Boy, 8, Died After Being Kicked by Horse in Arena, Inquest Hears
The child entered a fenced-off area while his mother was briefly away, leading to a fatal encounter with his sister's new horse.
An eight-year-old boy, Louie Isaac Webster, died after being kicked in the head by a horse while he was inside a fenced-off arena, an inquest was told. The incident occurred on June 15 at The Beeches Livery Centre in Warrington when the boy entered the arena where his sister was with her new horse.
Louie had been visiting the livery centre for the first time with his mother, Rebecca Webster. He had been helping to muck out stables and watching his sister ride her new horse. At one point, Louie complained of being thirsty, and his mother told him to sit on a nearby bench while she went to retrieve a drink from their car, a distance of approximately 15 to 20 paces away.
During his mother's brief absence, Louie, who had been described as having challenging behavior possibly due to suspected ADHD, slipped through a gap in the fence and entered the arena. He approached his sister's horse and began to stroke its stomach. The horse, a former racehorse, was startled by the action, bucked its hind legs, and kicked Louie in the head.
Louie's mother stated she was by her car for only a few minutes before hearing her daughter shouting for Louie to get out of the arena and then calling for her mother in a panicked tone. CCTV footage confirmed Louie's sister running to their mother, whose view of the arena was obstructed by a horsebox, to explain the situation.
Both Louie's mother and sister, along with another livery user, rushed to the arena. Louie was found unresponsive near the fence. Several livery users initiated CPR while emergency services were en route. Louie was transported to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool but was pronounced dead at 7:45 p.m. A post-mortem examination revealed he had suffered a brain hemorrhage, specifically a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Louie's sister, who was described as experienced and confident with horses and had been using the livery centre for three months, told police that her brother had previously enjoyed stroking one of her other horses. She had warned Louie about the new horse being a former racehorse, but it was suggested he might not have fully understood due to his suspected ADHD.
Coroner Victoria Davies concluded that Louie's death was accidental, stating that the horse was spooked when Louie touched its belly, causing it to kick out and strike the boy. The incident happened in a split second, the inquest heard on September 30.