A JIMBOOMBA woman has issued a plea to motorists to show consideration to horse floats after she and her two horses survived a terrifying crash on the Mt Lindesay highway.
Beatrix Bergman was towing her horses a double horse float southbound on the Mt Lindesay Highway on November 9.
She said she was "absolutely terrified" when a P-plate driver pulled out in front of her from Greenbank Road as there was nothing she could do to avoid a collision.
Her Nissan Patrol ute skewed off the road, down a deep drain and smashed head-on into a tree.
Despite being in shock and nursing a neck, shoulder and wrist injury, Ms Bergman's first thought was her horses.
"The sight of both horses down in the float still attached to the lead ropes and bleeding was horrifying," she said.
"I was shaking and crying and at that instant I knew they were alive but wasn't sure if they were fatally injured.
"The horses were in a jumble, one on top of the other on the floor... their heads still stretched up above the chest bars because they were tied to the float tie-downs."
Both animals sustained deep gashes, bruises and whiplash to their necks and backs.
Since the accident, Ms Bergman has not been able to ride the horses or enter them into pre-paid events as they recover from their injuries.
As vice president of Australian Competitive Trail Riding Association, she said her social and work life revolves around her horses and the incident has been incredibly traumatising.
"I know some people don't have much patience for cars towing horse floats because they think we drive slow," she said.
"But I drive to the conditions which mean I slow down around these roads, especially the Mt Lindesay Highway because it is terrible - the horses get bumped around.
"We have as much right as everyone else to be on the road, it is all about common sense and having some patience.
"At the end of the day, it's what, a few extra minutes you're trying to save? You could destroy someone's life, just like that."
