A MAN who works for a slaughterhouse helped firefighters rescue a distressed horse.
John Webster was driving down Lockwood Road, Lockwood, yesterday morning when he saw a fire engine parked next to a horse box.
Firefighters had been called out shortly after 10am after 20-year-old gelding Nemo had collapsed in his box on the way to an animal hospital to be treated for colic.
Watch manager Tony Bateman, from Huddersfield Fire Station, said: “We have absolutely no experience with horses in situations like this so we were at a bit of a loss about what to do.
“The horse was on the way for an operation and because it was in pain it had fallen down in the back of the box and couldn’t get back up.
“The vet was on site and had given it tranquillisers, but wanted assistance.
“Fortunately a man was driving past with some horse equipment and he stopped to help.”
Mr Webster, who works for D S Cooper horse slaughterers in Shelley, said: “I had some straps that I could use to get the horse onto his feet.”
Vet Robert Quinn, from Donaldson and Partners in Aspley, took Nemo for a walk on nearby streets to calm him down as they waited for a replacement horse box.
