The owner of a horse who died as a result of catastrophic injuries caused by a car hopes to get the speed limit lowered on the road concerned so “she hasn’t died for nothing”.
Treena McKelvie’s thoroughbred mare Alma was put down on 3 May. Treena and her vets had been battling to save her since the accident, in January, but her most recent scans showed worse damage than had been thought.
“The vet said the kindest thing was to put her to sleep,” Treena told H&H. “She fought so hard, she really did.”
Treena was leading the 18-year-old mare, whom she had owned for eight years, along the short stretch of road to her field on 19 January. It was about 9am, Treena said, and she was wearing high-vis gear.
“It’s a straight bit of road with no obstacles, nothing to stop someone seeing us,” she said.
Picture by Jane Evans Photography
“Some cars passed us and slowed down, then I could hear traffic. There’s a motorway bridge, so I looked behind thinking it was that, and saw the Land Rover coming.
“I could see he wasn’t going to slow down. He was quite close and I tried to get off the road but he caught her back legs and she just flew straight up in the air, and down on to the road.”
Treena said she thought Alma’s “horrific” leg injuries meant she would have to be put down there and then. But Alma got to her feet and was weight-bearing, and the vets were hopeful.
“But then the vet came out again and said there were further fractures and one had gone near enough all the way through her leg,” Treena said. “They couldn’t risk operating so the kindest thing was to put her to sleep.”
Treena said she gave a statement to the police, as did the driver, but the case has been dropped.
“I can’t believe the police are treating her like a vehicle when she’s a living, breathing animal,” she said. “The driver apparently claimed he had the sun in his eyes but if he did, why was he still travelling at that speed? If I hadn’t looked back, there could have been a fatality. The police said the reason is lack of evidence, no dash cam or witnesses, but there was a witness, they just didn’t take a statement from her.”
Treena has started a petition calling for the speed limit on the road to be reduced from 60mph to 30mph.
“I know most people think this about their horses but she was such a kind soul, so gentle,” Treena said. “If I could get this changed it would be something; then she hasn’t died for nothing.”
A spokesman for Hertfordshire Constabulary told H&H: “Police were called just before 8.55am on Thursday 19 January following a road traffic collision on Norton Road, Baldock, involving a car and a horse which was being walked along the road. The horse received veterinary treatment but sadly had to be put to sleep at a later date.
“A witness was spoken to at the scene and the circumstances of the collision were investigated. It was concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that the driver of the car involved had been driving at a standard below that of a competent driver, and that his view of the horse was obscured by the low sun.
“A complaint has been made in relation to the investigation and this is being reviewed.”
You might also be interested in:
The devastating effects of speed: driver sentenced after pony’s death
‘There will never be another Patch’: owner of horse killed in hit-and-run speaks out after driver sentenced
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
