TERRIFYING footage has emerged of the moment a horse crashed through a perimeter wall in Australia.
Oscar The Great, who was unhurt in the incident, veered violently across the track mid-race during a trotting meeting at Goulburn on Monday.
The dramatic sequence was captured on camera by the safety car following behind the field in the 1700 metre race.
The horse was held up at the tail of the field by his driver Dean Cernovskis in the early stages.
As the field approached the bend into the home straight, the gelding began to veer off a straight line.
Cernovskis was able to stop himself from ploughing through the fence – but Oscar The Great went clean through at speed.
Incredibly, both driver and horse emerged unscathed, but a post-race vet examination revealed the gelding to be lame in both hind legs.
The horse must take part in a qualifying trial and pass a vet examination before he is allowed to resume his career.
Cernovskis, who was able to drive later on the card, reckons the horse passed out before he crashed through the fence.
He said: “I was certainly fearing the worst there for a bit! But both of us came out of it pretty much without a scratch, remarkably!
“It was certainly scary to watch – I think Oscar choked down, and he actually passed out moments before he crashed through the fence.
“The only thing I was thinking was ‘hell, this is gonna hurt’!
“He was a bit stiff today, but we’ll give him a few days off and he’ll be fine.”
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