Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services responded to a call last night just shortly before 7 o’clock, regarding a horse being stuck in a hole at 874 Curtis Road.

Rescuers arrived on scene to find the horse in a hole and unable to get out.  Cherokee County’s Special Operations Chief, Darrell Mitchell, asked 911 to contact the large animal rescue team from Milton Fire Department  to assist with the rescue.  According to Brittany Holt, who was riding the horse at the time of the incident, she and eight of her friends were riding horses when she noticed two of the horses in front of her had some difficulty in crossing a particular area of the trail.  When her horse began to cross, she felt the ground beneath her give way and began to sink. She immediately dove off the horse and as the horse began thrashing to get out, it started to sink even deeper.

The large animal rescue team constructed an A-frame above the hole to pull the horse out.  Rescuers had to dig mud away from the horse in order to place a harness around her to get her out.  The horse was finally pulled to the top at approximately 9:40 yesterday evening.  After the horse was pulled from the hole, she was placed on a sled and pulled out of the woods.  The 4 year old horse was placed in a trailer and later died as she was being taken to the University of Georgia Veterinary Hospital.

© copyright, Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services