A couple whose horse and wagon were rescued from a roadside ditch in Berrow last week have thanked local people for their support following the incident.
Phoebe Beedell and Michael Ransley are the owners of the horse and the permanent residents of the Gypsy-style bow-top wagon which fell into the rhyne on Red Road last Friday (August 23rd).
Phoebe told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We have been travelling and living on the road for over twenty-five and six years respectively.”
“The report of the incident circulated quickly and widely on social media and across the Travelling communities – we were even phoned by a friend in Cumbria the same day to check on our welfare!”
“We’d like to take this opportunity to update everyone on what happened and the ‘lessons learned’.”
“Firstly, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the wonderful people who helped us: young Grace and RNLI Dan, who brought water, made sure our important things were safe and directed the traffic; Tom, Matt and James, who straight-away offered their tractor to do the heavy lifting; and Alice, Annie and Paul Edwards, all of Westcroft Farm who gave us perfectly-timed cups of tea, and took us in, providing a barn, hay, hours of washing machine time and a warm and breezy polytunnel in which to dry things. Â And of course, thanks to the team from the Fire service who helped assess and organize the immediate logistics.”
“Importantly, no-one was injured and Bonnie, our four-year old horse, was completely unhurt. With a bit of gentle encouragement, she eventually got herself out of the water, shook herself down and set about munching the grass verge, while the wagon was pulled out.”
“We know that when driving or working with horses, things can go wrong very quickly. In this case it took less than 3 seconds to go from ok to not ok. With time to reflect on what actually happened, we have concluded that an unfortunate combination of environmental circumstances made our horse shy, which unbalanced the wagon and tipped the whole rig sideways into the ditch.”
“Having walked with Bonnie up from mid-Devon, we had just come through Burnham-On-Sea, where we’d shown her the coast and a few double decker buses. All had gone well as she was fairly indifferent to both. Heading for a stop outside Berrow, we turned into Red Road, which had been freshly and thickly graveled that morning.”
“The loose gravel was several inches deep and in ‘drifts’ in some places. This presented a new and somewhat challenging surface for our horse. Coupled with this, a lorry was idling noisily nearby. Just as we passed this hazard, a large car squeezed past, overtaking us, making an unfamiliar and scary sound, and perhaps even sprayed up some loose grit.”
“Horses are flight animals, with instincts just below the surface, and their anxiety can build up into a sudden and explosive ‘spook’. We think this is exactly what happened, perhaps complicated by a solid post on our side of the road, which we think made Bonnie step sideways, not forward, taking the wagon wheels over the sloping edge.”
“It’s safe to say it could have been a very different outcome but we feel that we were as well-prepared and cautious as we could have been. Bonnie’s intensive training over the last year paid off to a large extent. It’s the reason why she did not panic, thrash about and hurt herself or anyone else.”
“Also, no-one was riding up, or in the wagon at that moment because we were alert to potential hazards, including the sudden change of road surface. Additionally, Michael, who was leading Bonnie, had not only positioned himself safely when passing the lorry, but also had a sharp pen-knife in his pocket for just such moments when it is necessary to quickly cut a bit of harness to free the horse.”
“In the event, only one ‘trace’ had to be cut and a bit of girth strap broke with the force. The harness was mended and the wagon has only minor cosmetic damage. The only real casualties were a soaked phone and a soggy tablet, both now kaput. But the most important things in life are not things!”
“Ninety-nine per cent of people we meet on the road are kind, cheery and often generous which restores our faith in humanity, and is a privilege to witness. While this incident has epitomized that sentiment, many many people have been inconvenienced or made anxious and the professionals have of course cost the public purse.”
