Diabolical: Injured rider slams condition of Rasen lane riddled with potholes

The 24-year-old Legsby resident was riding her 10-year-old pony with her mum along the byway in Dog Kennel Wood, when the pony tripped in two potholes.

The woman, who does not want to be named, said: “He went shoulder-down first, threw me off and fell on top of me.”

Reflecting on what happened, the woman said things could have been a lot worse.

She said: “I could have been paralysed or even killed.”

The rider damaged her hand in the incident and has been 
to hospital on two occasions.

She is employed as a waitress but is not able to carry two plates at a time, so is not working at the moment.

She added: “I just haven’t got the strength.”

The pony was also injured, sustaining a superficial graze on his shoulder which is also very swollen.

The pony is so traumatised, he finds it difficult to walk down the lane.

The rider explained: “It has put the pony off. He is 
very unsure about walking.

“He is scared the ground will swallow him up.”

She added the route is on the Lindsey Trail - an award-winning 69-mile equine trail.
The rider says she has spoken out to highlight the potential danger to other horse owners.

The Rasen Mail first drew attention to the state of the lane last month.

A disabled woman struggled to leave her home because negotiating the pot hole ridden lane left her in even more pain.

Residents, including Steve Cooper, called on the County Council to consider resurfacing the lane.

At the time, Lincolnshire County Council said: “Although we can’t legally prevent the byway through Dog Kennel Wood from being used by motor vehicles, it is primarily intended for use by pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.

“Therefore, we are only required to maintain it to the standard required for those groups.

“We realise this may be inconvenient for some but we cannot justify spending thousands of pounds upgrading the byway when that money would be far better invested in much busier roads that are actually designed for motor vehicles.”

Following the recent incident, Mr Cooper once again called on the council to consider re-surfacing the lane.

Mr Cooper said: “Surely this latest incident is proof that the lane isn’t fit for purpose.

“What are they waiting for? How bad do things have to get? Does someone have to die?”

The rider said: “I am not prepared to ride down that track until it is done (resurfaced).”

Following the incident, the Market Rasen Mail contacted the Highways Department at Lincolnshire County Council.

A spokesman said: “We cannot comment on the details of individual incidents,

“However, we can assure people that we are looking into the matter in some detail to establish the circumstances involved.”