A teenage girl suffered a serious head injury after being kicked by a horse purchased through Facebook, her mother Fiona told the BBC. The incident occurred at a riding arena in south‑west Wales when the animal, bought six weeks earlier from seller Tasha Lee Hopkins, bucked and bolted during a lesson, striking the 13‑year‑old in the head.
“For a moment, I thought she was dead,” Fiona said. “I thought she had breached her neck.”
The girl was taken by ambulance to hospital with concussion and spent roughly two weeks recovering at home. Fiona recalled seeing the hoofmark on her daughter’s helmet.
“You could spot connected the broadside of her helmet, the hoofmark wherever she got kicked in the head,” said Fiona.
“I was thinking, ‘oh my gosh she’s going to be paralysed.’ It was just awful.”
Fiona said she trusted Hopkins’s description of the horse as a “teenager’s dream” and believed the animal was suitable for her child.
“I trusted Tasha. I believed what she said and she sold us a horse that wasn't fit for purpose, it wasn't fit for a child to ride,” added Fiona.
Fiona, whose name has been changed to protect her daughter’s identity, is one of five women who told the BBC they were mis‑sold horses by Hopkins. Hopkins has been contacted for comment.
The BBC’s investigation also uncovered allegations from other buyers. Kayleigh Sweet purchased a warmblood named Otto for £6,250 in March of the previous year after seeing a Facebook advert. Hopkins told Sweet the five‑year‑old had been vet‑checked and cleared.
“[Hopkins said] he was a ‘perfectly dependable five‑year-old’,” recalled Sweet.
Within a week Sweet noticed Otto was lame and struggled to walk. A review of the horse’s medical history showed no vaccinations or prior treatment. Sweet traced Otto back to its original owner, who said the animal had been diagnosed with chronic arthritis as a three‑year‑old.
Sweet said she was told Otto had undergone surgery that did not improve enough for riding, and a vet had advised putting the animal down. The original owner had offered Otto as a companion pet, but the horse ended up back with Hopkins.
An independent veterinary examination confirmed the arthritis diagnosis. When Sweet confronted Hopkins, she said the seller refused to honour the six‑month warranty.
Sweet pursued legal action, and earlier this month Hopkins appeared at Swansea County Court. The judge ordered Hopkins to pay Sweet £11,000 in damages and expenses, a sum that had been due in October 2025. Otto was returned to Hopkins after the proceedings; Sweet does not know what has happened to the horse since.
Another buyer, Hayley Vaughan, acquired a horse named Bonnie for £1,400 in 2019 for her 16‑year‑old daughter Amber after seeing a Facebook advertisement. Vaughan said Amber only rode Bonnie once before they called a vet.
Scans revealed Bonnie had a severe back injury and a painful spinal condition.
“The vet said there was no way she could ever be ridden,” added Vaughan.
When Bonnie kicked out with both hind legs in the stable—a sign of pain—the vet warned Vaughan, “don't you ever let your kid ride that horse.”
Vaughan contacted Hopkins after the discovery.
“She [said she] would take the horse back but not give me my money back.”
Vaughan said she felt unable to return the animal and wished she had had the courage to pursue legal action. She found a retirement home for Bonnie but said she lost all the money she had spent on the horse.
World Horse Welfare warned that there are “too many cases” of horses being sold or given away despite being unrideable or suffering life‑limiting conditions. The charity noted that, unlike dogs, there are no regulatory or voluntary industry standards for horse trading, making due diligence essential for sellers and buyers.
The BBC presented all of these allegations to Hopkins, who did not respond to questions.
Meta, the owner of Facebook, was asked about the CT Sports Horses group and its associated adverts. Meta said it had “removed the content brought to our attention for violating our policies.”
The five women who said they were mis‑sold horses by Hopkins told the BBC they had viewed the animals but had not arranged a pre‑purchase veterinary examination.
World Horse Welfare advises prospective buyers to see the horse in person, obtain an independent veterinary check, and ride the animal only if appropriate.
“Just be really vigilant, do your homework, go through the passport,” added Sweet.
“You’ve got to do your research.”
Sweet is calling for horse passports to be made digital, arguing that the current paper format can conceal important medical history.
“I don't think I'll ever find peace until there's some underpinning information for animals and for people when it comes to processes like this,” said Sweet.
“People should have the information from day one and things aren't masked, because you can quite easily get a replacement passport for a horse that has nothing in it.”
The Welsh government
Sincity Press Staff
2 hours ago 5 min read
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