Miniature pony Teddy saved by rescue teams after falling into 1.5-metre hole at Bodalla

The animal desperately needed help after it fell down a 1.5-metre deep hole on a property just north of Bodalla on Tuesday, August 22.

Moruya Fire and Rescue captain Mark Gould said the rescue was a first for the team, who received the call at about 2pm that the miniature horse had fallen backwards into a hole.

He said he quickly contacted local veterinarians who came to check on Teddy's welfare.

When the rescuers got to work, they could only see Teddy's head and front legs.

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"He was very well stuck in the hole," Mr Gould said.

"It was probably a good thing he went into the hole rear-first."

He said the hole had recently been dug by the property owner for a retaining wall post and was about 450 millimetres wide.

The team decided the best way to rescue Teddy without causing him distress would be to dig beside and in front of him to get access to his belly to put straps around him.

"We worked out a contingency plan and everything went exactly to plan. We all worked really well together."

Mr Gould said Teddy would have weighed between 100 and 130 kilograms, but with a team of 11 rescuers, Teddy was in safe hands.

Luckily, Teddy remained calm as the team worked.

"He was surprisingly calm while we worked around him.

"I think he was happy to be getting plenty of pats."

Once Teddy was above ground, he was checked over by vets and given painkillers.

"He was completely uninjured - we managed to keep him fairly still but he just wanted to get up and walk around."

It's safe to say the Moruya Fire and Rescue and Bodalla RFS teams have found a number-one fan in Teddy.

And as for the rescuers?

"At least now we know what to do in those situations - hopefully we can stick to the miniature ones!"