A pony has survived a road traffic accident, after the trailer he was travelling in was knocked over on the M3.
Hit the trailer
Paddy, a nine-year-old 13.2hh part Connemara, was on his way to a Pony Club competition at Sparsholt College in Hampshire, when the accident took place.
The pony’s rider Josh O’Connor (12) was in family 4×4, along with mum Heather and dad Brian, who was driving.
Another driver tried to overtake them, but caught the corner of the trailer, causing them to snake along the road.
On its side
“Thank goodness my husband was driving because he is an experienced lorry driver,” said Heather from Wokingham.“He tried really hard to regain control as soon as he could, but we were zig-zagging right across the carriageway.
The trailer turned on to its side and they ended up facing the wrong way up the motorway, with the trailer against the hard shoulder crash barrier.
Luckily no other vehicles were involved, but their relief at surviving the accident turned to horror when they saw the trailer on its side.
Shaking like a leaf
“My son Josh was initially hysterical, we all were inside to be honest with you,” said Heather. “I had to get him to calm down because I knew it would frighten Paddy even more if he saw Josh like that and I had no idea what we were going to find when we opened up the trailer.
When she opened the jockey door Heather found Paddy on his feet, “shaking like a leaf”. The pony had flipped over the partition, and then somehow got under the chest bar and was standing at the top of the trailer, facing the wrong way.
With the help of Hampshire Fire and Rescue the pony was removed from the trailer.The only injuries he sustained was some soft tissue damage to his back and a small cut on his front leg.
So relieved
Heather praised the Ifor Williams trailer for withstanding the force of the accident.
“I was amazed at the strength of the trailer holding up,” said Heather. “If he had broken through and his hoof had come through anywhere, particularly as the trailer was being dragged along the road, then the injuries caused could have been devastating.
“I am also so relieved that we tied him up using a quick release lead rope via binder twine which had broken easily and prevented himself from basically hanging himself.
The driver who caused the accident has since been on a driver’s awareness course.