A terrifying experience when a horsebox overturned on a busy motorway and other things the horse world is talking about
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A motorway collision made worse by veterinary delays
A horse owner who spent three hours dangling inside her overturned horsebox trying to keep her young dressage horse calm while waiting for a vet to arrive to sedate the mare so she could be cut out of the damaged vehicle and taken to an equine hospital for treatment has spoken up to help prevent others going through a similar ordeal. Sue Garrard and River Rise Onassis (Sassy) escaped serious injury when their 4.5T horsebox was hit from behind on the M6 on 14 September, but Ms Garrard told H&H the outcome could have been far worse: “I thought she was dead”. Ms Garrard said all horse owners and emergency services should be able to find out where the nearest vets are and which are attached to a hospital, so the right person can be called immediately. She would like to see more consistent use of the what3words app, which pinpoints exact locations so it would allow vets to get there more quickly.
Have you voted?
Voting for the 10th running of the H&H Awards, in partnership with NAF and Agria, is under way and there have already been more than 46,000 votes cast. There are 14 categories open to the public vote, which closes at 5pm on Thursday, 30 October. Check out the full shortlists online, or in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine, in shops from Thursday, 23 October.
Follow Pau five-star with H&H
H&H’s Martha Terry is out in France bringing you all the action from Pau Horse Trials as it happens. Storm Benjamin has moved on and the dressage phase is under way, and sub-30 scores are proving hard to come by. Tomorrow, the horses and riders will tackle Pierre Michelet’s cross-country track, which includes four water combinations. Find out more about the key fences competitors will be facing.
Check out these cross-country questions
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