THE owner of a 33-year-old shire horse says the animal has made a ‘full recovery’ following a serious fall last week.

Firefighters saved the life of Eddie, a former Greater Manchester Police horse, in a dramatic rescue at Chapel Farm Barn in Tockholes.

Eddie, who is 17 hands high and weighs nearly a ton, collapsed and fell on his side.

Owner Sharon Crichton called firefighters, who took apart Eddie’s stall and used a specialist harness and a farmer’s forklift truck to return him to his feet.

Sharon, whose family runs the livery and cattery off Chapels Lane, said: “We’ve had so many of our clients come up to give him biscuits and see if he’s okay. He’s become the talk of the village!

“He’s got a couple of cuts on his legs but that’s it, he was back up the next day and he’s made a full recovery.

“The firemen rang up to see how he was as well, which I thought was touching.”