Girl who fell from horse she owned settles case against riding centre for €145,000

A girl who sued after falling off her mare claiming it was spooked by another horse during a lesson has settled her High Court action for €145,000.

When aged 10, Leah Skye Keeling fell off her own horse, a three-year-old mare called Molly, and dislocated her elbow during a riding lesson at an equestrian centre.

The settlement is without admission of liability.

The girl’s counsel, Hugh Mohan SC, told the court experts on their side would claim a horse used for lesson purposes should not be less than five years old.

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Leah (now aged 16), Balbriggan, Co Dublin, had through her mother, Siobhan Keeling, sued Monksfield Equestrian Ltd, with registered offices at Killeek Lane, Saint Margaret’s, Co Dublin.

She attended a lesson at the centre on October 27th, 2017, and was riding a pony she recently purchased.

She alleged she had been allowed to partake in the lesson while riding a pony, her own, whose condition and temperament had not been assessed by the equestrian centre. Her pony was not of sufficient maturity to partake in a class setting, she claimed.

It was claimed that in participating in the lesson the girl relied on the expertise of the equestrian centre in the riding and management of horses.

It was also claimed that during the course of the lesson, another class participant rode up close to Molly which caused her to become spooked and to gallop off.

It was claimed Leah fell off despite her best efforts to remain on her pony.

The claims were denied, and Monksfield Equestrian denied the narrative account of the incident as put forward by the Keeling side.

It further contended the occurrence of the incident was unforeseeable. It claimed that despite the exercise of all reasonable care, falls are an accepted and inherent risk in the sport of horse and pony riding and it cannot predict, prevent, anticipate or foresee ponies becoming spooked and falls occurring while riding.

Mr Mohan told the court the girl’s elbow was first treated conservatively but she later had to have surgery. Counsel said she had returned to horse-riding two or three times a week but her right arm is not entirely straight.

Mr Justice Tony O’Connor approved the settlement.