by Richard Craig
23 June 2011
A former stable hand who was left paralysed after being kicked in the face by a horse has launched a battle for compensation.
John Ward, of Gorleston in Norwich, suffered his injuries in April 2010 after the horse, a grey mare called Nelly, became agitated and lashed out while Mr Ward was attending to her.
Mr Ward, 60, has no memory of the accident and only remembers the moments prior to the horse attacking him, and subsequently waking up in the ambulance.
However he remains optimistic, telling the Norwich Evening News:
: “When I was undergoing rehabilitation at a hospital in Sheffield I saw kids as young as 14 paralysed from the neck down and it made me feel lucky I have had 60 good years of life.
“I have been kicked several times before and had some horrendous falls and emerged unscathed; this time I was unlucky.”
He is seeking undisclosed damages from the owner of the stable, Michael and Jennifer Bloom.