Teen thrown from and trampled on by her horse
A TEENAGER says she was thrown from her horse and trampled on after a man jumped out of a bush and deliberately scared the animal.
Ella Storey was left with a broken nose and cuts to her face after 10-yearold Puzzle stamped on her head in a state of panic.
The 14-year-old said she was riding on a bridleway – a path for horse riders – near Greenfield in Oldham with a friend when the man appeared and spooked the horse.
Ella, from Mossley, Tameside, said he waved his arms at the animal before it flung her from its back and stood on her head.
Puzzle’s metal shoe landed directly on Ella’s face. She said the man, of large build, walked off without checking to see if she was injured.
The Mossley Hollins High School student said she managed to get up and catch the horse after it ran away in fear.
“We didn’t see the man coming,” said Ella. “We were just walking up the bridle path and he jumped out at us from behind the bushes.
“He started waving his arms at Puzzle, she was spooked. I was thrown off and landed on the ground and she stamped on my head and ran off.
“The man just walked off. He didn’t see if I was okay. I was really shaken up.
“It happened so quickly. We always use that path and nothing like this has ever happened before.
“I’m in a lot of pain but, hopefully, once my nose is sorted I’ll be able to get riding again, I just hope it hasn’t knocked my confidence.”
Ella’s mum Debbie, who has been riding for more than 30 years - and used to be secretary of the Tameside Pony Club - said: “It’s frightening when things like this happen.
“It’s happened to me, I came off a horse once on Stamford Road in Mossley – a car hit the horse’s back legs.
“What people don’t understand is a horse can be spooked easily. It’s not like a motorcycle or a bike, you are never in total control because it is an animal.”
Alan Hiscox, director for safety at the British Horse Society, said: “This incident sounds shocking. I wish the rider a speedy recovery from her injuries.
“It’s important to remember that horses are flight animals and may move quickly away from what they perceive as a threat. Even the best trained horses can be startled, and this may initiate their flight instinct and cause them to run. We recommends wearing hi-vis clothing when riding out.”