A Milton woman has been left with a serious eye injury after being kicked in the face by her horse when it was spooked by a sea lion on Brighton Beach.
Kelsey Carter was on an evening ride with a friend on November 7 when they came across a nesting sea lion in the dunes.
“We were just about to finish our ride when we just stepped in front of a sea lion’s vision,” she said.
She said the sea lion was just off the track and out of view.
It reared up and roared at the two riders.
“My horse’s first instinct was to jump sideways and this caused him to get tangled up in own feet and fall on top of me.
“He then scrambled to get up and get away from the sea lion but in the process he kicked me in the face.”
Carter did not lose consciousness but blood poured from her nose.
The sea lion then started moving towards where she lay in the dunes.
“I quickly jumped up and walked towards the horse. The sea lion didn’t follow me any further,” she said.
“It was pretty horrific. I couldn’t feel my nose or anything.
“If I wasn’t conscious and didn’t walk away, it could have been a lot worse.”
Her friend’s mother, Carmen Greiner, had been waiting for the pair by their horse float.
When she saw Carter, Greiner dialled emergency services, gave her a hug and kept her awake and alert while they waited for ambulance.
Brighton Pony Club members came to the beach to help, another local resident sped up the road to wave down the Brighton volunteer fire brigade and another man provided Carter with a blanket.
Carter was taken to hospital and treated for a fractured eye socket and a broken cheekbone and nose.
She credited her helmet as the reason her injuries were not more severe.
Grainer said horse riders, dog walkers, runners and anyone using the beaches around Otago at this time of year should be aware they were sharing the beaches.
“The sea lions nesting, that was something I was not aware of as a horse owner and as someone who rides on that beach all the time, it’s been a real eye-opener for us.
“They are there at the moment and it’s their habitat.
“People need to be aware and probably just stay away from those tracks while they’re there.”
Constable Vincent Kahui joined in after much encouragement from the crowd.