Horse killed on my favourite hacking route

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Patches

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I regularly hack along this route. Witness reports allege the car skidded into the horse after coming around a bend at great speed.

RIP Bart and thoughts and sympathies with Kate.

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RESIDENTS are demanding safer road measures be implemented along Barthomley Road, near Crewe, after a horse was fatally injured in an accident on Monday.

The horse had to be put down after it was involved in a collision with an oncoming vehicle, at the junction of Deans Lane and Barthomley Road.

The rider, who was a young girl aged 19, was unseated from the horse but did not suffer any serious injuries.

Nearby residents are now petitioning for signs to be put up along the road, to make motorists aware that this is a popular route for horse riders and consequently they must slow down.

Richard Nield is the owner of Smiths Green Livery yard and riding school, located off Barthomley Road.

He said: "The horse belonged to one of our customers from our riding school, and the owner kept her horse on our premises.

"Many horses and horse riders can be found along Barthomley Road, and around nearby Barthomley village.

"This has been the first incident of this kind that I can recall, but we have had many near misses down this road in particular.

"This is a very popular route for horse riders, and motorists drive quite fast down these narrow lanes.

"As well as horses, there is other livestock nearby in the surrounding farms and also a lot of the farm vehicles go up and down Barthomley Road.

"We want signs put up to urge people to slow down.

"Myself and other residents, including some of the farmers, have written to our local Councillor, Maureen Campbell to help us with our petition to implement the signs."

Independent Cllr Maureen Campbell, said: "I have made a request to the Highways Officer at Cheshire County Council for signs to be erected along Barthomley road, indicating to motorists that this is a popular horse riding route and warning them to slow down.

"Around 200 horses can be found in the Barthomley area, and a lot of motorists use these lanes as though they were a Grand Prix track.

"These people have no consideration for other road users.

"They have to be prepared for what's going to be around the corner."

She added: "This is a serious issue which I have been trying to address for the last 20 years."

A spokesperson for Cheshire Highways, said: "The matter has been brought to our attention and we are aware of the accident that happened along Barthomley Road.

"We are currently looking into whether there is a need for signs to be put up along the road, in conjunction with the Police."



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Oh that is so sad
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. I do hope they are successful with their signs, but when we tried to get signs put up on a very dangerous route in Hants, we were told they only put them where horses "cross" the road, not where they go "along" it - which seems bizarre to me
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OMG, that is awful. I do hope you are not ut off riding along the route. As there is a Riding School there I am surprised that there are no signs up already.
 
Why oh why does it take some poor horse being killed and a poor owner being devastated by the loss of her horse for the bloody council to take some bloody notice.
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I'm so glad the rider wasn't physically hurt but she will probably never get over this incident. I think we have all been put in similiar situations as this and there for the grace of god go we!!! I really hope something does get done about this.
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It is a nasty junction to be honest. The road on Dean's Lane forks and you have to put your horse sideways at the junction to be able to see if anything is coming along. The hedgeways to one of the houses on the junction are very overgrown which makes visibility difficult.

Of course, you can hear if something is coming. The road you are turning on to is quite wide just at the junction and straight. The cars do seem to gather speed right at that point.
 
So sad and annoyed to hear of this accident, unfortunately no amount of signs will slow people down who will drive like twats regardless, decent motorists dont need signs as they will drive sensibly anyway to suit the road conditions, until motorists use the road as a public highway as was intended and not as a bloody race track there will always be accidents, we are all marketing fodder and hypnotised into wanting faster zoom zoom zoom machines gti this gt xr that all for the boy racers, signs wont help one bit.
 
I live out in the country and the majority of our roads are small and most people are good but the few idiots that do drive and caused some near misses has made me never want to hack out again which is a shame.
The poor girl, I dread to think what she is going through after this.
It saddens me that people have to hack out and have an accident to get people to listen and even then they will just 'think about it'
 
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I live out in the country and the majority of our roads are small and most people are good but the few idiots that do drive and caused some near misses has made me never want to hack out again which is a shame.
The poor girl, I dread to think what she is going through after this.
It saddens me that people have to hack out and have an accident to get people to listen and even then they will just 'think about it'

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I can never understand why these lanes are all 60mph too. Narrow and winding, with houses dotted along the lanes where children play.

A mutual friend of mine and the girl involved spoke to her last night. Apparently the driver came towards them at speed (but can't be prosecuted as she was driving below 60mph - isn't it a limit not target?) and took the horse's front leg out making him rear. She drove on and took his back legs from under him too.

Shocking injury and the horse was in agony until the vet arrived to put him down. Girl was thrown clear as he reared.
 
I agree all the roads by me (and the ones I drive on to go back to uni) are all very narry roads with sharp bends. All 60mph despite having to go around every corner at 30!
I agree that it is a limit not a target, annoys the hell out of me when people drive at the limit, like they have no I don't think people do think that just because it is a 60 road means you have to drive at 60.
Certainly does sound like a horrific injury and I am sure quite a few people will wonder if it could have been avoided
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Thank god she was ok though.
 
