A rider has vowed never to ride on the roads again after being hit by a car.
Seline Damare was hacking her 12-year-old showjumper Spot along Bank Hill in Woodborough on 16 August when a driver overtook them from behind.
“He didn’t give me enough room,” Seline told H&H. “I could hear him coming up behind me, but I didn’t realise how close he was until he hit me.
“The driver’s wing mirror broke and the passenger window shattered.”
“I jumped straight off to check Spot over. He had lacerations to his hindquarters with a few puncture wounds.
“He looked like he had been slashed with knives.”
So this is the result of a car not passing wide and taking out my horse's back end. Thankfully it's all superficial with…Posted by Seline Damar- Palladino on Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Seline, who was wearing hi-viz clothing, immediately called her vet who sedated the gelding and cleaned his wounds before he was transported home in a horsebox.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“Spot seems ok, his wounds have healed really well,” said Seline. “It could have been so much worse.
“He did nothing wrong, he wasn’t misbehaving or anything. We always hack around there and it’s quite a friendly village.”
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Seline has been put off riding on the roads for life.
“I’m not going on the roads ever again,” she added. “It’s put me right off.
“It’s not that I don’t trust Spot, I’m scared another car will hit him.
Rider and broadcaster Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes spoke out at
“It’s a shame as it’s such nice hacking round here, but I won’t risk him getting hit by another driver.
“I want drivers to take better care around horses and riders to be vigilant.”
Seline reported it to the collision to the police and the British Horse Society, but a spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police told H&H the force was not taking any further action against the driver.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.
