Highways England traffic officers were fast out of the traps to help guide a couple of four legged friends who made their way onto a motorway on Sunday 3 June
Newly released footage shows how two New Forest ponies had gone the wrong neigh and ended up horsing around on the A31 eastbound in Hampshire at around 9.15am. Traffic officers worked with Hampshire Police as the two equines headed down the mane road, before they turned onto the M27. A rolling road block was put out on the M27 by police and Highways England closed the A36 slip road before an agister helped to get the ponies trough the road at 10.40am.
By then the ponies has travelled a furlong way down the three roads, and despite being saddled with the task of getting them off the road, it was a canter for Highways England traffic officer Michael Maidment who has been trained for situations like this.
Usually we’re dealing with crashes or cars that have broken down, so it is different to be called out to deal with this type of horseplay.
When my partner and I got there we worked with our partners in the police to shoe them off the motorway, as the only studs we want on our roads are the ones between lanes.
There was quite a bit to do with closing the different roads and directing the ponies to safety, so our voices were a bit horse afterwards but fortunately the ponies were unhurt and were still stable to get home after we’d reined them in.
A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said:
We would like to thank the agister, Highways England’s traffic officers and the members of the public for their assistance in dealing with this incident.
Highways England provides up-to-date traffic information via its website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile platforms.