‘We need a conversation about horse welfare’: five-star rider’s concern after lorry stuck for hours on motorway

A five-star event rider said there is a “conversation that needs to happen” on equine welfare, after a horse he was transporting was stuck on board, in a motorway traffic jam, for over three hours.

Will Rawlin was en route to a Burghley young event horse qualifier at Aston le Walls on 2 July with five-year-old Pieterado, and had just reached the M4 when he came to a standstill.

Will told H&H he rang police four times in the three hours he was stuck.

“I didn’t know if there was a rule where after a certain time, or like then, when the horse was thrashing around, that you can be escorted off the motorway,” he said. “It was a welfare situation.”

Will said that although Wednesday was not as hot as the previous few days had been, it was warm. And although he had fans and plenty of water on board, “Pedro” was becoming stressed.

“After three hours, it was still saying online the road wouldn’t open for another two to three hours, and I thought ‘This can’t happen, it’s not fair on the horse’,” he said.

“The police were saying they’d get back to me and log my report but nothing happened. The road did open sooner than expected but just before it did, the horse had one more thrash about and managed to get his leg stuck in the haynet.”

Will said he and his groom Siobhan Binns managed to cut the haynet down. Pedro was unhurt and the traffic began to move so they were able to go home.

“I was only about a mile away from the slip road, it would have been massively possible to turn round and nip back off,” he said. “It was so frustrating, and I just feel the authorities could be more proactive.”

Each police force has its own protocol for this situation; H&H has a guide on what to do if you find yourself stuck on a motorway with horses on board.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told H&H: “While we do not have a set policy in place for scenarios such as this one, our specially trained roads policing officers do judge each circumstance on a case by case basis.

“The scene of any major incident is often dynamic, fast-paced, challenging and hazardous. We implement road closures so that we can clear the scene of the collision, preserve any potential evidence, treat those who are injured and ensure the safety of everyone else in the area. When making any decision on lifting closures or allowing people access, we have to balance the risks and make the safest decision for those in the area at the time.

“In this instance, the road was being opened shortly after the caller made contact with us for the final time. Our call takers advised the caller of this and advised them to make contact again should the situation escalate.”

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