Officials freed a horse that had gotten stuck in mud in the Shadow Hills area of Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.
As of about 1:35 p.m., the horse was stuck in about 2 feet of water and mud in “a remote area of the Hansen Dam Recreation Area,” the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an alert.
Sky5 captured aerial footage showing multiple firefighters trying to calm the horse, which was lying on its side.
The LAFD said using a helicopter to hoist the horse out of danger was not an option, as overhead trees prevented it.
At about 2:04 p.m., the horse was able to extricate itself from the mud with the help of firefighters and stood on its own outside the muddy area.
“Crews diverted some of the water, used shovels to partially dig the horse out, then used a tow strap and a team of firefighters to pull the horse free … Thankfully, the horse was okay and no veterinary care was needed,” firefighters said in an update.
It is not yet known how the horse ended up in the mud or if a person was riding it when it became trapped, but firefighters said the horse’s owner was nearby when they arrived.