Hoof-kick stable girl sues boss for £200k
A STABLE girl is suing a top trainer after claiming she suffered brain damage when she was kicked by a “highly strung” racehorse.
Maisie Beth Wood, 25, said it broke her jaw and she now needs a walking frame and suffers seizures after being flung from filly Malaguena and then hoofed in 2018.
MissWood is demanding more than £200,000 from trainerWilliam Muir at the High Court, claiming the horse should have been sedated before she rode it.
The thoroughbred had always been drugged when taken out, but not that day and injured her by bolting when “spooked”, she claims.
But lawyers for Mr Muir, whose Pyledriver won the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom last year, deny liability for the accident.
Volatile
Documents filed at the High Court said MissWood had taken Malaguena on a canter at Linkslade stables near Lambourn, Berkshire.
But the filly moved violently right when startled, causing MissWood to tumble through the air and land on the top of her head, it is claimed.
She managed to crawl to safety away from following riders.And, after Malaguena was caught, a more senior member of staff helped her back into the saddle, her legal team has stated.
Her solicitor Richard Brooks said in court papers: “The horse was very volatile and did not want to be restrained.”
The agitated animal then bolted, spilling her to the ground again, where she was struck in the head by its rear hoof as she fell.
MissWood says it broke her jaw causing “mild traumatic brain injury”, leading to her suffering repeated seizures and needing hospitalisation.
She now needs a walking frame or walking sticks to get around, said her lawyers.
But Mr Muir’s barrister Roger Harris said: “The claimant was an experienced rider who was fully aware of the risks of riding racehorses and voluntarily accepted the same.”
The High Court trial will be heard at a later date.