Horse Rescued From Muddy Mess In Riverside County

Riverside County Animal Services workers rescued a horse from a mud hole Tuesday afternoon in an area near Lake Mathews, south of Corona.

The horse and its rider got stuck in a muddy area around 3:30 p.m. just west of Lake Mathews and right off of Cajalco Road, near the intersection of Harley John Road.

According to fire officials, the area had been a makeshift lake just two days earlier after the recent storms.

Animal Services officers worked through the day, and when night fell, they said they grew more concerned about the horse.

“He was shivering really bad,” said Officer Tiffany Fuller of Riverside County Animal Services.

She said the rider didn’t realize the area had been saturated to extreme levels during the storms.

About a half dozen officers — plus an additional group from the Norco Animal Rescue Team — finally managed to pluck the horse out about 7:30 p.m.

Often waist deep in mud, Lt. Chris Mayer of Riverside County Animal Services kept wrapping straps around the horse’s torso and legs and make sure the rescue would be a success.

“Everyone was calling him the Mud Guy,” Fuller said. “It was really thick. We had to be careful people would not get stuck. The more we dug, the more the water would seep in. It was crazy.”

She said the horse, a quarter horse gelding named Mack, had just about given up for good.

The horse is fine, now, they said.