When Nicola Riley, an animal rescue officer with the RSPCA, received a call about a pony stuck in a tractor tire in Stoke-on-Trent, England, she was confused. She just couldn't picture how that could be possible. However, when Riley arrived at the scene and saw the large tire lying on its side, things clicked into place. The pony was indeed inside.
The poor pony had become matted and dirty from being so stuck and was clearly distressed. Riley had no idea how he’d gotten himself into the situation, but she knew she needed to free him as quickly as possible.
It's presumed the pony's family was not around, so with the help of some local residents, Riley set to work on one of the more unusual rescues she’s been a part of.
“It was a very delicate rescue,“
Riley said in a press release. “The poor pony was completely wedged against the tyre and understandably very scared and uncomfortable. We had to take a staggered approach to free him safely — first easing out his front feet, then carefully working his shoulder free before finally releasing his neck and front end.”
The group had to work very carefully and checked in throughout the rescue to make sure the pony was doing OK. After a lot of teamwork, the pony was finally able to sit up and free himself completely.
“Thankfully, everyone worked really well together, and we managed to get him out without causing any injury,” Riley said.
The pony was a little wobbly as he wandered back to the field, and Riley stayed nearby for an hour to make sure he was definitely OK. Since the pony seemed to have gotten into the tire all on his own, she removed it to make sure something like that never happened again.
“He soon returned to grazing and walking around the field again,” Riley said.
Freeing a pony from a tire wasn’t how Riley had expected her day to go, but she was just grateful she was there to help.
