A Perthshire teenager was thrown onto the road and trampled on after a fast driver spooked her horse.
Marli Laing, 17, was left unable to walk and has nerve, ligament and tissue damage to her legs following the incident at the M90 underpass near Longforgan last Sunday.
She was riding Pride, with her mum Jodi Wallace walking alongside, when a driver failed to slow down and made a fast noise in the tunnel.
Spooked Pride became uncontrollable and threw Marli off, into the road, and trampled on.
Jodi told The Courier: “We were out riding – I took her out on foot and was walking alongside them.
“It had been a really good hack and we were coming back to Longforgan.
“We went under the flyover and even lorries were slowing down and the horse was fine.
“Then next thing I knew a car came flying around the roundabout leaving Longforgan.
“I was even waving my hands to get them to slow down.
“There was no room for us to move away and Pride got a huge fright.
“She threw Marli off and then stood on her.
“Two nice men came and helped us – I was trying to calm the horse and Marli was lying in the road and she couldn’t move her leg.
“She has got nerve, ligament and tissue damage and actually has a hoof mark on her leg.
“Her hat is also wrecked and cracked and we will need to get a new one but her head wasn’t hurt – it just shows you how important they are.
“She is all battered and bruised because she hit the concrete.
“She is having to take time off work because she can’t walk – we were in A&E for hours.
“The driver didn’t even stop either but they would have seen it all happen in their mirror.
“Marli says she never wants to hack out again on the horse.”
Teen may never get back on horse
Pride is 10-years-old and used to walking near the road and under the flyover, Jodi added.
She explained it is the only route from the stables at Westbank Equestrian to nicer riding spots on the other side of the M90.
Jodi, 38, said: “After seeing that I don’t even want to ride under the flyover again.
“Marli has been riding since she was young and it is a shame because I don’t know if she will get back on the horse.
“It is usually her happy place.”
The UK highway code instructs drivers to take particular care around horses and to “always pass wide and slowly”.
It states: “When you see a horse on a road, you should slow down to a maximum of 10 mph.
“Be patient, do not sound your horn or rev your engine.
“When safe to do so, pass wide and slow, allowing at least 2 metres of space.”
The matter was not reported to the police.
