No words

I think what gets me is how unnecessary it was for the driver to be that close... I mean it is never ever necessary for a car to be that close to a horse but it's not like they lost control of the vehicle, not like they were coming too fast round a blind bend, or had misjudged the overtake and swerved back in or anything like that... There was no oncoming traffic, the horse was half a stride from tucking back in past the parked cars, all traffic already slowed... They just drive straight into the horse! It's unreal. The incompetence is unreal. Just press your brake harder and turn your wheel more!

It said on a Facebook post that they've been done,or are going to be done, for driving without due care and fined 200 and got 3 points. Great. You can get almost that for splashing someone with a puddle. Obviously the veracity (is that a word? Is it the right one?) Of Facebook posts must be held in some doubt but if that is true then that's shocking too.
 
I honestly don't see what the rest of you see. I see a driver crawling along behind a horse, who either doesn't realise how long their bonnet is, or doesn't understand that if they touch the horse it will probably freak. There's no real acceleration, no apparent attempt to drive into the horse to damage it. It's more likely that the horse damaged itself by its reaction than by the initial contact at that speed. If it had just scuttled forwards, as many would have done, there would be no video on YouTube. Driver was an idiot, for sure, but it would never pass the standard for a heavier charge, sorry.
 
ycbm said:
I honestly don't see what the rest of you see. I see a driver crawling along behind a horse, who either doesn't realise how long their bonnet is, or doesn't understand that if they touch the horse it will probably freak. There's no real acceleration, no apparent attempt to drive into the horse to damage it. It's more likely that the horse damaged itself by its reaction than by the initial contact at that speed. If it had just scuttled forwards, as many would have done, there would be no video on YouTube. Driver was an idiot, for sure, but it would never pass the standard for a heavier charge, sorry.
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Pass wide and slow? 2 metres between horse and car??? The horse and rider were doing everything they possibly could to trot on past the parked cars - the driver shouldn't have been anywhere near, regardless of length of bonnet. And it's ridiculous to think a horse wouldn't freak out if nudged/hit from behind by a car, I've never heard such nonsense.
 
Landcruiser said:
Pass wide and slow? 2 metres between horse and car??? The horse and rider were doing everything they possibly could to trot on past the parked cars - the driver shouldn't have been anywhere near, regardless of length of bonnet. And it's ridiculous to think a horse wouldn't freak out if nudged/hit from behind by a car, I've never heard such nonsense.
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That's because you are a horse owner and understand them. Others don't. If the horse had had hi viz on, then I would expect the driver to understand that it was a hazard. Otherwise, we horse owners tend to take it for granted far too much that other people understand how dangerous horses can be.

One of my horses has been nudged by a car. His tall was on lying on its bonnet. He just carried on slowly walking down the hill. The driver was old and hadn't got a clue. It is not at all ridiculous to suggest that many horses would not have reacted as that one did.
 
If the driver is charged and convicted by the courts for driving without due care and attention surely that leaves the rider able to take a private prosecution, with every chance of success, on behalf of herself and the horse for cost of vets bill/doctors bill/loss of earning/loss of use of horse/keep of broken horse for life so that she can afford one to ride etc etc. Get a good lawyer without delay.
 
I sort of agree with you YCBM :p

The woman was travelling pretty slowly and it's incredible she managed to cause such an accident. I don't think the video is clear enough to see exactly what happened at the point of impact. However how to drive past horses is in the Highway Code and actually being so close you hit an object moving away from you sort of gives the clue that you're too close. Having caused the accident she didn't stop and help so pretty poor human being imo.

I do wonder if she was elderly that's the sort of slow accident we have around here where old dears simply shouldn't be driving anymore.
 
I have to say I agree with ycbm I see no evidence that the driver of the car deliberately drove into the horse on the cctv.
The car simply drove into the horse you get not any intent from that and so driving with out due care and attention is certainly the charge IMO from what you see on the video.
And the driver left the scene of the accident and that's illegal if I where the poor rider I would be checking out that the police are taking exactly the action and putting the same energy into this that they would if a driver did the same to a cyclist to a pedestrian or a mum pushing a pram or ****** in a narrow place .
And I would certainly sue the driver for my 'losses ' I would include in this my loss of the enjoyment of the horse and his ongoing care .
 
Goldenstar said:
I have to say I agree with ycbm I see no evidence that the driver of the car deliberately drove into the horse on the cctv.
The car simply drove into the horse you get not any intent from that and so driving with out due care and attention is certainly the charge IMO from what you see on the video.
And the driver left the scene of the accident and that's illegal if I where the poor rider I would be checking out that the police are taking exactly the action and putting the same energy into this that they would if a driver did the same to a cyclist to a pedestrian or a mum pushing a pram or ****** in a narrow place .
And I would certainly sue the driver for my 'losses ' I would include in this my loss of the enjoyment of the horse and his ongoing care .
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I agree with GS et al. I couldn't see enough of the point of impact to be sure what had happened. I did notice that there was no hi-viz on either rider or horse and that the rider, who was trotting along the roads as they came into view, dropped to a walk before passing the last car. The rider should have been more careful and certainly shouldn't have left the scene but, as riders, we also need to be aware that others don't always understand horses and take some responsibility for our own safety.
 
ycbm said:
That's because you are a horse owner and understand them. Others don't. If the horse had had hi viz on, then I would expect the driver to understand that it was a hazard. Otherwise, we horse owners tend to take it for granted far too much that other people understand how dangerous horses can be.

