A woman who suffered serious injuries during a horse-riding lesson jump has won accident compensation.
The woman was undertaking a horse-riding course before going on a trekking holiday in Spain, according to reports. During one lesson, her horse went to jump over a fence but caught its foot, causing the fence to move and the rider to be thrown off and onto the floor.
The horse-rider broke two vertebrae in her back and had to take over 15 weeks off work. Medical experts have said she will not be able to ride a horse again.
An investigation into the accident found that the jump fence was not adequately secured – it was not fixed properly and was held in place with oil drums which were not weighted. The lack of secure fencing was found to breach British Eventing regulations.
The woman took legal action against the owners of the riding school where she was taking her lessons and she was awarded £60,000 in accident compensation.
A spokesman from British Eventing told Horse and Hound, "The importance of properly securing portable cross-country fences must not be underestimated and this applies at all levels."