The 14-hand horse had been discovered by his owner struggling for air and to get free after escaping from his field and falling into a 20m sq mud pit.
Firefighters from West Midlands Fire Service were dispatched to the woodland scene in Coventry where one donned a dry suit and climbed into the mud pit to being a two-hour rescue.
Colleagues then shovelled away mud from around the horse to fit strops and pull him to safety… luckily they won the tug-of-war and the animal was returned to the safety of solid ground.