A keen horse rider will never be able to ride again after breaking her back in an accident on the Downs.

Sue Marlow, 44, was riding with two others on Epsom Downs when a jogger ran past them and frightened the horses, it is claimed.

Miss Marlow’s horse “flipped” after the jogger went past and started jumping up and down, causing her to fall and break three vertebrae in her middle and lower back.

She said: “We asked the jogger to stop, but he carried on.

“There were three horses – the one in the front played up a bit, the one in the middle played up a bit, but my horse, she just flipped and went absolutely mental.

“It took a while before I came off, but when she did get me down I fell quite hard on my back.”

Miss Marlow, a landscape gardener who had been riding for 38 years before the accident on April 3, was due to get her amateur jockey licence this year.

She said: “I have been riding for 38 years, it is my life. People need to understand they cannot run past horses on the Downs like this because they will get scared and accidents like these will happen. There are a lot of people who are very good out there, who keep their dogs under control and stay away from riders.

“But people on pushbikes and joggers need be more careful around the horses.”

Caroline Baldock, leader of the Epsom Equestrian Conservation Group, said people needed to be educated on using Epsom Downs.

She said: “People think the Downs are a common when, in reality, it is private land. It was purchased for the training of racehorses. We’re very keen now to help educate the public and support the racing community.

“We’re going to plough on with our education programme and to try to get over the proper management of the Downs for the safety of everybody.”

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a horse died and a rider was left seriously injured in an accident with a car on Wednesday.

Surrey Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident near the Mint pub, in Park Road, Banstead, just before 11am, which involved a black Honda Civic and a horse and rider.

An air ambulance took the female rider to the Royal London Hospital suffering from serious back and leg injuries. The female driver of the Honda was taken to St Helier hospital suffering from minor injuries.

Witnesses should call 01483 639922.