A HORSE HAS been rescued from a river where it is believed to have been trapped for around 24 hours, according to the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISCPA).

The horse was trapped in a river in Offaly and was mostly submerged, with only its head and the top of its back above the water.

A member of the public alerted the ISPCA to the incident.

ISPCA Inspector Jimmy McCormack found the horse in the river, where it looked to be “clearly exhausted” from unsuccessful attempts to escape.

The ISPCA believes the horse had been in the river for around 24 hours.

“Inspector McCormack was concerned that the horse could be suffering from hypothermia having been in the water for some time and could go into shock and potentially drown in the river, so time was of the essence,” the ISPC said in a statement.

“An urgent call for help was made and local animal welfare volunteers arrived to assist, with a tractor and some muscle. Together, the team were able to extricate the horse from its perilous situation.

“Shortly after, the owner of the horse was located and arrived at the scene along with a local vet to assess the horse to ensure he was fit for travel. A follow-up visit was made the following morning to check-in on the horse after such a dramatic rescue.

“Thankfully this was a great outcome and good to see him well on his way to making a full recovery, tucked into his cozy rug, in a nice warm stable.

“The ISPCA would like to thank the numerous volunteers and MLHR who raised the alarm and arrived to assist, without their help, this may not have been such a good outcome for this horse.”