One equine killed and two injured on New Forest roads

A donkey foal was killed and a coloured jenny and a pony injured in the New Forest in the first week of this month (October).

The donkey foal was killed in a collision on Gorley Road in the village of Mockbeggar on Monday 3 October at 8.20pm.

An hour later on the same day a pony wearing a special visibility collar was injured on the B3055 at Sway.

The following Sunday (9 October) an adult donkey was injured by a vehicle on the B3054 at Hilltop, near Beaulieu.

Both the donkeys were involved in hit-and-run accidents.

Despite the recent spate of accidents the New Forest Verderers reports the overall number is down year-on-year.

There were 23 ponies killed in the New Forest in the period up to 10 October 2016, three less than for the same period last year.

A combination of rotating road signs asking drivers to slow down for horses and a speed camera van partly funded by the Verderers has continued to help reduce incidents.

The New Forest Verderers also offers a £1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of a driver involved in a hit-and-run incident.

Next week (19 October) the official verderer Dominic May will make a public announcement about taking extra care on the roads in the winter.

“We need to constantly improve public awareness of the animals that may be encountered on the Forest roads, especially with the clocks about to change,” said Sue Westwood, clerk to the Verderers.

“Most of the accidents occur when it’s dark at commuter times,” she added.

The Verderers figures for 2015 show of the 127 accidents attended last year, 79 occurred in darkness, 31 in daylight and 17 in twilight.

Related articles:

• 14.2hh New Forest pony makes light work of two-star track
• Major four-day round-up on Bodmin Moor following welfare crisis

Last year was a record low for animals killed on the roads in the New Forest with the number of equine fatalities down to 38 from 43 in 2014.

Thirty of the ponies killed last year were not wearing one of the special collars that aim to reflect car headlights and make animals more visible in the dark.

Every year 1,200 collars are fitted to ponies in the New Forest.

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