Horse put down after breaking leg in journey

10:44am Tuesday 6th May 2008

A horse had to be put down after its leg was badly broken travelling in a horse box.

The grey horse's distressed owners called the fire brigade to their farm in Shalford Green, Shalford, after returning from a journey on Monday *5/5*.

The horse, thought to be about five years old, had got its leg stuck in between two sections of the box, and lost a lot of blood.

Damian Barber, crew commander for Wethersfield fire brigade, was called at about 5.18pm but said there was not much his crew of four could do.

A vet arrived, sedated the horse, and decided it needed to be put down.

Mr Barber said the owners were upset, as they had a camera in the horsebox, but the wounds had not been visible.

He said: "We tried to free the leg but the vet said it's better for the horse to put it down straight away."