Horse rider calls for rule changes after serious fall

A Canterbury woman has a broken neck and spinal injuries and may never walk again after being flung from her horse three weeks ago.

A close friend, who did not want to be named, said the incident near the Waimakariri River north of Christchurch had stripped her friend Barbara Coates of all independence.

Coates and another friend Ros Lugg, a qualified horse riding instructor, were chatting and riding together at Baynons Brake horse park near Clarkville, on June 10.

Things were like any normal ride until a dog jumped out of the undergrowth directly ahead and began sprinting towards them – startling the horses.

Lugg fell off quickly, cracking her ribs and Coates was flung from her horse suffering a broken neck, serious spinal injuries and ‘‘shattered’’ arms. She spent 23 days in intensive care and was transferred to Burwood Hospital on Thursday.

She has a long rehabilitation ahead of her and the outcome was unknown, a close friend said.

‘‘It is unlikely she will walk again. She has got a major battle ahead of her to get any independence back in her life.’’

The incident was a life changing, blindsiding event for Coates, she said.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) parks and forests team leader David Owen told The Press on June 26 that although it was a distressing accident, ECan did not consider any rules were broken during the incident.

Lugg felt ‘‘very frustrated’’ that ECan considered no-one was breaking the rules that day.

‘‘I’m quite baffled about Ecan’s comment . . . as far as I can see the person didn’t know their dog was there.’’

On their website, ECan advises visitors to the park must keep their dogs ‘‘under effective control at all times’’.

‘‘That dog certainly wasn’t under close control.’’

Lugg said dogs should be on a leash where there was horse riding. She suggested a park exclusively for horses should be established in Christchurch.

‘‘I just feel there ought to be one place where you can go if you’re either not a confident rider and had a bad experience, taking your children out, or you’re taking a young horse out.’’

Riders on a track with dogs and cyclists cross their fingers and hope for the best, she said.

Lugg said she understood the need to take dogs out but would not take her own dog near horses unless on a leash.

‘‘I think it’s a question of balancing all users needs but dog owners do have other places they can go to let their dog off the lead.

‘‘I don’t think it should be a confrontational thing, it should be a consultation.’’

Owen said the decision to allow dogs in areas where horse riding was permitted was made in consultation with horseriding groups.

‘‘Horse riders often ride with their dogs, and requiring all dogs to be on a lead is not practical while riding.’’

He said if a duty ranger is alerted of a dog not under effective control, they will request they bring their dog under control. If the problem continues, the rangers will ask the dog owner to leave, or call the local council’s dog control officer.

Following the incident ECan was seeking advice from local councils on how to best enforce control rules in parks, Owen said. ‘‘We are working on increased education regarding dogs and horses being in the same area.’’

Park rangers at Baynons Brake would be taking extra weekend patrols, talking to park users and handing out fliers.

Owen said extra signage would be installed throughout the park in coming weeks.

‘‘That dog certainly wasn’t under close control.’’