In the News: ‘Teenager cheats death after horse lashes out’

That’s the headline from a story in the Sun about an 18-year-old girl who explains, “If I hadn’t been wearing my riding hat, I would have been a lot more seriously injured, if not dead.”

Rosie Morton was jumping her horse bareback at her home when she fell off and her horse lashed a hind leg in her direction. Her friend happened to be filming.

Rosie suffered a gash above her eye which left her face muscles needing stitches. But it could have been much, much worse.

“I didn’t always used to wear [my helmet] when I was riding Luke, but I will from now on,” she says.

In the true equestrian spirit, Rosie doesn’t blame her horse: “Luke very rarely refuses a jump, but on this occasion, I hadn’t given him enough of a run up, and he just couldn’t get over it. It wasn’t his fault.”

And she can’t wait to get back at it.

“I’m most upset that I can’t see my horses for a week, because of the risk of infection,” she says.

Rosie goes on to say, “I love my horses and getting injured is a risk I have to take. I’d never let it put me off. I want to make everyone aware of how dangerous horses can be — they need to be respected. I don’t believe for a second that Luke would have ever meant to have hurt me. I’ve owned him for two years and we have an amazing bond. But it doesn’t take much to frighten a horse, and they’re flight animals — they kick out in fear or shock, not aggression. People need to understand how powerful they are.”

Wise words, Rosie!

Read the full story here.

Go riding in a helmet.