Facebook seller mis-sold me a horse that kicked my daughter in the head

Fiona's teenage daughter was severely injured when a horse she was riding kicked her in the head, leading to a concussion and a two-week recovery period at home. The incident occurred at a riding arena in south Wales. Fiona's daughter was partially on the horse during a lesson when it bucked and bolted, resulting in the kick to the head.

Fiona, whose name has been changed for her daughter's privacy, is one of five women who have reported to the BBC that they were mis-sold unsafe or life-limiting condition horses by horse seller Tasha Lee Hopkins. The horse Fiona purchased six weeks prior via Facebook was advertised as a "teenager's dream," but had never been sufficiently trained to ride.

Fiona trusted Hopkins and believed her description of the horse's condition. A leading horse welfare organization warned about the prevalence of horses that cannot be ridden being sold or given away, often ending up in poor situations due to insufficient regulation in horse trading. Hopkins had previously mis-sold another horse to Kayleigh Sweet, who discovered the horse had a severe arthritis condition and was ordered to pay £11,000 in damages.

Another buyer, Hayley Vaughan, also experienced issues with a horse sold by Hopkins, which had a serious back injury and painful spinal condition, leading to extensive vet bills and lost money. Despite the reported incidents and the BBC's efforts, Hopkins has not responded to the allegations and Facebook's owner, Meta, removed the content for violating their policies.