'Superstar' search dog finds pony trapped in hedge

Once the thorn bush had been stripped back Ben the pony could be led to safety

An elderly pony who bolted and became lost deep in a spikey bush has been rescued with the help of a springer spaniel.

Search teams with drones spent a day searching for 26 year-old Ben, who went missing from a farm in the Porchfield area of the Isle of Wight.

The pony was only found, trapped deep in a hedge, with the help of Dyli the dog.

He was brought in by Drone SAR For Lost Dogs IOW, which uses volunteers and drones to locate missing animals on the Isle of Wight.

The pony's owner, Sue Wright, described Dyli and the charity as "a fantastic team".

"I cannot praise them enough. The dog is just a superstar. [Ben] would have died in that hedge," she said.

A mini digger was needed to clear the blackthorn and free the horse

It is believed the pony bolted into the bush in panic after being shocked by an electric fence.

"He must have been 12ft deep in the bush," Ms Wright said.

"I must have walked 100 miles trying to find him. I was calling his name and I must have been a yard from him, but he didn't neigh, he was just in such shock."

Two volunteers with drones searched for hours, across an increasingly wide area before Dily the search dog was brought to the farm.

"We put [Ben's] rug down on the floor, so he could smell it and he walked 100 yards and just froze and we found him," Ms Wright said.

Ben is said to be doing "much better" after his ordeal

Ben's condition was described as "horrendous" when he was finally guided out of the hedge.

Ms Wright said: "He couldn't open his eyes when he came out. I think he'd scratched all the lids. They were all swollen and bleeding.

"He was very disorientated and shocked and he was walking into things. He was in a state. In fact I did think I'd have to phone the vet and have him put down. That's how bad he was.

"He's much better. I've kept him in. I've given him some painkillers. I bathed all his eyes and creamed them all up. He's a lot more alert and eating, thank goodness."

Suzzy Lee, from the Isle of Wight branch of Drone SAR for Lost Dogs, said since they formed in June 2024 they have helped rescue about 30 lost pets including some raccoons that escaped from Amazon World, near Sandown.