Teenager thrown from horse after it spooked and bolted
An 18-year-old from Cheshire who thought she was going to die after being thrown from her horse and kicked in the head has survived the terrifying accident. Libby Partridge was enjoying a relaxed bareback ride around the gardens at her home on her mare, Lilly, when the horse unexpectedly spooked and bolted.
“I was kind of joking at first, still laughing, but once we were heading back towards the woodland, I knew from there I was a gonner,” Libby said. “I even said ‘oh my God, I’m going to die’.”
What started as a gentle ride turned into a nightmare
“In the summer, I can walk and trot around the gardens. It’s something I will always do in the summer. So I got her out of the field, head collar, lead rope, bareback, and hopped on her,” Libby explained. “Everything was going well for the first 10 minutes. It was time for a trot up the side of the garden. The trot got quicker until it broke into a canter. Lilly spooked and took off, I don’t know why.”
“She cantered around the corner and slipped. The canter got quicker and quicker; we were headed towards the woodland. The branches are low, so I had to duck with my eyes closed. I got unseated and came off the side. As I was falling, I fell in the wrong position, which resulted in Lilly stepping and kicking me by accident.”
Multiple injuries but helmet prevented worse outcome
The fall in April left Libby with multiple injuries after being kicked in the head, shoulder and neck, kneed in the face, and having her leg stepped on. She credits one piece of safety equipment with preventing a potentially fatal outcome: her riding helmet.
“I got kicked in the head, shoulder, and neck, kneed in the face, and my leg got stepped on. If I wasn’t wearing my riding hat, I don’t think I would have walked away. At first, I didn’t feel much. There was so much adrenaline, I thought I was okay and kind of got away with it. Until an hour later, the pain was so, so bad. My shoulder was my main concern at the beginning, but once the adrenaline left, it was safe to say my leg was definitely the most painful thing.”
Full recovery and return to riding
Thankfully, Libby has made a full recovery and has returned to doing what she loves. “Surprisingly, I am actually fine, back riding and back competing but I haven’t ridden in the garden again. Lilly was so unbothered by it all. When it happened, she just went back to eating her food.”
Libby is sharing her story to encourage every rider to wear a properly fitted riding helmet every time they get on a horse. “I want to turn what happened to me into a lesson to other people about the importance of a riding hat. Without my hat, my story could have ended very differently.”
