A WOMAN is in a serious condition in hospital after falling from a horse.

Passers-by tried to resuscitate the 40-year-old from Clacton following the incident, in Rectory Lane, Ramsey.

The woman, who has been named locally as Wendy Watson, was airlifted to Queen’s Hospital, Romford, where her condition was yesterday said to be “very, very serious”.

Paramedics were called at 3.45pm on Monday and the Essex Air Ambulance was diverted to the scene from a road accident call in Dovercourt, Joy Hale, ambulance service spokesman, said: “The woman came off the horse. She had suffered quite a serious head injury and was unconscious, with people at the scene giving her cardiopulmonary resuscitation “First aid like this gives a great deal of assistance to the ambulance service and makes a difference to the person in very early stages.”

The woman also suffered broken bones.

Mrs Hale added: “At this stage, the injuries are very, very serious and everyone had to work very hard to see she was treated at the scene and got to the hospital as quickly as possible.”

Ian Locke, owner of Stagecoach Stud, in Wix Road, Ramsey, said he met the woman rider for the first time, the day before the accident.

She is thought to have been keeping two horses at stables on land at Bridgefoot Farm, in Wrabness Road, Ramsey.

“She seemed a really nice lady, really pleasant,” he said.

“Unfortunately, with horses, accidents do happen sometimes. Thank God we have got a fantastic ambulance service. I hope she makes a full recovery”.

Jenny Hylton, a Great Oakley parish councillor who is campaigning to establish a network of bridlepaths in the district, said: “We are trying to promote more bridleways in Tendring and this sort of accident underlines the need for them.”