After Being Hospitalised, Young Maltese Horse Rider Urges Reckless Drivers To Be More Careful
A young Maltese horse rider is calling for motorists to be more careful when overtaking horses on the road after a reckless driver spooked her horse and left her hospitalised yesterday.
“I don’t remember exactly what happened,” Nicole Pace told Lovin Malta from hospital, still in shock from the incident.
“One moment I’m out with my horse, the next I’m in hospital with a fractured sacrum in my pelvis,”
Pace has been riding horses since she was five years old, and her dream of having her very own came true last year when she turned 20.
Pace's horse is named Capac Boko
However, a nightmare soon ensued, when a car sped past her horse, Capac Boko, and spooked him.
Pace and her friend, also riding her own horse, managed to calm their animals. However, soon after another car sped by, causing Boko to panic, flee and fling Pace off his back onto the ground.
While Boko is safe and sound, Pace ended up passing out with serious fractures and a damaged helmet.
“The driver didn’t even stop. I was left badly injured on the road.”
In Pace’s experience, these potentially lethal incidents happen more often than one would think.
“It’s not the first time something like this happened. A lot of the times we go out with our horses and we find someone who tries to overtake us in the most dangerous way,” she recalled.
Pace's helmet was damaged in the fall
“We find people often over-speeding and passing too close to our horses. Or else, they honk their horns loudly or try to race us,” Pace added.
The horse-rider has called on the public to be more sensitive when horses are on the roads.
“Please, when we’re there – slow down to a maximum of 15 kilometres an hour. Be patient and don’t sound your horn or rev your engine – it distresses our animals.”
“When you overtake a horse, please pass with a wide distance and slowly if it’s safe to do so. I think it’s fair to be more aware and make the experience better for everyone.”
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