011

I'm glad she was rescued and doing well.

[ANuttyReader]

12:37 PM on 12/14/2011

that poor thing, at least it was a happy ending.

[karen lyons kalmenson]

12:28 PM on 12/14/2011

wishing all the fine people who saved this beautiful horse and her foal to be, a very marey christmas♥

[runner 08]

01:40 PM on 12/14/2011

X2 !!

[karen lyons kalmenson]

03:33 PM on 12/14/2011

♥

[mollymac]

06:19 PM on 12/16/2011

Precious reply!

[karen lyons kalmenson]

06:29 PM on 12/16/2011

thank you♥

[pammygamherst]

12:27 PM on 12/14/2011

i'm not trying to be critical, but why didn't the owners put her in another pasture or in the barn while they dug this hole? i only ask because i know how 'nosy' my boys are, especially dempsey; if there is something going on he's going to be underfoot offering his "assistance".

[rocketdog56]

02:48 PM on 12/14/2011

Excellent point, my beloved dog is the same way, fanned.

[ecotopian]

02:52 PM on 12/14/2011

That was my thought, too. At the very least, they should have put up a temporary fence around the hole.

[ABXNOMORE]

12:13 PM on 12/14/2011

Good news that she was saved and apparently unharmed.

[Pennsanic]

12:09 PM on 12/14/2011

Poor horse. I'm glad they got her out.

[4eva]

12:02 PM on 12/14/2011

A nice happy ending story.
Feels good.

[Cheyla]

11:58 AM on 12/14/2011

Hope the baby is okay - looks like it was a tight fit!