Horse euthanised at roadside after being hit by car

Hope Jarvis had owned horse Holly for five years

A woman from Kent whose horse was put down after being struck by a car is urging drivers to take greater care on the roads.

Hope Jarvis said she and horse Holly would canter through the fields around Lydd “to forget the stresses of life”.

But while riding in Dungeness Road last month, Holly suffered a broken leg after being hit by a car. She was euthanised by a vet at the scene.

“It’s been the worst time of my life,” said Ms Jarvis, who broke her wrist during the crash. “She wasn’t just a horse to me, she was my best friend.”

Kent Police confirmed officers attended reports of a collision between a vehicle and a horse at 10:55 BST on 27 July.

Ms Jarvis said she would talk to Holly as the pair spent time together at the stables

Ms Jarvis said she is joining the national Pass Slow and Wide campaign ride next month in memory of Holly.

Debbie Smith, who founded the campaign, said drivers needed to take greater care on the roads, particularly in rural areas.

“With more and more cars on the road, there’s a lot more traffic,” she said. “People aren’t necessarily aware of how they should be driving in these situations.

“People are always in a rush to get somewhere nowadays and they’ve always got somewhere to be. Just slow down for a minute to think about where you’re going.”

There were 272 incidents involving horses in the road in the South East last year, according to the British Horse Society (BHS).

In the UK overall, 66 horses and three riders were killed last year, the BHS said.

The society is urging drivers who see horses to slow their vehicles to a maximum of 10mph and pass at a distance of two metres.