Dysart horse injury prompts appeal

Joanne Bizzarri, of Dysart, was speaking after she and her seven year-old horse, Saffy, were involved in an accident with a car last week near the family home in Dysart.

Saffy suffered cuts, bruising, swelling and inflammation along one side of her body after a collision with a car which was seemingly trying to pass them in the face of oncoming traffic.

Joanne (16), who rides competitively, was not injured in the accident, which happened last Wednesday in Wemyss Road, although Saffy had to be treated later by a vet.

“I wasn’t really too fussed about myself – I was more worried about my horse,” added Joanne, a pupil at Balwearie High School in Kirkcaldy.

She said horses could be unpredictable animals and appealed to drivers to go slowly and allow plenty of space when going past them.

Although there are no official guidelines or national laws in place, it was reckoned a car’s width, or a couple of metres, should be given.

“I would say give room and slow down when going past,” said Joanne. “No matter what the horse seems like, it is a wild animal and it can do whatever it wants.

“No matter how experienced a rider you are, if it wants to move, it’s going to move.”

A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed the incident had been reported to them and was being investigated.