Incredible four-hour rescue mission saves Valcour the 8-year-old horse after he fell through the stable floor

It took four hours and a large animal rescue team to save an eight-year-old horse called Valcour after he fell through the floor of his stable in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

The animal, who is a Lipizzaner Gelding, had quite the scare on Monday when his legs suddenly crashed through the floor of his stall, leaving him trapped in between levels.

His owner called the MSPCA-Angell (The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - Angell Animal Medical Center) and Ipswich Fire Department, who both rushed to the scene at roughly 9:30am.

Shocking images shared by the non-profit organization, show Valcour's two front legs hanging into the room below, while rescue workers hold onto the top half of his body, which remained in the stable.

The extensive rescue mission took four hours, with a large animal rescue team as well as first responders all working together to get the horse to safety.

It took four hours and a large animal rescue team to save an eight-year-old horse called Valcour after he fell through the floor of his stable in Ipswich, Massachusetts 

A shocking image shared by MSPCA-Angell, shows Valcour's two front legs hanging into the room below

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The Ipswich Fire Department confirmed that for the safety of the Valcour and that of the rescuers and staff, due to the size and position, the 1,200-pound horse was sedated for the entirety of the operation.

Crews began an immediate rescue response, with assistance from the Essex County Fire Chief Associations Northeast Technical Rescue Team, and used a small crane to lift the horse as rescuers worked to cut through and secure the floor. 

The animal was safely extracted from the floor at approximately 1:30pm and was evaluated on-scene by SRH Veterinary Animal Hospital and ASPCA.

Posting about the incident on Facebook, MSPCA-Angell wrote: 'It took about four hours and the help of everyone, but we were able to get this sweet horse out with no life threatening injuries. 

'Valcour is expected to make a full recovery and his owners say he’s already walking around normally today! 

'Thanks to the Ipswich Fire Department, SRH Veterinary Services, and the Northeast Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team - we couldn’t have done it without them!

'We work hard to train first responders on how to handle these kinds of emergencies, and they know they can call us.

'But this is also a good example of why it’s important that everyone with pets (including horses) knows what to do when emergencies happen.'

The animal, who is a Lipizzaner Gelding, had quite the scare when his legs suddenly crashed through the floor of his stall, leaving him trapped in between levels

Images show Valcour strapped tightly into rescue equipment, with a large team of first responders hard at work to pull him to safety

The animal was safely extracted from the floor at approximately 1:30pm and was evaluated on-scene by SRH Veterinary Animal Hospital and ASPCA

Valcour is expected to make a full recovery and his owners say he’s already walking around normally today

Chief Parisi, from the fire department, commented: 'I would like to thank our mutual aid partners for their assistance and response in safely extricating this horse. 

'While this was a challenge given the size of the horse, it was an overall team effort and great save by all.

'Our agencies went above and beyond in their efforts to safely remove Valcour from the floor. By working as a team we were able to bring this operation to a successful conclusion.'

In one image, the eight-year-old horse is seen gripping onto the floor of the stable, with a worker helping to hold him up.

Meanwhile, in another, Valcour is strapped tightly into rescue equipment, with a large team of first responders hard at work to pull him to safety.

A final snap shows the animal outside and free, four hours after he was found in the tricky position. 

The social media post has racked up more than 1,700 likes and over 600 shares. 

Commenters on Facebook praised the rescue teams, penning: 'Wow ... Amazing rescue work! I'm glad Valcour is recovering well' and 'Well done by all! And Valcour, too, for keeping calm throughout his crazy adventure'.

Others added: 'A huge thank you to all involved in rescuing this horse' and 'How scary! So relieved the horse is ok! Thank you for your efforts'.