Young rider hospitalised after pony hit by double decker bus
A pony is recovering after being hit by a double decker bus in Hertfordshire.
A group of riders were hacking on the road on Sunday (24 January) at around 12.05pm.
Kian Shuck, Suzie Ballard, Chloe Daniels, Emily Setchell, were riding in single file towards St Albans on the A4147.
A vintage bus, operated by the Amersham & District Motorbus Society, came up behind the group.
“It followed for a short while before, despite oncoming traffic and the presence of white arrows indicating to stay left, the bus pulled towards the centre of the road and began to overtake the horses,” Ms Ballard told H&H.
“My horse spooked away from the bus onto the verge, stopping just before the ditch and pulling up.
“I was immediately behind Chloe, who was riding Puzzle.
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“As the bus passed me, Puzzle became aware of it coming up behind her and spooked onto the verge in exactly the same way my horse did, but Puzzle slipped slightly into the ditch.”
Puzzle jumped away from the ditch, and into the path of the bus.
“As she tried to turn back again she lost her footing and skidded approximately 2ft off the curb, into the road, and hit the side of the bus rear end first before horse and rider landed on the road,” added Ms Ballard.
Chloe, who is 14, was taken to hospital with whiplash and soft tissue damage to her knee.
Puzzle was treated for bruising and cuts.
Ms Ballard is now appealing for drivers to take more care around horses.
“It’s very important that motorists are made aware of horses, and how they should be approached and passed on public highways.
“The guidelines are 2m and 15mph for passing a horse on a road but I would be surprised if many non-horse riders know this,” she added.
Police are investigating.
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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.