Photographers Find Female Wild Horse Trapped in a Deep Mud Hole and Rush to Rescue Her

Illustration - Alicia Marvin/Shutterstock

A group of Alberta wild horse advocates are thanking their lucky stars for good timing after stumbling across a young filly that had stumbled chest-deep into a muddy bog for what they believed had been hours.

The group, who are a part of the Help Alberta Wildies Society, were able to rescue the 2-year-old horse, who had gotten stuck in the deep pit of mud and was unable to get herself back out again. Had they not gotten there in time, it’s believed that the horse would not have been able to survive on its own throughout the night, CBC reported.

Group member Darrell Glover explained that the hole was about 2 meters deep and had ice surrounding the edges—making it even more difficult for the horse to pull herself free.

“From her size, she appears to be about two. And she would have been with a full band of horses, which had left her. So she was abandoned for some time,” he added.

“She had nipped every little blade of grass and weeds and anything that was within her reach,” he said, explaining just how hungry she was by the time they stumbled across her.

The group hadn’t planned on a dramatic rescue but had initially set off out looking for new foals to photograph near Sundre, Alberta, an hour and a half to the north of Calgary, Global News reported. They were out exploring on ATVs when member Darla Connelly spotted the struggling horse and called the others over to investigate.

The rescue was no easy task. After several failed attempts, the crew eventually harnessed the horse to their ATVs with straps and slowly—as she was weak from hunger and cold from being stuck in the partially frozen mud for hours—helped her climb out from the deep hole and back onto solid ground. For Connelly, the option to leave the horse never even crossed her mind.

“We got there and my heart broke,“ she said. ”What are we going to do?”

“We’re not leaving until she’s out. [I] don’t care what it takes. I couldn’t stand there and leave her there,” she added.

Illustration - Pavel1964/Shutterstock

Initially, the group wasn’t sure just how far the horse had fallen in. It was difficult to tell if she had been injured and whether or not trying to coax her out using assistance would exacerbate any potential injuries.

“When you see her, you’re not sure how long she’s been there or how bad of a shape she’s in,” Glover said.

The group explained that a scenario like this wasn’t exactly rare. Horses can get trapped like this fairly easily. When they do, they’re often left behind by their herd—and if they’re unable to receive assistance to get out, it can be a death sentence.

“A lot of horses do die that way and by, just a chance of luck of us coming by, this one was saved,” he added.

The group plans to head back out later to check on the horse and make sure she’s still doing all right.