Firefighters save horse blown over during Storm Dennis

A nine-strong team of firefighters saved the life of a horse which was blown over by a gust of wind during Storm Dennis.

The emergency call to a field in Gorebridge, Midlothian, happened last month.

Ace was close to being put down after it lay stranded and unable to get to its feet in slippery conditions.

But thanks to the firefighters and a farmer with a forklift truck the animal was rescued.

Charlotte Sleigh, who looks after Ace, said: "If it wasn't for the firefighters and my neighbour, Grant, Ace would have been put down - the vet said as much.

"The firefighters were lovely and were determined to do everything they could to see Ace back on his feet."

As well as the extremely windy and wet weather, Ace's chances of getting back on all fours without assistance were hampered because it had suffered radial nerve damage from a previous accident.

Watch Commander Gordon Aitchison, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said the vet had explained to his team that the horse needed to stand by itself.

He added: "If we had used mechanical lifting equipment there was a chance he would fall again.

"We tried to use strops, but Ace kept slipping."

Ms Sleigh then got in touch with her farmer neighbour and he brought along his forklift.

Mr Aitchison said: "We decided to use the strops, forklift and a recovery sheet to try and gently move Ace to the paddock.

"Moving Ace from the wet field to the paddock and harder ground was really the final chance we had.

"But thankfully everything worked out fine."