Boldre commoning family heartbroken after hit-and-run driver leaves pony lame

A COMMONING family face the “heartbreaking” decision of whether to put down their pony after a hit-and-run driver left her with a suspected broken leg.

The Crantons, who are second generation commoners, have appealed for motorists to take more care after finding Haze, their two-year-old filly which runs on the Forest, with serious injuries.

It is likely the culprit will go undetected since the driver did not report the incident to police and the family have little idea of where or when the pony was hit.

As a result, they have called on drivers to take more care and drive within the speed limits.

The East Boldre-based family were contacted on Monday last week by an agister who said Haze appeared lame.

Louise Cranton said that after tracking her down in Boldre, she was in a “very sorry state”.

Haze belongs to Louise’s son, Rowan. She added: “We managed to trailer her home and called the vet.

“The vet and the agister both agreed that she had been hit with some force by a car, causing traumatic injuries.

“She has a possible fractured leg, many open wounds and skin missing where she was dragged along the road.

“I cannot understand how someone could hit an animal and then leave it to suffer.

“She was hit either on the road through East Boldre or the main road between Lymington and Beaulieu and had dragged herself to the shade of East Boldre hall.

“It’s heartbreaking, she is such a lovely little pony.”

She added: “The speed of drivers is horrendous. Many of us have complained about how fast people go through here – which is a 30mph zone – and every day I am overtaken on the roads to Lymington and Brockenhurst.

“The local road awareness group are trying to get the awareness out there but some people just don’t care.

“In this case the agister contacted the police but no one had reported hitting her.”

In the latest reports of animal accidents from the verderers, a pony was killed on Saturday evening in a road accident near Fritham. The chestnut gelding died by the B3078, at Crow’s Nest, at around 8.45pm. Agister Andrew Napthine attended.

The previous week a bay filly was injured in a hit-and-run on Main Road, Boldre. It happened on Monday 26th July at 1.30pm, and agister Robert Maton attended.

A cow had to be destroyed after a collision on the B3080 at about 11.25pm on Saturday 31st July. Mr Napthine dealt with the incident.