Bradley, who weighs more than three-quarters of a tonne and is believed to be one of the biggest horses in Jersey, collapsed after failing to free himself from the mud patch in the field in St John.
Faced with an exceptionally heavy horse which, to complicate matters further, has a heart condition, the crews tried various methods to free the animal.
The rescue operation on Tuesday eventually ended after three hours, when firefighters dragged Bradley out of the mud using their 4×4.
Owner Rachel Greenaway (29) said: ‘He’s a very big horse – 18 hands [about 6 ft] – and is one of the biggest in Jersey. I said to the firemen, “Why out of all the horses did it have to be him?”
‘They tried using spades and a hose and tried to get ropes under him. We didn’t want to sedate him, as he has an irregular heartbeat. But nothing was working and Bradley was so exhausted he kept collapsing.
‘So he was eventually sedated and the fire crew dragged him out using their vehicle.’
Bradley, who got his nickname as he has form for inadvertently causing damage, is now back in the field, slightly shaken but otherwise unharmed.
‘He seems a bit achy and doesn’t know what to do with himself. He’s also on antibiotics, but is generally OK,’ said Miss Greenaway. Bradley, a 17-year-old shire horse, once managed to escape from a horse box through the jockey door – a small door at the front of the box designed for humans, rather than equines.
During the exit, Bradley managed to take the panel surrounding the door with him. He has also demolished several hedges by stomping over them.
