Firefighters praised for their role in rescuing neglected ponies

Special certificates were presented at Seaford Fire Station.

It was on April 20 last year that East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service was called out to an address in Piddinghoe following reports of three ponies in need of help.

Incident Commander Tony McCord said: “We assisted the RSPCA, Sussex Police and and a horse sanctuary, along with the Technical Rescue Unit team from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

“The ponies had not had any human contact and been neglected for an extended period of time and were in desperate need of care, one of them being in foal.

“The police had a warrant to seize the ponies.

“The issue was that capture pens needed to be carried on to the site across terrain which did not have vehicular access and then be erected.

“Then as a team we all helped round up the ponies into the pens so they could be sedated, inspected and then put into horse boxes for transporting to the sanctuary.

“All in all the operation took about five hours.”

RSPCA Chief Inspector Patrick Hamby said: “We work very closely with the emergency services and we are always incredibly grateful for any help we receive from them.

“This was a multi-agency job and the help of both East Sussex and West Sussex Fire Services, as well as the police and World Horse Welfare, were vital in ensuring that we could rescue the horses from poor conditions.

“We wanted to officially thank the fire services for their efforts and recognise their support and hard work.”

The good news is that all the ponies are doing well, with the foal safely delivered.