AN ANIMAL lover has urged drivers to be more careful when they see horses and ponies on the road.

Kate Hulls, 29, from Slad, has issued a plea after motorists continually tried to overtake while she moved three ponies between fields.

The latest incident happened last Sunday, June 28 when Kate was walking her Dartmoor ponies along Slad Road with her husband Tommy, 36 and mum Corinne Maltby.

A series of classic cars overtook, startling the animals, as they were being moved to a lower pasture to graze.

Drivers often overtake her on the road and to try to prevent it from happening she had organised an escort car to follow behind with its hazard lights on.

Describing what happened Kate said: “A classic car ignored our escorting vehicle travelling behind us, and overtook on a bend, causing one of the ponies to panic and go into the road.

“Because it sounded different to other cars, the pony wasn’t used to it and became unnerved.

“My mum managed to get control of the pony but then four more classic cars overtook despite seeing how the first pony reacted and that caused further panic and stress to the pony.

“One of the other ponies also became very nervous but I kept it back from the other larger pony which was in the middle of the road with my mum who was trying to control it.

“It was terrifying to watch as more cars overtook, as I was helplessly watching my mum struggled with the pony to avoid the cars.

“We were lucky that no one was hurt.”

The animals were spooked again when they reached the turn off for the field at the The Vatch because some balloons had been placed there.

“We stopped to gather the balloons in but five more cars then overtook,” said Kate, who works a swimming coach.

“One of the ponies reacted again and nearly hit the overtaking car.

“Drivers seemed to have no idea about the fear that a young pony has on the road or how difficult it becomes for us when they panic to calm and control them especially while traffic overtaking them.”

Kate bought the ponies – Benje, Dougal and Dylan – to save them from being sold for meat in France.

She has to walk her ponies the 10 minutes trek between the two fields just two or three times a year.

lHave you experienced similar problems? Comment at stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk