Riders involved in ‘terrifying’ road accident
Two riders in Gloucestershire have told H&H about a “terrifying” accident they were involved in while hacking on the roads last month (20 November).
Nikki Gear was riding with her sister Rachel in Dyrham at around 2.30pm.
They were returning home from the ride when a car approached from the opposite direction.
“Just as we were coming out of the village a man in a dark grey four by four with a box trailer on the back came flying into the village on the wrong side of the road,” Nikki told H&H.
“The trailer frightened my horse, Velvet, and she slipped and came down on top of me. She went straight into flight mode and took off with my foot still in the stirrup.
“I was dragged up the road— all I saw was her feet flicking towards my head. Thankfully I managed to free myself.”
24-year-old thoroughbred Velvet galloped down the road and Rachel followed, unable to stop her horse Dutch.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“I watched the driver drive off,” Nikki said.
Nikki was able to flag down a motorist who drove her down towards the horses.
Five-year-old Dutch fell on a bend further down the road and Rachel was thrown off.
The horses ran onto a main road and made their way back to their yard, two miles away from where Nikki fell.
Both riders suffered bruising but were not seriously injured.
“Both horses made it back to the yard although my horse now has swelling to her hind quarter,” said Nikki.
“Dutch has sustained cuts to his elbow joint and front fetlock, knee as well as cuts to his stifle. He has had to have stitches.
“The financial cost we are incurring to get the horses back on the mend is escalating rapidly and I have to replace my saddle as she rolled on it damaging the tree.”
Nikki reported the incident to the police.
“We were called at about 2.30pm on 20 November,” said a police spokesman.
“A woman had fallen from her horse after an incident with a Landrover Discovery. The woman suffered minor injuries.
“It appears that the Landrover failed to stop.”
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.