Woman killed in clipping accident: death ruled accidental
An experienced horsewoman died as the result of being kicked by a horse she was clipping, an inquest in Norfolk heard on Monday (9 March).
Mary Hancy, 55, was helping her daughter Kelly to clip a five-year-old warmblood on 11 January when the accident happened.
In a statement made by her daughter, which was read at King’s Lynn court, the horse’s temperament was described as “good, but young”.
She also said that the horse had been given the mild sedative sedalin approximately an hour before she started clipping.
Miss Hancy said: “As my mother was clipping the horse, it kicked out into her chest. And then she banged her head on a brick wall.”
The East of England Ambulance Service was called to the scene and Mrs Hancy was airlifted to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge in a critical condition. She died later while undergoing surgery.
Mr Christopher Challand, a surgeon at Addenbrookes, said Mrs Hancy died from a lung injury caused by a blunt trauma.
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Norfolk coroner Jacqueline Lake recorded a verdict of accidental death and offered her condolences to Mrs Hancy’s family.
At the time of her death Miss Hancy described by her mother as a “dedicated” horse woman.
“She was passionate about breeding Hanoverian and German warmbloods and had helped run a riding school and stud with her close friends Howard and Valerie Rose.
“She was always a familiar and friendly face at local showjumping competitions.”
The news of Mrs Hancy’s death provoked a huge response online with more than 100,000 people reading the story on the H&H website.
At the time the British Horse Society’s Jo Winfield reiterated the importance of taking all precautions possible when handling horses on the ground.
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Sophia Heath joined Horse & Hound in July 2013 having previously worked for the Daily Telegraph's Olympics website, CNN International and Omnisport. A Durham graduate with a Masters in journalism from City University, Sophia has evented, showjumped and hunted. Sophia left Horse & Hound in early 2015 to join an international boating website.