An eight-year-old boy who died after being kicked by a horse at a Cheshire riding centre had "a heart of gold", his mother has said.
Louie Isaac Webster, from Wigan, suffered a catastrophic brain injury after the horse kicked him in a fenced arena at The Beeches Livery Centre in Croft, in Warrington, on June 15. An inquest heard he later died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital despite the efforts of emergency crews and doctors.
What happened at the stables
Louie had accompanied his mother, Rebecca, and his teenage sister to the stables, where the family kept a horse. After helping with chores, his sister rode the former racehorse in an arena while Louie and his mother watched from outside the fence.
A short time later, Louie told his mother he was thirsty. Rebecca asked him to wait on a nearby bench while she fetched a drink from the car. In the brief period she was away, Louie entered the arena and reached out to stroke the horse's belly. The animal became startled and lashed out with its hind legs.
Emergency response and inquest
Multiple livery users administered CPR to the eight-year-old while emergency services were summoned. Both air and land ambulances responded, with Louie transported by road ambulance to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in cardiac arrest. Tragically, despite medical intervention, he could not be saved and passed away at 7.45pm.
During his inquest at Cheshire Coroner's Court on Thursday, September 30, his mum Rebecca Webster said in a statement: "I would describe Louie as a loveable rogue with a heart of gold. Everyone on our street loved Louie. He was a massive part of so many people's lives."
Mother's tribute to Louie
His mother described Louie as a "ridiculously fast" runner who was "always out and always on his BMX", and recalled how he once assembled his own bicycle from four scrap bicycles with assistance from a neighbour. She revealed that he "hated bullies" and possessed a strong sense of justice, often taking other children at his school under his wing.
She added: "Despite being a loveable rogue, Louie had a loving and sensitive side to him. If he ever fell out with someone or upset them it would play on his mind so much that he would go and apologise as soon as he could."
At home he had just started to get that bond with his younger brother and they would go out on their bikes and play Lego.
Recording a conclusion of accidental death, coroner Victoria Davies said: "On June 15, 2025, Louie was at the stables, The Beeches Livery, with his mother and sister. This was the first time Louie had been to the stables because his behaviour could be challenging due to neurodiversity. His mother went back to the car to get Louie a drink as Louie complained of being thirsty. He was told to wait on a bench next to the stable.
"While his mum was gone, Louie went into the arena through the fence and touched the horse, touching its belly. The horse was spooked and kicked out, hitting Louie in the head or neck area, causing him to fall. This occurred within minutes of Louie's mother going to the car. CPR was started...Louie was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital. He suffered a further cardiac arrest en route to the hospital and after further resuscitation attempts in hospital, death was confirmed."
