A teenager was 'left looking like a vampire' when her own horse kicked out her front teeth and knocked her unconscious - though she still managed to update her social media while lay in a pool of blood. Ella Shilson bought her new horse, six-year-old Friday, earlier this year and three days later was walking him out to the arena for their very first ride together.
But the 19-year-old claims that her Irish sport horse must have got startled, accidentally kicked her in the face, and knocked her unconscious for around 30 minutes until she was discovered by a dog walker. The dairy farm worker was only half conscious but still managed to update her Be Real account, a social media app that requires users to share whatever they are doing at a given time, before she was dashed to hospital.
There it was discovered the 'lucky-to-be-alive' singleton had a shattered jaw, two missing front teeth, holes in her cheek and a lip that had been split in half. The animal lover claims that docs said the freak accident had been life threatening - as Friday's horseshoe had been just inches away from 'knocking her nose up to her brain'.
Ella had surgery the next day to fix a metal plate and brackets to hold her jaw and teeth in place before eventually having the brackets removed three months later. The animal lover said that missing her most prominent gnashers had a massive impact on her confidence - as gawping onlookers would point and ask 'why does she look like that?', while others branded her a 'vampire'.
The teen claims she was told by the NHS that there'd be up to a three-year wait for her to receive dentures, so fundraised to get them done privately - and she's been loving the result. Given that removing them every night is a constant reminder of what she's been through and in a bid for a more permanent solution, Ella's now fundraising up to £10,000 to have implants.
After the 'whirlwind' near-death experience, the equestrian said that she no longer takes anything for granted and is going from strength to strength with her four-legged 'best friend'. BeReal is a photo-sharing social media app that notifies its users to post one unfiltered photo daily.
They receive a notification at a random time every day saying ‘Time to BeReal’, which opens up a two-minute window for them to post a snap of what they're currently doing, if posted outside this window they'll be considered late. Ella said: "It's all a bit of a blur. Pretty much all that I can properly remember is waking up in hospital with my mum next to me.
"We were walking up to the arena on foot and I was by his shoulder. He got spooked by something, I think it was a tractor and hedge cutter down the road, because this is his first time living on a working farm. He turned his bum around and kicked out.
"I got kicked in the face, he knocked me unconscious, ran off onto the road and a lovely lady walking her dog found me. I'm very thankful for her. I was unconscious for around half an hour but I managed to take my Be Real [36 minute late] as well when I was pretty much unconscious, which I find absolutely iconic."
Ella said that after the incident her 17-hand horse ran onto the road but managed to get back into the field before making his way back home. Ella said: "When I gained consciousness 'thank God I'm still alive' was running through my mind.
"Your whole life flashes before your eyes and you realise how lucky you are and don't take anything for granted. He was inches away from knocking my nose up into my brain and an inch away from hitting my temple which would have knocked me out cold.
"They said it was life threatening, I was like 'oh, blimey'. I'm very lucky to be alive. I had a hell of a lot of concussion, a shattered jaw, one tooth went up into my gum and one completely came out. I had two holes in my cheek and my lip was split in half."
Ella was discharged from hospital three days later and eventually had her dentures fitted. Ella said: "It's impacted my confidence. I've had people be like 'why has she got no front teeth? Why does she look like that?' and everyone's staring and pointing.
"It knocked me to my lowest point actually. It's been a whirlwind but I've tried to see the funny side of it, make jokes and try to be positive about it. When my front teeth were missing they looked like fangs. I've been called a 'vampire' and call myself one when I don't have them in.
"There's been a few nasty comments on TikTok, which took a massive toll and made me not want to go out and just want to look normal again. Obviously with having scars on my face, I'll never look 100 percent normal but I've learnt to deal with it.
"I keep getting flashbacks of him kicking. It's been horrible to say the least and very traumatising. I've kept him and have been trying to work with him but have been worried he's going to kick out, but I've learnt to deal with it by moving away, relaxing in the situation and just breathing."
Ella set up a fundraising page and was extremely grateful to have raised enough to have her dentures done privately. She said her two front teeth are missing and that doctors were forced to remove one of her bottom teeth to straighten out her jaw, so is also hoping to have this fixed too when she has implants.
She's also hoping to raise awareness of the importance of equestrians always wearing helmets, as she claims it saved her life. Ella, of Sturminster Newton, Dorset, said: "I set up the GoFundMe because the NHS said that even for the dentures, it was a two to three year wait.
"Being a teenage girl, I can't wait that long. With being a dairy farmer, living on my own and supplying my own money, I couldn't financially do it [privately]. Dentures aren't permanent but implants will be. Having the funds to be able to have them would be an absolute Godsend.
"Having to take my teeth out at night reminds me of what happened. Things are really good with Friday. He didn't do it out of spite, he got scared.
"He's like a different horse. He's good as gold, has the nicest temperament ever and knows that he's home and not going anywhere now, he's very settled.
"We're the best of friends. He neighs at me every time I see him and runs up to me in the field, he's my little baby."
You can donate to Ella's fundraising page here - https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-ellas-front-teeth-back
