Mischief the horse rescued from Hampshire swimming pool

A four-year-old horse had to be pulled from a swimming pool by rescue crews after becoming stuck.

The animal, aptly named Mischief, became trapped after it wandered on to a plastic covering over the pool outside a neighbour's home.

Firefighters were called to the village of Godshill, near Fordingbridge, just before 1000 GMT.

A vet was called to sedate the 14-hand animal to enable crews to pull it to safety.

Watch manager Jim Green, of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said Mischief was now safe and back with its owner.

"Any animal, small or large, that is trapped or in distress can be potentially dangerous," he added.

"It is important to try and keep the animal calm, keep humans away, and request the immediate assistance of the fire and rescue service's specialists to rescue the animal, rather than attempting to do so themselves."