A former racehorse has made a remarkable recovery following a terrifying accident last year (17 October).

David Lloyd George (“George”) was turned out in his field in Northampton when something spooked him and he attempted to jump out over a five-bar gate.

The gelding fell and skidded several metres across the ground, after which he got back on his feet and galloped to the gate of the yard.

He smashed through heavy iron gates and galloped for two miles into Kingsthorpe in heavy rush hour traffic.

His owner, Clare Lewis was lunging a pony when she heard George bolting out of the yard.

Credit: Adrian Howes Photography

“Something had petrified him — I think he may have been stung under his rug,” she told H&H.

“I was driving round for 20 minutes and there was no sign of him. I don’t know what I was thinking, it was just mad and so scary not knowing where he was.”

Claire contacted police who informed her George had been caught.

A member of the public had caught him with a piece of string and put him in their garden.

“When I arrived he screamed at me and came running over — he’s never been so pleased to see me,” said Clare.

“I couldn’t believe he was upright. How he dodged all the traffic, I don’t know. He’d gone through a really horrendous junction.”

George was left with scrapes to his legs and shoulder, a deeper cut to a foreleg, and a cut through his frog.

George’s crashing fall from the field was captured by the yard’s CCTV cameras.

“I couldn’t believe it and the vets were gobsmacked,” said Clare. “They couldn’t believe he got up from that fall.”

George was put on seven weeks of box rest with pony Cheeko to keep him company.

 

He made good progress and returned to the field for a month, and was ridden for the first time since the accident on 9 January, having been given the all-clear by the vet and osteopath.

George has since gone from strength to strength and is going to his first dressage competition since his accident this weekend.

“He feels amazing,” said Clare of the 13-year-old, who she has owned since he was retired from the racetrack at four. “He’s really fit and strong.”

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Clare said George’s behaviour on the day of the accident was completely out of character.

“He’s so laid back it’s painful,” she laughed.

Clare praised her vets, Swanspool Veterinary Clinic in Wellingborough, and equine osteopath, David Powers of In Motion Equine, for all their help with George’s rehabilitation.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

The latest edition (17 May) features a full report from Royal Windsor Horse Show, including all the showing, showjumping and dressage action. We go behind the scenes with the Household Cavalry as they prepare for the royal wedding, plus check out our interview with Irish eventer Padraig McCarthy.

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