A RIDER was taken to hospital and a horse died after a crash on a rural Lanarkshire road. 

The woman was rushed to Wishaw General Hospital with back injuries following the collision with a car on Brackenhirst Road, Glenmavis, near Airdrie, on Sunday. 

It's understood the horse lost its life instantly in the incident, which occurred at around 9.25am. The condition of the driver - who was arrested - is unknown. 

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Following the crash, campaigners have called on more to be done to protect riders while out on the road. 

Alan Hiscox, director of safety at The British Horse Society, said: "The number of incidents involving horses on Britain’s roads remain far too high, despite the time spent in lockdown over the past year.

"With 80% of the incidents reported to us having occurred due to vehicles passing too close it is evident that there is still a great need for better education on how to safely pass horses on the road.

"It is also deeply concerning that close to half of riders were subject to road rage. We all have a right to feel safe on the roads and no one should face abuse for exercising this right.

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"Only one in 10 people report incidents to us and we hope the new BHS safety reporting app, ‘Horse i’, will encourage more people to report these incidents to us.”  

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Officers were called to the report of a road traffic crash on Brackenhirst Road, Glenmavis, Airdrie at around 9.24am on Sunday, April 25, 2021. 

"A car and a horse were in collision.  As a result the horse was killed. 

"The female rider on the horse at the time was taken to Wishaw General Hospital with back injuries.  The driver of the car was arrested and will be the subject of a report to the procurator fiscal.”