A horse who broke her leg in a collision with a vehicle after she got loose from a field had to be put down at the scene.
The skewbald cob escaped from a field near the RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre on Guildford Road in Woking, Surrey at 4.50pm on Monday (29 April), although the horse was not in the care of the charity.
Staff from the centre attended the scene and a spokesman for the charity said it was a “tragic accident”.
“Our team at Millbrook Animal Centre was made aware that a loose horse from a nearby field had been injured in a traffic collision on the road close to the centre on Monday,” he said.
“Two staff members waited with the horse and the driver until the emergency services arrived. Sadly, an independent vet who came to treat the horse found her leg was badly broken and made the difficult decision to put her to sleep at the scene.”
The spokesman said the owner of the horse had not been traced.
“This is a stark reminder for owners to check their horses are safely secured when turned out,” he added.
A spokesman for Surrey Police, which attended the scene, said the driver of the vehicle involved did not suffer any injuries.
Anyone with information on the horse’s owner should contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234999.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
