An alleged road rage driver reportedly left a group of horse riders ‘terrified’ after she ‘spooked the animals by speeding past them’, before giving them the middle finger.

The driver is accused of failing to slow down upon seeing three horses in a country lane in Dorset, with the riders claiming she instead whizzed past at 40mph. 

The horse riders claim that when they shouted at the driver she slammed on her brakes and started yelling abuse at them.

Rider Els Mason alleged that the woman then drove by a second time, revving her engine and beeping her horn before stopping. 

In the footage, the group can be seen arguing with the driver through the car window while one of the horse riders films the altercation. 

The driver of the patel blue Ford Fiesta then beeps her horn before she hastily drives off. 

In a second video, the same car drives past the horses once again and from the driver can be seen giving the riders the middle finger.  

Miss Mason, from Littlewindsor, Beaminster, Dorset, said she feared any one of the horses could have been spooked and thrown their rider onto the road.

In the footage, the group can be seen arguing on a country lane in Dorset while one of the horse riders films the altercation

The horse riders claim that when they shouted at the driver she allegedly slammed on her brakes and started yelling abuse at them

The matter has been reported to Dorset Police which has launched an investigation.

Ms Mason, a 25-year-old farmer, said: ‘I have dealt with stuff like this before but nowhere near as scary and as dangerous as this.

‘She nearly ran me and my horse over when he spooked because she was going so fast.’

The incident happened as Ms Mason, her 60-year-old mother and a friend, were riding from their yard at Littlewindsor to Lewesdon Hill in west Dorset.

They had to use the B3164 for part of the ride which is when they encountered the car.

Ms Mason said: ‘We were all wearing hi-vis jackets and riding in single file.

‘We were nearly at the bridleway when a car coming from Pilsdon Pen direction failed to slow down whilst coming past us. She was approaching a sharp bend, so my mum put her arm out and waved at her to slow down.

‘Immediately, a woman in her late 30s screeched to a halt and started yelling abuse at us. She said stuff like ‘we think we own the roads’ and ‘we think we are better than everyone else’.

‘She drove off, beeping her horn.

‘Then all of a sudden the same car came roaring back up the road behind us, revving her engine as she quickly approached our back ends.

‘The closer the woman got to us the more protective I got so I put my horse in between her car and my mum, hoping she’d stop. I’ve never seen such anger in someone’s face.

‘She was out of her window, shouting abuse, and beeping her horn. We ended up having to get behind her as I did not trust that she wasn’t going to hit us.

Rider Els Mason (pictured) said she feared any one of the horses could have been spooked by the car and thrown their rider onto the road

In a second video, the same car drives past the horses once again and from the driver can be seen giving the riders the middle finger

‘It felt like it was only a matter of time until something bad happened but to give our horses their due, they were incredibly behaved.

‘She finally roared off again, back in the direction she first came. She came back, going so fast with her middle finger up.’

The Highway Code states that drivers should slow down to 10mph and give a 2m distance to horse riders.

But Ms Mason said: ‘I have reported it to police but because it is not the law to slow down I don’t think anything will come of it.’

A spokesperson for Dorset police said: ‘The team is dealing with a report of a road rage incident involving a driver and three horse riders in west Dorset.

‘We take all reports like this seriously and want to reiterate the importance of being careful and considerate when driving on public roads, when passing horses and their riders.

‘Drivers should pass horses with a gap of at least 2 metres, and at a speed of no more than 10 miles per hour. It is also not acceptable to rev engines around riders, or beep horns.’