Raymond Shiels, 36, a father of two from Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, swallowed the poisonous liquid as he rode through the town on Saturday.

He had drunk the sheep dip from a bottle offered by a hunt supporter following the event on foot.

Soon afterwards Mr Shiels collapsed in the street, where his wife Moira came across him on the ground.

His family said they believed the man had made a genuine mistake, and police have classed it as "an unfortunate accident".

'A good sign'

Moira Shiels said her husband took a drink and spat it out. He became ill 10 minutes later.

He was rushed to the local cottage hospital but was later transferred to Borders General Hospital where his condition was said to be "stable and unchanged".

Mr Shiels, who has had successes as an amateur jockey, was one of two field masters helping co-ordinate Saturday's event.

His father, Fraser, said: "At one point we thought he wasn't going to pull through.

"But on Sunday he started to speak and said he even felt like a piece of toast. He wasn't allowed it, but it seems to be a good sign."