Injured rider calls for dogs to be kept on leads around horses after West Wittering beach incident

The horse rider, who asked not to be named, was left with a fractured pelvis, a punctured lung and a broken arm after the incident at West Wittering beach on Sunday morning.

Speaking to the Observer from hospital on Tuesday, she said: “I’m lucky, it could’ve been worse. But it didn’t need to happen.”

She called for owners to keep their dogs on a lead when around horses.

The woman and her horse had been cantering and trotting along the beach with a friend that morning when they came to stop and noticed a dog running towards them.

She said of the dog: “It was attacking my horse. My poor horse went a bit bananas.”

After she fell to the ground, she said the dog then chased the horse for a mile off into the sand dunes.

Luckily a spinal surgeon happened to be running past and, after checking her over, was able to help her walk to the lifeguard hut where she was met by the ambulance service.

The woman was taken to hospital and has had to have a metal plate inserted into her arm.

She said the incident was ‘awful’ and ‘horrid’.

“It was scary,” she said. “I’ve never broken anything before.

“I’m not allowed to ride for three months.

“It will be a year before my arm is back in fully working order.”

She said she had been riding responsibly and called for dog owners to be responsible for their pets too.

“If you can’t control your dog, just keep it on a lead. It’s very simple,” she said.

Police confirmed they were called shortly after 10am on Sunday to reports of a dog ‘dangerously out of control’ on West Wittering beach.

It was reported the dog had chased a horse, causing the rider to fall off and suffer a serious injury, police said.

“Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with any information is asked to contact police online or by calling 101 quoting serial 278 of 31/01,” a spokesman said.