A HORSE rider has recounted the moment she was left fighting for her life.

Elaine Serjeant, 35, was grooming her horse, Agord, when he got spooked by a gust of wind and kicked her in the chest.

The former Harwich School student suffered major internal bleeding when her liver was split in half.

She underwent six operations and two months in hospital before she was allowed to return to the Highfield Avenue, Dovercourt, home of her parents, John and Margaret.

Elaine, a financial recruiter who works in London, said: “It was a freak accident. He was scared and kicked out and I was unfortunately standing behind him.

“I was fully conscious and I was very lucky. It was 9pm on a Friday and I’m usually on my own at that time of night. I managed to drag myself out from under the horse’s feet and then just started screaming for help.”

A fellow rider called an ambulance, which took her from Chelmsford Equestrian Centre to Broomfield Hospital.

She was transferred to the Royal Free Hospital, in London, because her injuries were so severe.

She said: “I was ruled a grade five case out of six – six means you are not going to make it.

“At the time I was worried about who was going to look after Agord and then it goes out the window and you think ‘what has happened to me?’.

“My body started to shut down to deal with its injuries and I just wondered if I was going to make it.”

Elaine has warned riders about the dangers of becoming complacent around horses, after the incident on February 4.

She said: “It’s the people who spend most of their time around horses who are most in danger.

“You spend so much time with them and develop this bond, that you start switching off, but you need eyes in the back of your head.

“I was lucky because I have survived where others haven’t, but I am going to have ongoing problems for the rest of my life.”

Despite swearing she would never get back on a horse after the accident, Elaine is reconsidering. She said: “I think it might be part of the healing process.

“My dad said ‘never again’ and you focus on getting your body better again.

“But I think it’s now time to focus on my mental health. I’d never say never.”