Breaking point

SPICE WAS TIED up outside his stable when the sound of a door slamming closed startled him and he pulled back. On feeling the pressure of his lead rope pull tight he panicked and pulled even more — but neither the rope nor the headcollar broke. Instead, the wooden panel that he was attached to came loose and suddenly the frightened horse was free; he took flight across the yard, the wooden panel flailing around his front legs, scaring him more and causing him to go faster.

“I’ve no idea how that panel of wood didn’t trip him up or hit him and cause a serious injury, but thankfully he couldn’t get far because the gate to the field was closed and we were able to catch him before any damage was done,” says his owner Carl Budd. “He was tied using a quick-release knot, but I couldn’t get to him quickly enough — it all happened so fast. I remember watching him