Hazel Boyd lost her injury claim after a video showed her walking a husky strongly, contradicting injury claims.
Hazel claimed the horse was dangerous and that the fall ruined her riding career. She also claimed lost earnings from the injury. She runs a dog daycare business now.
The trainer argued Hazel exaggerated her injuries. Social media showed her playing sports and walking large dogs. This, the trainer said, suggested a less severe injury.
The judge dismissed Hazel’s claim because she did not prove the horse was scared. He thought she overstated her arm issues but she wasn’t “fundamentally dishonest.” That determination would have meant she must pay legal costs.
Hazel denied exaggerating her injury’s impact. A video showed her walking a husky. She held the lead of the “large” dog and said she could not lift heavy shopping.
The trainer’s lawyer showed footage of her walking dogs on several days. Other times, she did football and rugby training. The lawyer highlighted instances of her walking three dogs, one of which was a husky, a large breed.
Hazel said she returned to training upon being advised to get fitter. She clarified that the training was non-contact, unlike playing, and denied misleading anyone about her activities.
The judge thought she overplayed her symptoms, but not significantly enough to dismiss the claim. He called it “dishonest embellishment” of an honest claim. She said the horse moved intentionally.
He said a horse might avoid patches on the ground, but that didn’t mean it saw a threat. He ruled against her because she did not prove the horse perceived a threat.
People suing for injury do not pay legal costs unless they are “fundamentally dishonest,” as courts typically protect them. Hazel avoided paying the court bill, despite exaggerating.