A Sussex mother and her nine-year-old son were injured when a car crashed into their pony.

Josh Kindell, from Pulborough, was riding his 11-year-old chestnut mare, Tango, in Loxwood Road, Rudgwick, yesterday when he was thrown into a hedge after the animal was struck from behind by a silver car.

After the impact, the pony ran off, dragging with it the boy’s mother Kate, who had been holding the reins and walking in front. The driver then fled the scene.

She said: “You read about these things but you just never expect it to happen to you.

“Why someone would do that is beyond me. I was able to see that he was elderly and the make of his car as I was being dragged across the road by my pony.

“My everlasting memory is just my son screaming my name and Tango’s name from the hedge.

“He’s already told me he’s never going back on to his pony, but I’m hopeful one day he will.”

The incident happened shortly after 10am as the family were travelling south west along the road, towards The Fox Inn at Tismans Common.

Tango was x-rayed last night to determine the extent of her injuries, but Kate said she’s not in a good way.

PC Karen Whitehouse, of Sussex Police road policing unit, said: “The boy was fortunate to have fallen into the hedge and not into the road, where he could have suffered more serious injuries.

“It is clear from the debris left at the scene that the driver must have known that they had hit the pony but did not bother to check on the animal, the boy or his mother.

“We have seized a silver Peugeot that we are examining to try to confirm if it is the vehicle involved.

“If anyone saw the car being driven in the moments before or after the incident or who knows anything about what happened I would urge them to contact us.”

Police are carrying out forensic tests on a wing mirror knocked off in the impact to try to link it to the vehicle involved and its driver.

Ms Kindell added: “If he had stopped I would have been a completely |different person, but there is just no excuse.

“He should just come forward and tell the truth. We’re just relieved because it could have been a lot, lot worse.”

Anyone with any information should call 101, quoting serial 387 of 19 August, or email karen.whitehouse @sussex.pnn.police.uk.