A YOUNG rider from Rowanlea Riding School, Barry had a lucky escape last Monday when she was thrown from her horse on the busy Barry to Monifieth road, after a fast-moving vehicle startled the horse.
Elaine James said her daughter, Kristi, who was out riding with a friend who was on foot, was lucky to be alive, after the driver of the car came quickly round a corner and had to brake heavily to avoid the young girls.
Spooked by the near miss, K
risti's horse threw her off before galloping off in the direction of oncoming traffic. Kristi was not seriously injured and the horse was quickly caught and taken back to the stables.
Elaine said that the lack of signage and the generous speed limit on the Barry road mean the road is a death trap for local riders, adding that her daughter was convinced that the the car had caught the horse's tail end because of how it took off.
She went on to say that the driver had got out of the car to ensure that the girls were all right, and that she thought he must have got a real fright, too.
The Barry to Monifieth road has featured heavily in the Guide & Gazette over the past year as local residents campaigned for safety measures including a footpath.
There is only one sign on the road from Monifieth alerting motorists to horses, with no warning signs for drivers coming in the opposite direction.
