Desperate horse sinking in mud found just in time by Colorado rescue crew, photos show

A horse was sinking in mud up to its neck in Colorado when fire crews showed up to dig it out. Photos show its incredible — and muddy — rescue.

The owner was walking the horse near the lake in Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood Saturday when the animal got spooked, the West Metro Fire Department said in a Facebook post.

The horse traipsed into a muddy area and started to sink into the muck, officials said.

At one point, the horse was so deep in the mud it was having a difficult time keeping its head above the surface, according to firefighters.

“One step out into it, it will start pulling you in,” Fire Lieutenant Aaron Giesick told WGN. “As you work yourself out further, you are going to get pulled deeper and deeper and the suction effect makes it hard to get out.”

Four fire crews responded to the park and worked to get the horse out of the mud. The firefighters used plywood to stabilize themselves on top of the mud as they dug deep enough to free the horse, ultimately pulling it out with a rope.

“We were able to surround the horse and continue to free it’s legs so it could upright itself and climb out,” Giesick told WGN.

Once the horse was out, firefighters said it was exhausted but doing just fine.

Giesen told WGN that dry conditions cause water to recede, leaving behind muddy conditions. Everyone from parents to pet owners are cautioned to keep an eye on where they’re stepping when close to bodies of water, even if the ground appears dry, according to the outlet.

Lakewood is just west of Denver.