A young girl who dislocated her elbow after falling off her own pony during a lesson has settled her case against an equestrian centre for €145,000.
It was said that the girl’s pony was too young for a class and was misjudged at the equestrian centre, reports RTE.
The claims were dismissed and the settlement reached with no admission of liability.
Leah Skye Keeling, from Mount Rochford Rise, Ballybriggan, Co Dublin, was 10 years old in October 2017 when she fell during a riding lesson on her recently purchased three-year-old mare, Molly.
Senior Counsel Hugh Mohan said their experts would argue that a horse used for instruction should not be less than five years old.
Another rider reportedly drove too close to Molly during class and attacked her. This frightened the mare and galloped away, reports RTE.
Despite her best efforts to stay on her pony, Leah fell off, the court was told.
It was alleged that the girl relied on the equestrian centre’s riding and horse-handling expertise to attend classes and that she was allowed to attend classes, the condition or temperament of which was not assessed by the equestrian centre.
The pony was reportedly not mature enough for a group lesson.
The court heard that the fall injured her elbow and was initially treated conservatively, but later required surgery and her arm is not quite straight. She had returned to riding two or three times a week, reports RTE.
The claims were dismissed and Gort na Manach Equestrian, based in Llana Kilfeich, St Margaret’s, Co Dublin, submitted the accident report, as did the plaintiff.
It also argued that the occurrence of the accident was unforeseeable and stated that despite all reasonable care being taken, falls are an accepted and inherent risk in sport and cannot be predicted, prevented, expected or foreseen that ponies will become frightened and fall while riding
Judge O’Connor approved the settlement, reports RTE.
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