Horse rescued from a sinkhole in Oxford, Florida field

Bizarre scene: Owner Maryann Marsh tries to comfort Nate the horse after he was found in a sinkhole in his pasture in Oxford, Florida

There was no time for horsing around at a stable in Florida last Friday after a sinkhole nearly swallowed up one of the equines.

Nate, a 30-year-old nag living at TMMA Farms in the rural community of Oxford, was found with his head poking out of a grassy pasture while the rest of his body lay trapped below ground.

It took a team of around ten people - including fire personnel - more than two hours to haul the large animal to safety.

Video footage of the rescue shows how workers dug earth out around Nate's body in a bid to free him.

They then put harnesses around his torso to lift him to ground level.

After lots of pulling and pushing, Nate finally gets one hoof up and is able to crane his other legs out of the pit.

He appears to be stunned by the ordeal, standing still with his nostrils flared.

Firefighters apparently placed an oxygen mask on Nate's face to help him breathe until he was able to walk on his own.

Maryann Marsh, co-owner of TMMA Farms, said she had never seen anything like it before.

She told ABC News that Nate was in a 'retirement pasture' and it's thought that the 'ground just collapsed underneath him' during the afternoon.

'He was lucky enough to almost be in a sitting position in the hole, which is why he didn't break any legs,' she added.

Marsh recruited neighbors to help pull Nate free but when their efforts failed, she called 911.

With the additional manpower they were able to get the animal out of the sinkhole.

Nate is one of three horses on TMMA Farm, which specializes in alpaca breeding.

Marsh says Nate is doing 'very well' and only suffered a swollen back leg.

A post on the farm's Facebook page noted: 'We will still watch him closely over the next few days but for over 30, he is our tough old guy!'