Two horses went for a wild ride yesterday when the horse float they were in became detached from the towing vehicle and crashed on to its side on State Highway 1 north of Palmerston.
The "youngish'' horses, Gracie and Phoebe, were being taken to their second trek by owner Gordon Douglas, of Otago Peninsula.
When the float parted company from the car pulling it, it turned on to its side and slid several metres before coming to a stop on the highway.
Emergency crews were called to the area near Shag Point just before 3pm, and within 10 minutes cleared the site with the help of truck drivers who were first on the scene, said Mr Douglas.
One of the horses had initially been trapped inside the float, while the other was found on railway tracks nearby.
Mr Douglas was travelling north with the horses to take part in a trekking trip with his family in the Ahuriri Valley, near Omarama.
He said he and his wife had suddenly felt violent rocking, and then the float detached and the safety chain broke.
He said both horses were all right, but Phoebe had minor cuts.
Senior Constable Stefan Witehira, of Palmerston, said the vehicle and horse float stayed in the northbound lane when the crash occurred.
He said inquiries into the crash were continuing.
