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Reader Rant : Helicopter horror for riders

Wednesday 27 May 2009

Horsereader Lindsay Halpin, from Kent, had a shocking experience when a low-flying helicopter startled her horse


What can be done to stop helicopters flying too low over country areas and terrifying horses?

I had just turned my horse out into his paddock when an enormous Chinook helicopter with twin rotor blades came thundering across the sky towards us, skimming the pink blossom from the top of a cherry tree.  

The noise was horrendous and my horse panicked and bolted, smashing through a post and rail fence, stumbling down on his left side. He scrambled up, only to fall down on his other side, before fleeing across a field full of wheat.

He suffered a puncture wound to his chest, lacerations to his stifle and legs, and had signs of internal bleeding.

My vet said he had a very lucky escape.

Once the shock had subsided, anger took its place. The disastrous consequences that could have been fatal keep running through my mind.

I have made an official complaint to the RAF and have asked why it was necessary for this helicopter to fly so low.

I shall certainly be seeking compensation for my horse's injuries and paddock repairs – but what about the effect on his mental state?

Apart from wearing hi-vis when riding, there appears little that a horseowner can do to protect themselves and their horses from this happening anywhere the length and breadth of this country, with only a few exceptions.

I think it is totally unacceptable to have this highly dangerous exercise performed in our rural countryside, and urge anyone who has experienced this trauma to complain to the Ministry of Defence.




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