A pregnant 4-year-old mare is resting comfortable today after being pulled this week from a 6-foot-deep hole in Pueblo County, Colo.

Abbidabbidoo had been stuck in the ground Monday with only her head and front legs visible when horse owner Esther Kaven, 45, and her husband, Martin, heard something strike their home and then a loud "slopping sound." She walked out to find Abbidabbidoo trapped.

After trying for about 30 minutes to free the horse, they called the police and fire department for assistance. "I was trying to keep her calm and coherent," Kaven said of the time waiting with the mare, who was trapped for three hours. "Her gums were going white and she was going into shock."

While police and fire department officials were attentive and professional, Kaven said, they were caught off guard by the situation when they arrived. "They were in disbelief in how she got into that predicament," Kaven said.

The mare managed to fall into a hole 3 feet in diameter that was being dug to create a water line. It was partially covered with tree branches.

Rescue crews were forced to call in a backhoe and improvise a harness to finally pull the frightened horse out.

Gina Parsons, a veterinarian at the Mesa Veterinary Clinic, attended to the mare and sedated her before she was pulled out. While a stressful situation for the horse, Parsons said, she was calm after being rescued and rested on the ground and remained "pretty quiet."

Abbidabbido is resting comfortably today, Kaven said, although they're keeping an eye on her and her pregnancy. She expects the horse to give birth in early June.

Kaven also is grateful to the rescue crews, who figured out how to free the mare without injuring her. "I would want to say thank you to the fire department," she said, "and everyone who helped with the rescue."