A FOAL had to be rescued by firefighters after getting caught in a wooden pallet and exhausting herself trying to escape.

Members of West Sussex Fire and Rescue were called to the stricken animal in Hampers Lane, Horsham, at 10 in the morning.

The foal, called Honey, had escaped from her paddock overnight and had got her foot stuck in the pallet.

The six-month-old had managed to get herself free before the Technical Rescue Unit arrived but had collapsed from weakness and was unable to stand. The crew called a vet to the scene to assess Honey and brought in a crane to lift the tired foal on to her feet.

The firefighters worked hard to get her into a standing position and it was a team effort to lift the foal in the freezing field.

After an hour, she had enough strength to stand by herself and the crew was able to leave her in the care of her owner.