A teenager was critically injured when she was kicked in the head by a horse near Nelson today afternoon.
Luckily, St John Ambulance rural support officer Lindsay McCaw was nearby when emergency services were contacted and he rushed to the scene about 5pm.
The 17-year-old girl had been working with the horse when it kicked her hard in the forehead, causing a substantial head injury and knocking her out.
"When horses lash out, if you happen to be at the end of their hoof there's a lot of power in those legs and that doesn't have too much mercy on a young head - or an old head, for that matter,'' Mr McCaw said.
Her family had witnessed the event and were very distressed as they waited for a rescue helicopter to arrive.
