Firefighters from Newport and Ryde are this evening working to rescue a horse that has fallen into a ditch in Ashey.
Two appliances and a 4×4 Land Rover Defender from Ryde are currently at the scene on Gatehouse Road alongside one appliance and the Animal Rescue Unit from Newport.
Island Echo understands the horse backed into a ditch and is believed to have suffered a leg injury, prompting the rescue response shortly after 17:00.
The rescue operation is taking place in a field off of the main carriageway beside Ashey Cemetery. Around 20 firefighters are working to free the animal and have been accompanied by the horse’s owner and friends.
UPDATE @ 19:30 – A vet attended the scene and sedated the animal before fire crews safely lifted the horse from the ditch.
The horse’s rider has escaped injury.