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Here BEVA Member Derek Landwehr tells us about a horrific incident when a horse fell through floor of horse transporter whilst it was travelling along the M4 motorway which highlights the need for the Emergency Services Protocol.

Derek says “I think this would be of particular interest and hopefully raise awareness of the importance of thoroughly checking horse transport flooring and highlight the need for horse transport floors to be "professionally" checked for safety rather than people ‘just having a quick look at the floor’”.

“When I arrived the RSPCA had already been called to the scene by the emergency services. The RSPCA then called an associated veterinary practice who could not attend. The associated practice then called me. Clearly there were too many steps in the process and, hopefully, the Emergency Services Protocol will address this issue to minimise delay in equine veterinary attendance.” 

“There were 3 horses in the horsebox. The ‘innermost’ horse's right hind limb had fallen through the floor right above the rear double wheels. This completely dislocated the hock and fetlock with catastrophic degloving injuries to the front of the whole limb as if the right hind limb had been put into an electric pencil sharpener. Severe tyre burns were evident on the limb. Somehow the horse had managed to pull the remnants of the leg back into the horse box. It then shot forward smashing the window in front of it and denting the security bars. It had then collapsed under the other two horses. (3 year old eventers!)

“When  I arrived at the scene, there was blood dripping out of the groom’s door on the side. To access the collapsed horse whose right hind was facing the wrong way and who had suffered severe blood loss,  we had to close the motorway and lower the back loading ramp. Immediate euthanasia on humane grounds of the collapsed horse was performed. The other two horses were sedated (as it was not possible to offload them safely on the busy motorway with a dead horse underfoot). The horse box was taken to our facility (in convoy) about 20 minutes up the road. Here at a place of safety the 2 sedated horses were unloaded and placed immediately into stables under observation. A carcass collection service had been contacted to collect the dead horse and it was winched directly from the horse transport to the knacker van.”

“The other two horses were amazingly OK and resumed their journey the following day with a professional horse transporter!”

Thank you to Derek for telling us about this horrific incident. On the strength of Derek’s experiences BEVA, in conjunction with Merial Equine Health, will be discussing the importance of checking the roadworthiness of vehicles at a horse owner and rider day being held by Merial in May 2008.  BEVA will also be producing a horse owner information poster, to be displayed in practice waiting rooms, highlighting vehicle safely and specific safety issues if a horse owner is involved in an equine emergency, such as a traffic accident, or coming upon a horse trapped in a ditch.