Horrible thing has happened

[MitchyInge]

Someone was having a lesson on Barney and he bolted and rider fell and has broken her back - it was completely not his fault (and I hope I wouldn't just say that if it was) but she lost a stirrup and her foot hit the fence and she screamed in his ear so of course he bolted. She is going to be ok thankfully, luckily for her he changed his mind at the last minute about jumping out of the school (maybe it would have been better if he had?) although that is how she came to fall off.

Took him on a nice long hack and he was fine, little bit jumpy and eager but ok. Feel AWFUL all round though.

Oh, how awful. Not his (or your) fault at all though

thanks cmot

she has been v unlucky to end up with those injuries really, wonder if she will sue?

mitchy most likely will sue that is what a large part of society do as matter of course . however there is a thread on " horsegossip" whereby some one has been injured albeit only slightyl by someone elses horse in a collecting ring, the concensus on there is that insurers will not pay up in most cases as horse are demmed "unpredictable". i guess if someon at yard left door of a horse open and horse bolted out and hurt someone the yard could be sued for public liability as not practising due care in leaving stable door open but i think in your case the yard or you or instructor did nothing negligent so probably she has no case. hope that helps, i am not lawyer ( mumsnet name gives away what i do !) give barney cuddle and polo from us

thanks mummydoc - there is also that assumed inherent risk thing isn't there, but it was mainly just really unhelpful of her to scream. Don't want people to think he is some sort of crazed killer horse, he has an undeserved reputation as it is.

Bet he was pleased that the lesson finished early though

Please don't use the term 'bolted' as that is very different to a horse taking off/spooking because something frightened him. Bolting is considered a vice in a horse (like bucking or rearing) whereas taking off if spooked is quite normal as horses are fright n flight animals.

When you say 'broken her back' do you know what she's actually done? Are we talking fractured discs or a bad break? Whichever, I hope she's OK. The fall was her fault (don't know how she'd stand if she did try to sue) but it's rotten luck that she's ended up with a spine injury.

fractured discs, not a catastrophe of the spinal cord or anything - luckily

I suppose you are right about 'bolt', 'legged it' sounds better anyway!

by some sort of weird cosmic vengeance I have a terrible back today, horrible spasms in my muscles last night, have not had any for years

serves me right for being unsympathetic

Bolt is never a good word to use, unless the horse really does do it - there's a world of difference between a bolt and a fright n flight, or take off in high spirits. A true bolt must be the most horrific thing to be sat on ...

I hope she gets well soon (and that your bad back chills too!) - fractured discs should hopefully heal just fine.

thanks - think I did it last night on a pony that was being a twat 'expressing itself', that'll teach me to wonder whether I can sue the injured rider for screaming in my horse's ear instead of sending her flowers

Only been on a horse once that truly bolted and it was terrifying ,ended up breaking a fence with my back ,luckily due to copious amounts of padding on me ,survived intact , hat fell off and no body protectors in those days . Hope the lady is ok ,spinal injuries are not funny , and i guess whilst she made him spook with her scream ,she might of done it in pain when her foot hit the fence .Im feeling very sympathettic today ,anyone need any ?

How horrible for all of you. Hopefully she'll take the attitude that accidents happen and leave it at that.

I don't know, I expect she'll put in some sort of claim. Have a new thing to feel mortified about anyway, yesterday pony butted yard owner's face and thought he had broken her nose (but actually it has just changed size, colour and shape, is not broken, phew). Argh they will both have ASBOs now.

Will the claim be against you/your insurance if she does put one in?
The other thread reminded me that you said Barney was on working livery, is that still the case? Was it a friend of yours borrowing him for a lesson, or was he being used by the riding school under the terms of the working livery? Lots of questions but it sounds to me like any accidents would be the school's responsibility, not yours.

it is the school's responsibility as it was a paying customer with a qualified instructor (bet she hasn't paid though!), yes, just cannot bear the idea of anyone (other than me with fond affection) thinking he is some sort of crazed lunatic or at fault in any way

it has really shoved my mood into my boots and I need to be much more philosophical about it all

these things happen don't they?

I just hate it when all is not well in the lives of our animals, we lost our absolute best favourite chook in a horrible, preventable incident involving someone else's dog this week and it just seems too coincidental that he is having back trouble again only days after it happened

Mitchy, I am very sorry this rider has broken her back falling off your horse. It must be horrible for her. I really take exception to you saying, "Bet he was pleased that the lesson finished early though ".

I am not a regular on this board as I no longer have a horse, but I spent all the way to about 30 years of age owning horses, competing, working with horses, my parents have a farm which has livery stables (where I grew up), etc., etc., so I do know a little bit about horses. It is really, really unacceptable to be making jokes when someone has broken her back and all because she had the sheer audacity to shout in your poor horse's ear.

Someone has broken her back - it is just not something to be making jokes about.

Oh, and chickens sometimes get eaten by dogs, foxes, etc. Tis a fact of life.

it's just a coping mechanism really rindercella, feel worse about it than you could tell from this thread

probably not a very nice one so I take your point, although not sure I'd be here if I didn't have it

Mitch, are you ok?

have been a v miserable bastard all round but have hopes of Joey cheering me up in a bit

thank you for asking though