Boy, 8, Died After Horse Kick in Arena, Inquest Hears

An eight-year-old boy died after being kicked in the head by a horse when he entered a fenced-off arena, an inquest has been told. Louie Isaac Webster suffered a brain hemorrhage during the incident on June 15 at The Beeches Livery Centre in Warrington. He was visiting the stables for the first time with his mother.

Louie had complained of being thirsty, and his mother told him to sit on a bench while she retrieved a drink from their car, which was about 15 to 20 paces away. The boy, described as having challenging behavior due to suspected ADHD, slipped through a gap in the fence and entered the arena. His sister was in the arena on her new horse, a former racehorse.

Louie approached the horse and stroked its stomach, which spooked the animal. The horse then bucked its hind legs, kicking Louie in the head. CCTV footage showed Louie's sister running to their mother, whose view of the arena was obstructed by a horsebox. The mother and daughter, with assistance from another livery user, rushed to the arena to find Louie unresponsive near the fence.

Several livery users performed CPR while emergency services were en route. Louie was transported to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool in cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 7:45 p.m. A post-mortem examination revealed he had suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Louie's sister told police that her brother had previously enjoyed stroking her other horses. She stated she had warned Louie about the new horse being a former racehorse, but acknowledged he might not have fully understood due to his suspected ADHD. The sister was described as experienced and confident with horses, having used the livery center for three months.

Coroner Victoria Davies concluded that Louie's death was accidental, noting that the incident occurred in a split second. She reiterated that Louie entered the arena without permission and touched the horse, causing it to react and strike him.