A horse rider at the centre of a viral video which has divided opinion has broken her silence.
Laura, who does not wish to give her second name, said she has received death threats after she posted the clip of her aboard ex-racehorse Deirdre.
In it, viewers see a blue Skoda Fabia drive past and her friend’s thoroughbred is spooked by the proximity of the vehicle.
As Deirdre starts to react as well, Laura quickly sticks out her riding crop to warn the driver and can be heard to say: “F****ing hell! Wait, wait, wait! It’s a green lane, please go slower.”
The response from one of the motorists is inaudible as the women on horseback continue down the country road, which has passing places and a green sign saying ‘Quiet Lane’ to prioritise vulnerable road users.
People are split over who is in the right while discussing the footage, which has been viewed nearly 13 million times on Instagram. Laura said she has always shared the highs and lows of horse riding after she lost her confidence following a fall from a previous ex-racer called Conkering Hero, a six-time winner.
She told the Daily Express: “I have received death threats after posting this clip, which I shared to raise awareness about riding on roads. I was very frightened Deirdre would spin or bolt into the car and there was a child in the back seat.
“I’m not an aggressive person, I had to raise my voice to speak to the driver. All I wanted to do was educate him about going slowly and leaving enough room for us to pass safely.”
Some social media users have defended the motorist and suggested they were acting responsibly. “Car was slower than a sloth. What you screaming at?” one person wrote.
Another added: “With respect, that car was going about as slow as it could without stalling.
“If you are not comfortable sharing the road with other traffic, or worried that you can’t control your horse, maybe grass lanes would be better for you?’
The Highway Code instructs motorists to slow right down and give equestrians enough space, saying horses ‘can move incredibly quickly if startled.’
It reads: “Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when approaching, overtaking, passing or moving away. Always pass wide and slowly. 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 two metres of space.
“Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver.”
Laura said Deirdre had only raced four times and was getting used to all of the sights and sounds of hacking in the countryside since arriving at her stable in February.
“She was far too slow to be a racehorse,” the equestrian added. “We’d rather not use the roads as part of her retraining but unfortunately the UK does not have a vast network of off-road riding.
“I had another near-miss recently when a car came round the corner so fast it nearly went out of control. I just want to let drivers know that it takes about 15 seconds of their day to make sure we are all safe and can carry on with our lives.”
