Owner appeals to motorists after horse dies in crash
A horse owner is appealing for motorists to take care on the roads after her boyfriend and horse were in a traffic accident earlier this month. The horse was fatally injured.
Jack Brown and six-year-old Merlin were driving on 3 September at around 2.30pm when the horse was hit by a lorry. They were travelling from Bournmoor to Biddick in Co Durham.
“Jack moved over to the other lane to avoid paint tins that had been left abandoned in the middle of the road,” his girlfriend Linzi told H&H.
“A lorry squeezed through the gap between the horse and curb and hit Merlin’s back leg, causing a very bad break. He had to be put to sleep at the scene.”
She added that the driver initially drove off, but returned later to apologise.
“Merlin was perfect in traffic and never ever put a foot wrong. He didn’t even flinch or run when he got hit by the wagon. We have never had major problems on the roads, just a few silly drivers flying past us and hooting their horns,” she added.
“We just want to raise awareness to motorists that horses are unpredictable flight animals and need to be passed very slow and wide.”
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H&H has reported on numerous road accidents this year. On 19 September a car collided with a horse and cart in Stonnall, near Walsall, seriously injuring the passengers and killing the horse.
The 16-year-old cob was killed and her rider, a 41-year-old woman, was taken to hospital with a broken ankle.
For more on horses and traffic don’t miss next week’s issue of H&H — out on 9 October.
H&H recommends wearing protective clothing and headgear while riding/driving.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.