A villager's horse was rescued after it fell into an unused septic tank in the Philippines.

The animal was left in an overgrown wasteland to graze but wandered away and fell into the sludge-filled hole in Astorga Town in Davao del Sur province on May 20.

Horse owner Magnolia Anta said she returned on Tuesday morning, May 21, and found that her horse had disappeared. She searched the vicinity and discovered the hapless equine standing upright in the muddy tank with its forelegs folded.

Magnolia called the other villagers for help, and several locals arrived to widen the hole so they could winch the horse to safety.

Footage shows the men tearing down the tank's concrete walls to make space to pull the animal up.

Magnolia said: 'After the horse was rescued, I bathed it and fed it some grass to restore its strength. I'm grateful to the men who helped me. I will be more careful and make sure to tether the horse before leaving it alone next time.'