AN ABERGAVENNY woman who broke her back when she was trampled by her horse 15 months ago has competed at the Horse of the Year Show despite fears she would never ride again.

Justine Burns, 38, was grooming her horse Grace at the Triley Fields Equestrian Centre near Abergavenny, on July 7 last year when the animal suddenly kicked out and she ended up under its legs.

After spending a week in Abergavenny's Nevill Hall Hospital, Ms Burns was sent home in a body cast, which she had to wear for the next five months.

Ms Burns, who has been competing with show cobs for 15 years and travels across the country to take part in competitions, said: “I was terrified when it happened. I knew I wasn’t paralysed because I could feel my legs, but I thought I might never be able to get on a horse again.”

Doctors advised Ms Burns not to rush back into riding, and indicated that she may never be able to do horse jumping or cross country riding again.

However, Ms Burns was on her other horse Hugo, at the Horse of the Year show at Birmingham's NEC on October 8.

Hugo came fourth in the ridden show cob category - where competitors parade their horses around an arena - after Ms Burns and Hugo qualified through the Badgeworth Arena horse show in Somerset.

Despite her success Ms Burns cannot help cast her mind back to the accident last July.

Ms Burns, who still owns five-year-old Grace, said in an out-of character moment, she kicked out and broke free of her rope. She was trapped under the animal as the horse ran over her.

Within seconds a fellow horse owner called 999 for an ambulance.

Ms Burns of St David’s Road, Abergavenny said the incident left her with a "numb" feeling in her back.

"It all happened so quickly, one minute I was in the stable, the next I was on a hospital bed."

After a week under doctor's supervision she was allowed to return home but she said there was little she could do whilst she lay at home injured other than watch TV and read horse magazines.

"It was horrible, I wasn't restricted to bed but I couldn't reach to tie my shoe laces or go to the toilet very easily," she said.

"I didn't go to the stables in that whole time. I thought I'd be tempted to try and get on my horse even in my cast."