Its so awful, that when most of us keep our pride and joy in the country but nearly all country roads are 60 mph. This is WRONG! Why does a life always have to be lost to make things safer for others, we regually meet people who are "out for a spin" in their new sports car whilst hacking, if you want to go for a spin - go to a f***ing proper race track!!

RIP
 
Still don't understand how the police can't prosecute?

You still have to drive within the conditions of the road. It rained here last Thursday (when I think the accident happened) so the road would've been slippery under braking. It's not a single track lane, cars can pass each other.

The driver must've travelled on to the wrong side of the road to hit this girl and her horse. Surely that's an offence, regardless of the speed limit?
 
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Still don't understand how the police can't prosecute?

You still have to drive within the conditions of the road. It rained here last Thursday (when I think the accident happened) so the road would've been slippery under braking. It's not a single track lane, cars can pass each other.

The driver must've travelled on to the wrong side of the road to hit this girl and her horse. Surely that's an offence, regardless of the speed limit?

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Agreed, I think it is quite discusting that nothing will be done about it!
 
yes, i agree that the driver was driving without due care and attention - but if the speed limit was lowered, there would be more time to avoid these ever increasing fatalities.
 
absolutely appalling accident, and I can't believe either that the police won't prosecute
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RIP Bart, I hope he didn't suffer too much
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and sympathies to Kate xxx
 
My sympathies to Kate. I think our country roads are getting more and more dangerous. We live on a b road which is quite a busy through route, it comes off an A road, where the speed limit is 50mph and then as you turn into our road there are derestriction signs, i.e. the speed limit is 60mph. How bizarre that a narrow road can have a higher speed limit.
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Another problem is the amount of huge lorries that are using the lanes, which I think is all down to sat navs, some of them literally take up the whole lane and you have to climb up the bank or find a gateway for them to pass.
 
In some European countries any accident involving a "vulnerable road user, ie. walker, cyclist or horse rider" is automatically the motorist's fault, unless the driver can produce evidence to the contrary. Consequently cylists in particular are much safer.

I had this conversation with an experienced cylist last week after telling him of my scarey bike ride when I was hardly given 2" by the cars passing me on my lane.

I think we should be lobbying for this change in the law.

I feel so sorry for the girl involved. Of course the police don't get very involved as to them it is "only" a horse, not a person that was killed. It might be worth pursing a claim through the courts for the value of the horse and distress involved, some people do, but it is long hard job and not for the faint-hearted. Incidentally, was the rider/horse in high-viz? If not the driver (and certainly the insurance company) will say it was partly her fault.

The 60 mph limit on lanes is just stupid. There are various campaigns to get this reduced.
 
How terrible this accident runs a cold shiver down my spine
Our farm is on a busy road and we have to cross it to put the horses in the field. 300 years ago when the farm was built road was just a track but unfortunately now adays time has moved on around us and we are now faced with crossing a road with potentially drivers driving at us at 60mph. In the mornings and evenings its a night mare. Although over the last ten years we have lobbied the county council to slow the spead limit down they wont as they say there was no need. Unfortunately it will take one of us to get killed before they will do anything. We have regularly occurances with drivers who misjudge the bend and end up through the wall and into the horses field. So sadly I expect one day someone or a horse will get in the way. We have signs but this doesnt slow them down much drivers look at us like we have no right to be there. But surely some time the powers at be will realise the amount of money we give to the economy. Cyclist I know are just as vunerable and we should feel akin to them, but they have tracks nationwide which unfortunately in our area we are not allowed to use. We have to take our life into our hands and go on the road its a disgrace.
That poor girl, poor horse and poor people who have to hack that road from now on.

A
 
horrible accident.
it was arwful to witness bart bless him was a star and i would like to thank all the people that arrived in cars and helped it ment alot to both me and my friend.

and police can not prosecute as appartently a 60mph road ?!? did you no that patches ?
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i always presumed it was 30
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It rained here last Thursday (when I think the accident happened)

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the accident occured on monday and weather conditions were perfect.
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horrible accident.
it was arwful to witness bart bless him was a star and i would like to thank all the people that arrived in cars and helped it ment alot to both me and my friend.

and police can not prosecute as appartently a 60mph road ?!? did you no that patches ?
confused.gif
i always presumed it was 30
confused.gif


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Hi Lauren

Are you back at Old Hall or Green Farm now as I thought you'd moved to Smallwood way?

Always knew it was a 60mph road, as most lanes like that are. Doesn't mean that drivers should actually reach the limit like some sort of target though. No one in their right mind would drive to the limit at that stretch of road.

Was Kate out alone or were you with her on Roo/Thumper? I have heard that she wasn't wearing High Viz, which is a shame (as the driver would use that knowledge as part of their defence), but I'm not sure if it would've made a difference in this instance anyway.....something we'll never know.

Also heard that dear Bart hobbled over to Kate on the floor and nuzzled at her, even though he must've been in tremendous pain. What a star he was.

RIP Bart and hugs to all of you who knew Kate and Bart closely. I've only met Kate a couple of times (she had braids in her hair then) and I thought she was a lovely girl and an excellent rider.
 
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