The mother of a boy who suffered a “horrendous” groin injury when his clothes and skin became caught on a safety stirrup says she wants other parents to be aware of the risks.
Eight-year-old Harry Green was dismounting correctly from his pony Gorgeous Gordon at a riding club event on Sunday (4 June) when his jodhpurs caught on the hook to which the stirrup’s elastic band was attached.
The hook also caught his underwear, and the skin underneath, and Harry was left hanging.
“It was a complete freak accident,” mum Sam Green told H&H.
“I’m not blaming anyone; it wasn’t the stirrups’ fault, I just want other mums to be aware.”
Sam shouted for the on-site medic, while she and her older son had to unhook Harry.
“It was horrendous,” she added.
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“The medic stemmed the bleeding but said we needed an ambulance. They took us to Warwick Hospital, then we were blue-lighted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where he had emergency surgery to fix the tear.”
Sam said Harry was very lucky as his femoral artery was visible but had not been damaged.
“It could have been a very different story,” she added.
“I’ve been around horses 40 years and never seen anything like it; I can’t believe it.”
Harry was allowed home from hospital early on Monday so he could see his father, who was due to go abroad for work that morning, and is now off school but recovering well, although doctors have said he will not be riding for six weeks.
“It’s horrible but the thing is, he’s going to be ok,” Sam said. “We just want people to be aware: if you’re going to use these stirrups, crack on, but maybe swing them over to the other side [before dismounting] so this can’t happen.
“Harry said he was going to tell people: ‘They’re unsafety stirrups as they weren’t safe for me at all!’ He’s been so brave.
“I just want people to be aware; I would hate anyone else to have to go through what we did on Sunday.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
