Horse rider lucky to be alive

Emma Reeves from Elsthorpe, says her helmet saved her from more serious injury when she was thrown from her horse at the weekend.

The last thing Emma Reeves remembers is riding her horse at a "sedate pace".

She has no memory of being thrown through the air and landing on her head after the animal unexpectedly broke into a gallop.

Recovering from a concussion in Hawke's Bay Hospital, the 35-year-old Elsthorpe resident said she believed her riding helmet and back protector had saved her from more serious injuries.

"My X-rays and scans have come back clear - I'm very lucky."

Her helmet had received the brunt of the impact in the fall, which happened on her property on Saturday evening. Her back protector, a vest made of dense foam, had also cushioned her vital organs.

"I don't remember the fall. I was just riding in a paddock at our place. The last I remember I was at a very sedate walk on the horse."

Two local children, who were playing in the paddock, later told Ms Reeves they witnessed her being thrown from her horse at breakneck speed.

"Something must have spooked [the horse], maybe she was stung by a bee or something. All of a sudden she was galloping flat out and I was trying to get her to stop. When I came to I was lying on my back and surrounded by heaps of people."

She did not blame her horse, Candace, which she described as a "very quiet girl". "She's a gentle, chilled out horse, but sometimes accidents happen."

The children, who had seen Ms Reeves fall, ran to alert emergency services. The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter took her to Hawke's Bay Hospital. She hoped to be discharged from hospital today.

"I'm just feeling glad I decided to put on my safety gear. It's easy to slack off with wearing a helmet, it's like if you're just riding your bike down to the local dairy. But you never know when an accident will happen."

Figures released to Hawke's Bay Today by ACC showed the region was the third-worst in the country for horse-related accident claims, behind Christchurch City and Auckland City.

There were more than 3700 claims in the region between 2005 and 2014, totalling almost $5.4 million.

Top Hawke's Bay showjumper Claire Wilson said that Ms Reeves' accident served as a reminder for riders to wear their helmets.

"A lot of people think [wearing a helmet] kills the fun of galloping along on your horse and having a good old time, but it is really important. I'm really glad Emma wasn't as badly hurt as she could have been."