One of my horses has been nudged by a car. His tall was on lying on its bonnet. He just carried on slowly walking down the hill. The driver was old and hadn't got a clue. It is not at all ridiculous to suggest that many horses would not have reacted as that one did.
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If the driver doesn't know how long their bonnet is they should not be driving. Otherwise every time they are in a queue of traffic they will be using the car in front as brakes!
 
I can't see the video but sounds similar to recent case in Hants but this was horse drawn vehicle, horse I believe died unfortunately, the driver of the car was over the drink/driving limit hence why he drove off. Not saying this driver was over the limit but to drive off when some sort of accident has taken place to me can only be a few things. Too much sherry, no insurance on car, banned driver taking a chance or you are blind
 
The driving off and hiding round the the corner with a socking great hole in your windscreen is what gets me.. and then attempting to leave when people find you/refusing to give your details.

To me it isn't about how dangerous horses can be, if she had clipped a cyclist in the same manner they would have likely ended up under her front wheel and bicycles are inanimate objects.
 
Slightly off topic but relevant to all of us - I went to an extremely good road safety for riders talk this summer, given by the BHS but with a horse-owning traffic constable talking too. One of the things she really stressed was how important it was not to post footage on social media of any such incidents until the driver had been dealt with. This may not be relevant in this case as it sounds like the driver has already been fined but she said it could be extremely harmful to the prosecution case if made public before the case went to court.

She said that once the case was over was the time to go public but not before. I think with more riders wearing cameras now, the temptation will always be there to share but please be aware, it doesn't always help!
 
ester said:
To me it isn't about how dangerous horses can be, if she had clipped a cyclist in the same manner they would have likely ended up under her front wheel and bicycles are inanimate objects.
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^^agreed
The reaction of the horse at least catapulted them both clear, as you say on a bike it could have had a very different ending for the rider. I think all the things about hi vis, horse rider's actions etc are irrelevant really, if you see the horse as just another road user like the pedestrian/pram etc (who would not be wearing hi vis as standard and might be moving slowly) mentioned above then for me, there is no blame on the rider's part. The driver needed to allow more time and space.
 
There seems to be very differing information about that from different police sources ... from incidents in general not just equine ones.
Given that people seeing it doesn't tamper with the evidence in anyway it is hard to understand why it should affect any prosecution of minor offences from my point of view anyway.

MP I agree, I wouldn't go out dressed like that on bike or horse, but what hi vis does is allow more time, the driver clearly knew the horse was there as was following it.
 
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Ok, so the driver wasn't speeding etc. However, whether it was a horse, a cyclist, another car or a motorbike, that driver did not allow for thinking time or stopping distance which applies to all road users.

I'm sorry but ignorance is no excuse.
 
Regardless of whether they were or weren't speeding/driving too close/ accidentally clipped the horse... they left the scene of an accident where a person ended up on the ground, for all they know, badly injured. Disgusting behaviour.
 
It doesn't matter that the accident happened at a slow speed. It was dangerous driving. You can't just bump into other road users left right and centre as if you are driving a dodgem. You have to be in control of your car, be aware of hazards and know your stopping distances. Plus you shouldn't flee the scene of an accident.
 
Faracat said:
It doesn't matter that the accident happened at a slow speed. It was dangerous driving. You can't just bump into other road users left right and centre as if you are driving a dodgem. You have to be in control of your car, be aware of hazards and know your stopping distances. Plus you shouldn't flee the scene of an accident.
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Unfortunately , that makes it 'without due care and attention', dangerous driving is usually at high speed.
 
PeterNatt said:
Please can the owner report this accident on www.horseaccidents.org.uk

The owner of the horse should immeditely instruct their solicitors to take a 'Private Civil Action' against the driver/owner of the vehicle.
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there has been advice on the original FB thread to do both but I think the owner is mostly just worrying about her horse at the moment. It is a shame in such circumstances that the police will not report it to the BHS.
 
ycbm said:
I honestly don't see what the rest of you see. I see a driver crawling along behind a horse, who either doesn't realise how long their bonnet is, or doesn't understand that if they touch the horse it will probably freak. There's no real acceleration, no apparent attempt to drive into the horse to damage it. It's more likely that the horse damaged itself by its reaction than by the initial contact at that speed. If it had just scuttled forwards, as many would have done, there would be no video on YouTube. Driver was an idiot, for sure, but it would never pass the standard for a heavier charge, sorry.
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If they do not know how long the bonnet is then they are a danger to everyone and should not be driving. It is a drivers job to avoid other road users, whatever they happen to be. To leave the scene of an accident is just disgraceful.
 
I find the whole thing a bit odd. I can't imagine how anyone with half a brain would drive that close to a horse, unless they were trying to wind it up (clearly didn't expect a hoof through the windscreen though).

But am I the only one seeing a rider, without hiviz (which admittedly wouldn't have made a difference in this case, but would suggest a rider who isn't bothered generally about making themselves visible), who never once looks behind her to check for traffic, who goes from trot to walk while overtaking parked cars, without warning or looking, and who then doesn't seem to notice a car literally sitting on her horse's tail. She seemed totally oblivious to everything until she got bucked off.

Poor poor horse.
 
I think going from trot to walk didn't help but that she was probably slowing to pull over to allow the traffic to pass didn't help, it allowed an already overly close car to get that bit closer. I wonder if the driver thought it would just hurry the horse along!?
 
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