Horse paralysed rider after scare from dog

A paralysed rider is suing a dog owner for up to £5 million after his horse got spooked by their "small, elderly and gentle" West Highland terrier, causing it to throw him to the ground.

63-year-old Lourens Koetsier suffered a severe spinal cord injury and now requires the use of a wheelchair when outside, London's High Court heard. The financial adviser is suing the dog's owner, David Clifford Thomas, saying that he should have had him on a lead.

Mr Thomas said there was no reason to blame his "small, elderly and gentle" Westie, named Max, for the accident.

The court heard Mr Koetsier and his wife, Monique, were on holiday in Wales when he decided to go on a guide-led canter on a beach in Pembrokeshire in June 2018. Lawyers for Mr Koetsier said that the accident had left him with incomplete tetraplegia and that they would be seeking a damages pay of up to £5 million.

Matthew Chapman QC told the court: "Bonfire, Mr Koetsier's horse, was stationary when the same small white dog went underneath him from behind and behind the claimant."

"Mr Thomas knew that the dog was aggressive around horses and likely to chase the same. The claimant is an experienced rider and had, up until the point when he was thrown, been able to control and manage Bonfire during the course of the ride."

Mr Chapman said that Mr Thomas was liable to pay compensation because the accident would not have happened if the dog had not been running loose or out of control.

Lawyers for Mr Thomas insisted that local by-laws covering the area and the beach where the accident took place, allowed pet owners to let their dogs run freely. Mr Thomas's lawyer, Andrew Arentsen, denied claims that Max was aggressive and said he has always "been a friendly, gentle and social dog". He stated that Max had shown initially only a 'mild interest' in the horses that day and he only ran after them when they cantered a second time.

PM Law 

Sheffield Solicitors