Horse Stuck In Muddy Tidal Marsh Freed By First Repsonders

BRANFORD, CT —Lil Bit had likely wandered beyond its paddock on a sunny spring day, but where the 28-year-old horse ended up, stuck up to its shoulders in the dense mud of a tidal marsh, with the tide coming in, was perhaps as worrisome for the horse as it was for first responders.

Rescuers from the Branford Fire Department, the Branford Police Department and Branford Animal Control all arrived to find the horse near its Sansone's Farm home on South Montowese Street. Branford fire Deputy Chief Gary Bloomquist told Patch that rescuers were able to rope Lil Bit to try and get him out. They pulled. The tide was coming in. The plan was to get a boat and work to keep the horse's head out of the water. Authorities had already placed a call for the Durham equine rescue team to come and help. Rescuers gave Lil Bit time to rest before trying again to pull him out.

Branford Police Sgt. Stosh Konesky told Patch that Lil Bit's hind legs were deep in the mud. He said it was hard to see the horse's lower part of body. The water was rising. Then, another big pull, with Lil Bit doing a lot of the work, the horse rolled with the rising water, he said. Firefighters, animal control and farm employees pulled.

Lil Bit was free.

"We were lucky," Konesky said. "We were concerned about the tide. It could have have ended badly. Just grateful it didn't."