WATCH | Terrified feral horse pulled out of sewage pit on KZN farm

Rescue workers and volunteers worked tirelessly for four hours to save a feral horse that had fallen 8m into a sewage pit on a farm in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday.

The filly, which has been named Freedom by rescue workers - because she was rescued on election day - was wandering around the farm when she slipped into the disused sewage pit two days ago.

Andreas Mathios, spokesperson for Blue Security, was called by a concerned horse lover to help rally rescuers, which included Durban metro police search and rescue, DUT Advanced Life Support and Pietermaritzburg police search and rescue as well as volunteers from neighbouring communities.

"It seems the horse was wandering through the plantations and ended up in the septic tank pit. I helped co-ordinate the rescuers on the scene.

"She was exhausted and petrified but seemed to sense people were trying to help her," said Mathios.

He said an A-frame was built above the pit. "A rescuer then went down into the pit and the horse was given a sedative. He then put a harness around the horse's abdomen and the exhausted animal was eventually hoisted out of the hole."

Mathios said the filly was taken to the Coastal Horse Care Unit, where she will receive care.

"She is doing well, trotting around. Fortunately she was not injured in the fall," he said.