'˜Slow down': Hundleby horse riders' plea to motorists

Sian Lovatt, of Hundleby Equestrian Centre, said she had a near miss only last week.

“Someone got so close to me I honestly thought I was going to end up on their bonnet,” she said.

According to Sian, who runs the centre, riders have become even more concerned since an incident at North Somercotes last month, when a 21-year-old was flung from her horse after he spooked and reared up when a car came from behind at speed.

“As a riding school we are getting more and more concerned about taking customers out on the roads,” said Sian. “I’ve noticed lately that drivers don’t seem to care how fast they go past horses, or even how close they get.

“Hundleby is a 30mph speed limit, but I can count on one hand actually how many drivers come through the village at that speed. It’s becoming increasingly more scary.

“I refuse to even walk our dog through Hundleby now, due to the small, narrow paths.

“I don’t think drivers are aware that horses are unpredictable animals and in a split second they can spook, something can catch their eye or something can change.

“It’s a shame, because we get a lot of holidaymakers coming for riding lessons and they want to go out hacking, but I’m always so cautious about taking them now, and that is purely down to how quick cars drive past us.”

Sian is now calling on action by the council. She said: “It’s time they did something, speed bumps or speed cameras would be perfect.

A County Council highways spokesperson said: “Concerns regarding speeding should be reported to the police in the first instance. We would encourage all motorists to stick to the limit and take extra care when passing horses.”