COLLINSVILLE, Okla. — Malorie Thompson, 16, was bucked off and then stepped on by a horse on October 3rd.
It was supposed to be just another typical ride with Legend, an 18-year-old rope horse belonging to Thompson’s friend, Heather Gelvin.
“I've never been more terrified in my life,” Gelvin said.
Legend is known to be a calm-tempered horse, but temper can change in a second.
“They’re animals, they’re living things, you can’t always predict what they’re going to do,” Thompson said.
Something happened, when Thompson mounted Legend that day.
“He started bucking and the only thing I could think about was trying to stay up on the horse,” Thompson said.
She held on for about three jumps, before falling backwards.
Thompson said, “I actually blacked out after I hit the ground, but, we realized, that was actually from me getting stepped on.”
Legend seems to have stepped on the right spot, an area covered by Thompson’s helmet. The helmet cracked and cut her ear.
“It was really scary because I could feel blood coming out of my ear,” remembered Thompson.
“I saw the hoof come down on the side of her face,” Gelvin said. “I thought he stepped right in the middle of her face.”
Thompson spent one night in the hospital, leaving with only a back injury.
“I really think she had angels watching over her,” Gelvin said.
The incident is a reminder for both Gelvin and Thompson to never ride without a helmet.
Horse riding injuries typically affect girls between the ages 10 and 14, according to the British Medical Association. Their study also shows horseback-riding-related head injuries are the most frequently occurring and are the leading cause of death.
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