In Raymond Terrace last weekend, NSW State Emergency Service volunteers learnt how to safely rescue large animals caught in sticky situations by the organisation's large animal rescue specialists.

"It's not a simple as putting a rope around the animal and pulling," SES large animal rescue trainer Dave King said.

"Often the animals are scared and in a distressed state. Our NSW SES volunteers learn skills and techniques when managing large frightened animals."

The two-day training course, staged at Port Stephens SES Unit, was attended by about 20 volunteers.

Participants learnt how to approach an animal in distress and to properly attach a rescue harness before attempting to move it.

"These specialist skills are a significant and valued part of to the NSW SES rescue capability," SES commissioner Kyle Stewart said.

Course participants spent some time in the classroom before heading outside for practical training using life-sized props.

The SES currently has eight realistic prosthetic animals on rotation in which volunteers practice rescues with. The prosthetics are given names with a SES theme such as LARry, PeguSES and FranSES.

Course participants also had a chance to get hands-on with real horses when they travelled up the highway to RDA Hunter.