Samantha Sifert and her horse, Aurora, are going to need time to heal – emotionally and physically – after being assaulted on a West Shore trail ride.
Sifert, from Langford, boards her Belgian/Thoroughbred cross at a Metchosin farm, and frequently takes her on trail rides to Weir’s Beach, using the Galloping Goose Trail.
But last Thursday a regular trail ride took a nasty turn.
Sifert says that when she got to the portion of the trail where she had to cross Happy Valley Road, two men, in an older model Ford, drove up alongside her, yelling incoherently. She says a sharp object was thrown from the vehicle and struck her horse’s face.
When Aurora spooked at the encounter, Sifert was thrown from the saddle. She was left with a concussion, sprained ankle and twisted back.
The men never stopped the truck.
“She just threw up her head, I did not know what was happening at the time,” recalled Sifert. “I just felt myself fall to the ground and [saw] her running away.”
| Sifbert says her horse, Aurora, a Belgian/Thoroughbred cross, might be fearful to go on trail rides after a scary incident on Thursday spooked the pair. (Facebook/Samantha Sifbert) |
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Sifert said Aurora is also injured – the object Sifert believes was thrown from the truck, hit the horse’s face and left a gash.
But she says the physical injuries will heal faster then the psychological damage on both her and her equine companion.
“She is very scared, so I’m not going to go back on for a while,” Sifert said.
But Sifert said this wasn’t her first run in with a speeding vehicle on the West Shore. Last year a large moving truck hit the rump of her horse while she was riding on the side of the road.
“Be aware. Horse riders have to be aware as well, of other cars and bikes. And we appreciate it when they do the same.” Sifert said. “They definitely need to slow down and pass wide.
And my horse is 2,000 pounds so if she decided to kick out, they won’t be happy either,” she added. “She can kick out and do some serious damage so going wide and slow is safer for them too.”
Sifert said she filed a police report following the incident.
West Shore RCMP confirmed they received a report of a woman bucked off a horse on Happy Vally Road.
READ ALSO: B.C. man ‘parks’ horse during liquor store pit stop
nina.grossman@blackpress.ca
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