Woman died after dog spooked horse, inquest hears

A woman was seriously injured after the horse she was leading back to its stables was spooked by a barking dog which led her to being dragged and kicked by the animal, an inquest has heard.

Ewa Larsson, 59, was left with multiple injuries following the incident on a single lane road close to Ripple, near Deal, in Kent, on 27 August last year.

She died nearly two months later in a London hospital, on 13 October.

An inquest sitting with a jury at Oakwood House in Maidstone heard from an off-duty nurse who came across the scene while giving her daughter a driving lesson.

Paediatric nurse Claire Gregory phoned the ambulance saying the patient was in pain and her breathing was laboured.

She said: "I asked her where she hurt and she pointed to her torso. She told me her name and age and that she had fallen.

"She said her chest was burning and kept shouting I can't breathe, I can't breathe. She said the dogs had barked and spooked her horse."

Paramedics arrived at 14:46 BST and treated Larsson, the hearing was told.

One of those who attended, Kyran Moys, told the court: "She was very pale and had a weak pulse. Her heart rate was elevated."

Moys said he understood from talking to people at the scene Larsson had fallen off her horse, and that while walking the horse back to the stables it had been spooked by a dog barking at a neighbouring property.

He said it scared the horse, which led to her being dragged and kicked.

After assessing her injuries, the paramedics called for a second crew as top priority.

An air ambulance arrived at 15:30 BST, landing in a field opposite, and Larsson was then flown to King's College Hospital in London.

Air ambulance doctor Will Charlton told the inquest Larsson was "desperately unwell" and that he asked for blood to be brought to the roof of the hospital so it could be given it as quickly as possible.

Nigel Anderson, Larsson's partner, said to Charlton: "Myself and Ewa's family can't thank you enough for what you did."

After 47 days in intensive care, life-sustaining therapy was withdrawn and Larsson died on 13 October.

The court heard the incident happened less than a mile away from Cornilo Riding stables in the village of Sutton.

A fellow rider at the stables described Larsson as an "assertive rider" who had a sweet relationship with the horse she had been riding, named Davy.

Marina Aunger, the boss of the riding school, said Davy was not going out on rides at present but the same route continued to be used.

She told the inquest riders had more control while riding a horse than they did when leading it.

The jury inquest continues.

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