Horse seriously injured when 'deliberately' hit by vehicle
Nick Rutherford, 6 October, 2009
A horse is recovering after being hit "deliberately" by a car pulling a trailer while being ridden in a country lane.
The right side of Nigel's body was slashed from "hind leg to head" when the horse was hit near Mattishall in Norfolk.
The eight-year-old Westfalen, who has appeared in advertising for Allen & Page horse feed, was hospitalised for a week and faces eight weeks of box rest following the incident on 19 September.
His owner, Lisa McQuiston, of Mattishall, said: "We were out walking. Then we heard a 4x4 with a trailer on the back coming really fast.
"My friend Natasha who was on Nigel — I was on another horse — she put her arm out to slow the driver down.
"But he put his hand on the horn repeatedly and drove faster.
"He knocked Nigel literally to his knees. I couldn't say how fast he was going. Natasha stayed on."
Nigel was tended by a vet, who stapled and bandaged the horse at the scene. He was then transferred to Rossdale and partners equine hospital in Newmarket.
Miss McQuiston said: "He is extremely traumatised; I didn't expect him to be this bad. He has to stay in the stable, resting for eight weeks. He's extremely sore and very cut up.
"The trailer hit Nigel all the way along the right side of his body from his hind legs, to his shoulder, to his head, his knee and even cut through his double bridle.
"We are dealing with the obvious problems. But we don't know if there's any internal or psychological damage.
A Norfolk police spokesman confirmed a man was helping them with their inquiries.
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There are some nutters out there on the roads. Poor horse.
becnreps
oh my gosh! This is just horrible! The poor thing. I hate riding on roads but I have no option where I keep my horse. If I want to get to really good off road bridle paths, I have to navigate all types of road, including 50 and 40 mph ones.
At least he'll be okay, lots of horses get killed each year on the road
stormybracken
Really shocking isn't it. Fortunately most drivers round here are excellent, although there are some who are too speedy for the lanes. The one incident I've had similar to this was a lad on a moped who one week started to appear when we rode out on exercise past a certain place and "buzz" the horses. Fortunately it proved to make them moped-proof, and we we were able to vary our rides after that so as not to give him the opportunity. It could so easily have been a different story. Difficult to take details to report to the police when you are concentrating on staying calm and riding your horse..they can sense your fear you know!
cptrayes
I had one today. Shot over the top of a blind summit in a single track road at forty to fifty in a blue Audi. The only reason we are not hurt or dead is that I ride head to toe in hi viz with a full hi viz sheet on the horse, and there was an incredibly brave cyclist alongside me who STAYED alongside me as the guy struggled to stop the car in time. There was, quite simply, nowhere for me to go, the road is barely one car in width at that point. In his favour, he wound his window down and apologised, which was very strong minded of him and a very unusual thing for a man in the wrong in his car to do. Radar was completely calm. I am still shaking.
But to do it deliberately? It defies belief.
C
brucea
I've had the "you shouldn;t be on the road - you don;t pay road tax" thrown at me a few times. And drivers blare their horn when you;re going over an overpass (duh?).
But some people just have a problem with you having a horse - it's like they think we are rich posh gits - but they dont realise I have a beautiful horse, but I can only have one set of clothes and only eat once a day!!!!!
cptrayes
You eat? Lucky man.
C
brucea
Linseed meal patties are OK when you get used to them.
SueH
Apparently if you call the police (have it on your mobile ) and report a driver for dangerous driving near your horse, they can give them a caution and the next time its points. The lady i ride with ocassionally told me this, and does NOT muck about if there is any problem she's on her mobile reporting em.
A year ago, I waved to ask a blue Rover to slow down as it was whizzing round - the Mad old bat bipped horn at me andwhizzed off - all I could see were knuckles on the steering wheel and fuzzy grey hair. All I could do was give the finger to the car disappearing off into the distance. Next time i would report her.
gossip28
gossip has her own ideas. if drivers drive too fast & close to her my lovely girl who never raises a leg normally, double-barrells out at the car, missing on purpose. gotta love warmblood attitude and passengers faces! I have been known to rap on roofs/windows with my stick aswell, as people tried to take her hocks off.
Nic
Quote:
an incredibly brave cyclist alongside me who STAYED alongside me as the guy struggled to stop the car in time
Blimey - deserves a medal, what an angel.
It reminds me how fortunate we are here, where people are used to sheep, cattle, horses, hounds, lost cyclists etc on the road and chug along very steadily, on the whole. The tourists aren't so switched on, but are usually so freaked out by the hedges and inclines that they are chugging along too...
Of course the downside is that the horses are not used to speeding traffic, although rock-solid with enormous pieces of agricultural equipment
N
sarahh
Ugh, horrid car drivers.
Was out hacking once with another friend and car came squealing round corner on single track road, VERY close to hitting us. Only slowed enough to shout abuse at US!!!
Luckily both Boy & friends horse are bombproof, else one of us could have been under the wheels of that car
brucea
The guy who helped me to train Bramble to drive had a horrid experience on his horse - he was hit from behind by a woman in a mondeo - he was thrown from the horse and knocked out. Came to in hospital several days later with his leg broken in several places, a broke collar bone and severe internal injuries - and to find his mare that he absolutely loved to bits had been so badly injured she was put down on the scene by a vet.
What made even more awful, if it could be worse, is that the husband/parner had come and got the woman from roadside where she had walked of from the scene before the police arrived, b*****d off and left the country back to where she came from before she could be identified and caught. Turned out they were only in the country on a short term year long contract. And yes - you guessed - there was no insurance cover on the car.
Thankfully horror stories like this are few and far between - and most of the drivers I meet are courteous and considerate - but a few are not, and some are downright dangerous - they are the ones that I report with no hesitation.
Sometimes I think we should all wear helmet cams and reflectives with a message saying "Video in use" - the chance of being caught is the only thing that makes these people stop to think.
The police do react an quite firmly when they can - a lady at the last stables I was at had her horse injured when a woman in a car came right up behind and blared her horn because she was angry at being delayed. Horse lashed out and put feet through the screen! Horse escaped with relatively minor cuts and bruises. Woman driver got done for dangerous drivigng by the two cops who were right behind her and in her anger she hadn't seen them! Had to pay for Nelson't vets bills too!
