Owners' grief as 'lovely' horse Ruby cut in half by trailer
THE owner of a horse that died in an horrific accident is campaigning to make motorists more aware of riders on the roads.
Seven-year-old mare Ruby had to be put down at the scene after suffering extensive injuries in the incident at Bignall End, near Newcastle.
The driver of a Toyota pick-up truck, which was towing a flatbed trailer, is understood to have been overtaking three horses when the collision happened on Monday evening.
Ruby was at the front of the group and was struck by the trailer in Bignall End Road.
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The woman riding her was left traumatised, but was not seriously hurt. None of the other horses are thought to have been injured.
Nicky Allen, whose family owned the horse, today urged road users to take extra care when encountering horses.
The 34-year-old, from Knypersley, said: "Every time you go out on the roads, there are at least two other people who put your life in danger.
"Some of the worst examples you find are motorists taking their kids to school and in a rush. There needs to be more awareness of horses on the roads."
The horse had been on loan to another experienced rider, who kept the animal in stables near Bignall End and regularly exercised her on roads and bridleways.
Nicky said: "They had just set out to go riding when it happened. Horses can be unpredictable, but Ruby was so good on the roads. This has knocked me for six. I've never seen anything like it."
The accident happened shortly before 6.45pm and led to the road being closed for up to two hours.
Nicky, who received a call from the horse rider, added: "The horse had been severed in half. I've never seen so much blood. The paramedics had covered the horse with a blanket. Other motorists had also put their jumpers on top of her to try to stop the bleeding. They were absolutely brilliant.
"But Ruby was bleeding to death. A vet was called out and gave her an injection to put her to sleep."
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "The horse was seriously injured and had to be put down by a vet at the scene. No one else was injured. Our inquiries are continuing."
Wenslie Naylon, chairman of Newcastle Borough Council's equestrian forum, today backed the calls for greater public awareness of the safety risks to horses and their riders.
She said: "This tragic accident is absolutely heartbreaking. It is so important for drivers to give horses a wide berth go past slowly. "A horse has got a mind of its own and can get spooked. Horse riders should also wear hi-visibility vests."
Horse enthusiasts are currently pushing for more off-road riding tracks and bridleways across the borough, so they are less reliant on using roads.
Wenslie added: "We are also campaigning for quiet off-road areas to be linked up."
A Newcastle equestrian strategy has estimated there are more than 2,500 adults and 5,000 young people who ride in the borough on a regular basis.
Across Staffordshire, only 15 per cent of the 2,700 square miles of public rights of way are designated as bridleways. Both Newcastle and the Moorlands have fewer bridleways than other parts of the county.
Comments
by Fr0doBagg1n5
Thursday, June 07 2012, 9:23AM
“I heard yesterday from an eye witness the driver passed the horses crossing the white lines then had to cut in due to oncoming traffic poor horse stood no chance, should the driver have overtaken on a blind bend with road markings against him ? why did he then blame the horse riders ? are there warning signs to warn motorists of horses ? unfortunate or poor judgement ? the courts will decide.”
by johnwhite18
Saturday, June 02 2012, 6:21AM
“i feel very sorry for the loss this type of accident Drives need to slow down and pass wide with horses and cycles and walkers on the roads in the uk today i would love to know if the accident rate has gone up over the last 15 years or so with the use of phones in cars and trucks etc on friday i saw a girl @ the wheel driving in a 40 mph zone get ready for this one ( on a Ipad ) now thats a first for me ! now speed camares dont see that type of crime do they”
by Skylarke
Friday, June 01 2012, 10:58PM
“i think it is brutally unfair that all you negative people can say is "get it off the road then it wont get hit"... according to the highway code, horses are classed as road users. Therefore, you should give them a wide berth and pass very slowly. admitedly, horse riders should fit themselves and thier horses with high vis gear, and when i ride out, even if i dont go near the road, i will always wear high vis, as, in the event of any accident (not just the road), there is a much better chance of emergency services being able to locate you if you are more visable, as well as increasing the likelihood of other road users seeing you.
