Can I claim for riding lesson accident?

I booked a hack at a local riding centre, I’d not ridden before. The young girl supervising the ride said my legs were too short for the stirrup leathers so she told me to put my feet in the leather loop above the stirrup. I did this and during the ride the horse spooked at a plastic bag that blew across its path causing me to fall. I was wearing wellies and my foot was stuck in the leather, the horse dragged me about 50 yards before my foot finally came free. I had extensive bruising and a broken ankle. Can I sue?

Answer

Yes, it was reasonably foreseeable that putting your foot into a leather loop, as opposed to the stirrup, would result in you being dragged in the event that you were to fall off.  A reasonably prudent ride leader would have been aware this and the fact that if dragged, this would likely result in injury.

The yard had a duty of care to ensure that it did not expose you to a foreseeable risk of injury, we would argue that it has failed in its duty. Further, that you sustained injury and financial loss as a result.

Had the ride leader taken the time to fit a shorter set of leathers to the saddle the injuries sustained could have been avoided.