STUCK between a shed and a hard place, flat out on your back is no place for a horse.

But when a handful of CFA volunteers from the tiny brigade at Maryknoll arrived at a Wingadee Rd home about 8pm on Sunday night to find a beloved family pet in exactly that predicament there was no time for horseplay.

Normally more likely to turn out to flooding than a fire the puzzle of how to get 25-year-old Abby back on her feet was unique for local CFA captain Peta Waterhouse.

Amassing a crack team of 23 volunteers, a vet, and a small crane, the primary school teacher spearheaded the delicate operation to reign in the problem.

“When we got there it was on its back with its legs up in the air kicking, trying to get itself back up on its feet,” she said.

“My first impression was how are we going to manage this?”

But Abby was well stuck in the small space, barely big enough for her body.

Fire fighters from Maryknoll, Nar Nar Goon and Dandenong worked with a vet and eventually slipped a harness around the horse to lift her free with the help of a crane from the Dandenong crew.

“It was decided we were going to have to lift it because we couldn’t drag it out,” said captain Waterhouse.

“It was very challenging and very interesting, but with the team approach we got through and the horse is one piece.”

After two hours kicking at the sky the horse was sedated, put into a sling and slowly lifted to safety with only a cut to a leg and a scratch on its face to show for the ordeal.

Owner Sue West said Abby was normally not the type for horsing around and the rescue effort had been a nervous wait.

“It seemed like it took forever, it was a pretty harrowing experience,” Ms West said.

Even after Abby was free again the mare had to be closely watched until the early hours of the morning, keeping Ms West up until 3.30am to make sure the semi-retired horse recovered from sedation.

It is believed Abby had been out grazing when recent wet weather got the better of her and she slid into the gap between the retaining wall and the shed.

Read more on the Herald Sun.