Wirral charity praises hero fire fighters who saved rescue horse Mimi

A Merseyside charity has hailed fire fighters as heroes after they raced to the rescue when one of their equine residents got stuck.

Horse Sense Wirral dialled 999 on Saturday when 33-year-old Connemara cross cob Mimi was found trapped in a trough.

A crew from Heswall soon joined search and rescue officers to release the stricken animal and get her back on her feet.

Wendy Parker-Radley, from Horse Sense in Thornton Hough, said:

“We are so lucky. We can’t thank Merseyside Fire and Rescue enough.

“They really care, and without them Mimi would have been stuck there. If we hadn’t been able to call on them to lift her out, she may well have had to be put to sleep where she was. We are so grateful to them. They really are heroes.”

And Wendy added: “Mimi is now getting the best care we can give her and I’m sure she’ll be running around again in no time.”

Mimi is a life-stayer with Horse Sense since being surrendered to them around eight years ago after being neglected and abandoned as her owner sadly battled mental health issues.

The charity, set up by Wendy’s daughter Amy Pirie to help unwanted ponies, nursed her back to health. They discovered she has a form of inflammatory bowel disease and now feed her on a special diet to ensure she can enjoy a happy life in her retirement years.

It’s not known exactly what happened at the weekend, but Wendy said: “Mimi lives in a barn with her husband Danny so they can spend their lives together. She is older now and getting frail.

“They have also been joined by Mojo, a big solid cob, and we can only assume that Mojo brushed past Mimi and she has gone over into the trough. It’s like falling between two narrow walls and she’s have been unable to get herself back up and out.”

After consulting a local vet, who lightly sedated Mimi to keep her calm, the crew used strops to gently pull her out and onto all four legs.

And she recovered enough to greet them and thank them afterwards.

“Although Mimi, who also has dementia, has suffered a deep wound to one of her legs she is too old now to be operated on,” added Wendy.

“But our wonderful vet Luke Edwards from Leahurst Equine Practice has checked on her every day and is giving her IV antibiotics. Along with regular bandage changes, we are using Manuka honey, which has natural antibacterial properties and helps to speed up healing with new tissue generation.

“We will do everything and anything we can to make sure she is well again soon.”

A Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said:

“This incident was a prime example of the incredible dedication and teamwork of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, as our crews worked swiftly and carefully to perform a technical rescue on a horse in need.

“Crews have extensive training on large animal rescue, so they are able to deal with any situation. It’s fantastic to be able to support not only our residents but also their beloved animals when they’re in distress.”

Amy Pirie founded Wirral Horse Sense in 2009 following a very public rescue of a pony named Herbie two years before.

Herbie was emaciated and crawling with lice and maggots when Amy rescued him with the help of other equine and welfare professionals. When she began to receive more and more phone calls asking for help with other neglected, abandoned and unwanted ponies, she drew on the support of like-minded people – including husband Shaun – and experts to form what is now Horse Sense Wirral.

It was granted charity status is 2013 and, in 2016, moved to Lodge Farm in Thornton Hough.

With the help of volunteers, Horse Sense has now rescued 283 horses to date and has a successful re-homing programme. It has also helped more than 350 small animals.