A mother was left with horror injuries after her leg was shattered when she was kicked by a horse her daughter was riding.
Stacey Fieldhouse’s bone tore through her skin and expensive boot as she suffered an open fracture to her tibia and fibula.
She dismounted her own steed and felt her left leg bend like jelly, before she fell to the floor screaming in agony and horror at the gory mess her limb had become.
The engaged mum-of-one, 34, thought she was going to die as her daughter Alana, eight, bravely held both horses still, while her fiancee Hayley ran for help.
Stacey – who’s fiancee Hayley, 27, owns five horses – was riding on farmland where the steeds are kept near Stourport-on-Severn, Worcs when she was booted by the horse called Raven.
She claims the black nine-year-old, 13ft 3in steed is usually lovely and gentle.
But Alana was riding Raven in front of Stacey while her mother trained them to do a half-halt horseriding move, at which point the steed kicked back and hit her leg.
“I got off instantly because I knew it had been broke,” said Stacey.
“As I got off I pulled my leg at the knee and watched it bend from the middle of the shin, which is when the bone came out through my boot, then I fell and laid down in panic.
“I have had a baby and the pain and I had not had pain like that before, the bone was hanging out of the boot.
“I was just hoping I didn’t die.
“Two paramedics were holding my leg to keep it together and when they took my boot off it looked really concave, it was a nightmare.”
“I remember screaming on the ground – Alana was keeping the horses away saying: “It’s going to be OK,” she was very brave.”
Paramedics loaded her into the ambulance on August 26 and rushed her to hospital for treatment, but Stacey’s ordeal was just beginning.
She underwent three major operations on her leg at two hospitals over a fortnight, but still has a “horror film gash” down her leg so grim she fears she’ll never be able to confidently wear a bikini again.
Stacey complained about her treatment during her time at Worcester Royal Hospital and then at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, before she was discharged on September 7.
At the first, she claims she was left to wait 12-hours for surgery on her mangled leg despite having suspected compartment syndrome, which can be deadly.
She was then transferred to the Royal Birmingham Hospital, where Stacey claims she was left on a commode for 45 minutes with a broken leg, vomiting due to the stench of her own stool.
Stacey also alleges she now has PTSD and a fear of hospitals.
On the state of her leg now, Stacey added: “When they took the bandages off I saw the gashes and realised how serious it was.
“At the time they were telling me they would be able to sew it back up but as it turns out it is more shocking than they explained it to be.
“They have left it now and put the skin graft over and that’s it, I will always have a massive dent in my leg.
“I’m not happy, obviously, I never thought it would look that bad with a break, with a massive gash on my leg.
“I feel angry and now I will never be able to wear a bikini again.”
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said: “Thank you for bringing Ms Fieldhouse’s concerns to our attention.
“We are concerned to hear of Ms Fieldhouse’s unhappiness with the care she received and we will fully investigate her complaint.”
Until an investigation is complete, we won’t be able to say anything further."
Matthew Hopkins, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: "On behalf of the Trust I apologise to Ms Fieldhouse if any aspect of her care fell below the high standards we set for ourselves.’
"We are aware of Ms Fieldhouse’s concerns and are conducting a thorough investigation. The results will be shared in full with Ms Fieldhouse.’