@mabazaritchie - and what are riders who have no exercising facilities at their livery yard supposed to do? some livery yards are just fields and stables, and there is no schooling facility available. some are even just stables. what then?
there are not enough bridleways anywhere in the country, and more need to be put in place so that these sort of accidents become a less frequent occurence. What would really help however, would be is riders made sure they were as visable as possible, as high vis gear is not expensive (i picked up my last tabard for about £3 in tesco) and if drivers go away, read the highway code, and stop looking at the clock when they drive. if you are late, that is your fault, not the horse that you are scaring/hurting because you cant slow down for all of 30 seconds to pass them sensibly. please please be aware that horses are big animals, but they are also very vunerable when they come up against motorists. slow down, the same way you would if there were cattle/sheep (two other things you are likely to find in the countryside on the road) on the road, and pass slowly. If a rider asks you to stop and let them get out of the way, they are probably trying to make things easier for both of you, as horses that are scared by a car are actually far more likely to get more in the way than to get out of it. be considerate, and remember that just because you can drive at 60mph on a back country lane, doesnt mean that it is always safe to.
As a rider and a motorist, i can honestly say that horses do not cause issues, so long as you are courteous and considerate when trying to pass them. It might add 30 seconds to a minute to your journey... in the grand scheme of things, thats not very much is it, and it certainly wont be the end of the world if you bring your speed down for that small period of time. however, not only can not doing so be the end of the horse's life, as in this case, it can also mean the end of the rider's life. Horses can be big, and it is sometimes a long way to the floor, so landing badly on the road can cause serious injury to the rider, especially if the horse lands on top of them/they get run over (these things do actually happen). just because it was "only an animal" this time, doesnt mean that riders dont die from careless driving from other road users. ANd this wasnt just a horse, this was someone's pet, friend and family member. Those of you that have pets - just an animal, or part of the family that you would grieve for if you lost them? i know that it is the latter for me.
RIP Ruby. I hope this poor girl's death is not in vain, and that motorists become more aware and more sensible about the way that they behave on country roads.
Kill your speed, not my horse.”
by Shestheone
Friday, June 01 2012, 5:14PM
“Some people have very little going on in their lives; horse lovers / animal lovers will never change the bigoted attitudes of the losers who comment negatively on the sad loss of a life due to a motorists error; I wonder if they'd feel the same if it had been a child on a bike ... Still, can't change the bigots of this world. Equine enthusiasts; you're the best :)”
by mabazaritchie
Friday, June 01 2012, 2:52PM
“@Fr0doBagg1n5
Even better.
Keep a horse in a field and excersise in a livery yard.”
by invisable
Friday, June 01 2012, 2:50PM
“more interesting to see how many red arrows i get , than this story .”
by magnum57
Friday, June 01 2012, 1:36PM
“Quote "treat horses as a potential hazard"
Exactly, stay off busy main roads!”
by Fr0doBagg1n5
Friday, June 01 2012, 9:11AM
“This is a direct copy of the statement in the Highway Code :)"Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. Look out for horse riders' and horse drivers' signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver" PASS WIDE AND SLOW..”
by Fr0doBagg1n5
Friday, June 01 2012, 9:03AM
“all you so called motorists read your highway code Horses may ride two abreast and should be given space PASS WIDE and SLOW.”
by Shestheone
Friday, June 01 2012, 6:39AM
“Some negative vibes : kept in fields, don't pay tax, 'sue the horse, don't ride stretches of roads, hold up traffic, French know best, manure ...
Hmm, owners pay tax out of wages, council tax goes towards upkeep of highways ... Horse insurance includes third party liability but should some jogger, passer by, cyclist happen to get too close and not announce their presence a kick could be in the offing if approaching from the rear as horses have a blind spot (insurance company won't pay out for this as deemed to have got too close!), sorry for holding up traffic but that's life, but 9/10 times the horse and rider is in the country and not on a main road - welcome to the country; you might meet horses, cows, sheep and tractors!, the French, well lest said the better and manure, yes there's much in the form of comments on this forum. Biodegradable horse poo, on the road, washed away by rain or splattered by a vehicle. Fields: beautiful countryside but not necessarily the place to keep a horse 24/7 when you add up shoes £60 every six weeks, injections £100 per year, worming £20 every three months, insurance £30-50 per month, tack and equipment on-going, (dentist, Physio, feed, livery fees unless you're lucky enough to own a field, transport costs unless you're lucky enough to own a box or trailer). Plus the horse would be bored! Suggest please that you read the Highway Code and exercise caution around livestock, after all if you're meeting an animal such as a horse, you're probably in a rural area where they live and you don't !”