A 66-year-old Toronto horse handler is in critical condition and a racehorse has been euthanized after it broke free from its handlers at a Fort Erie, Ont. racetrack Sunday and knocked the man to the ground.
Niagara Regional police said the horse was being escorted to the track for a race at around 5 p.m., when it became skittish and its handlers were unable to control it.
The horse then “panicked” and smashed through barriers, when police said it knocked the handler to the ground and he suffered life-threatening injuries.
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Paramedics attended the scene and transported the man to the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, New York where he remains in critical condition.
Police said the horse was euthanized due to the extent of its injuries. The Ministry of Labour continues to investigate the incident.
The Fort Erie Race Track said a race was cancelled Sunday and training would be halted Monday morning due to the incident.