Riders' fear as truck crashed into horse

Paige Topley's horse, Garrettstown, or Gary, died after suffering serious injuries near South Littleton

A father and daughter said they feared they would die when a pick-up truck crashed into her horse as they rode on a rural lane.

Paige Topley's horse died after suffering serious injuries near South Littleton, Worcestershire, in December 2021.

The truck driver, who pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, was sentenced earlier this month.

Ms Topley is now backing a British Horse Society safety campaign.

It seeks to educate motorists how to pass horses safely.

Recalling the crash, Ms Topley said she had tried to get the motorist's attention when she heard him coming towards them.

"We were flapping and shouting, to get him to slow down," she explained.

"I managed to half steer [my horse] Gary on to the other side of the road, but [the driver] didn't brake until he got upside me, so then the back end of his truck swung around, and that's what took Gary's back end out.

"Gary had some horrific injuries and couldn't be saved."

Ms Topley was thrown into the road during the incident, and said she was lucky to have avoided serious injury.

"The biggest pain of it all was the heartbreak of losing Gary", she said.

Ms Topley's father, David Topley, was riding on another horse when the crash happened

Ms Topley's father, David Topley, runs the Rainbows End stables in South Littleton and was riding with Paige on another horse when the crash happened.

"We thought we were going to die. We were that scared that we were shaking like a leaf", he said.

"To see the horse with a broken leg was very hard. These horses mean the world to us."

Gary's death was the only horse fatality on roads in the Midlands in 2021, according to the British Horse Society.

That year, the charity recorded 201 road incidents involving horses and riders in the region; an increase of 180% compared with 2020.

The British Horse Society has since launched the "Dead Slow" campaign to educate motorists about passing the animals.

The project led to changes to the Highway Code from January 2022, which included slowing down to a maximum of 10mph when passing a horse, not sounding a horn or revving an engine, and passing with a width of at least two metres.

Ms Topley says she is now too scared to ride her horses on local roads

The British Horse Society's director of safety, Alan Hiscox, said motorists should be more aware of the dangers posed by horses if care was not taken.

"Horses weigh up to three quarters of a tonne, so when that hits a vehicle, never mind the catastrophic injuries the horse will receive, it can be really dangerous for the driver and passengers as well", he said.

Ms Topley says after the crash she is too scared to ride her horses on local roads, but hopes that by speaking about her ordeal, people will think carefully when they encounter a horse on the road.

"Horses are unpredictable, flighty animals. Even though Gary did nothing wrong that day, if you're passing and not going wide enough around a horse, anything can happen in the hedge to make them spook out in front of your car", she said.

"I think everyone needs to be a little more careful."

The driver received nine points on his licence and was ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling £514.