AN EXPERIENCED horse rider died of a heart attack four days after falling from his mount during a hunt, an inquest heard.

Michael Slater was taking part in a trail hunt on his 15-year-old horse Solomon when they took a wire fence but landed unsteadily.

The 49-year-old, from Pipe Gate, near Woore, fell forward from his horse and landed on his head, damaging his spine at the base of his neck.

He spent four days at The University Hospital Of North Staffordshire where his condition steadily worsened before he suffered a cardiac arrest, believed to be caused by a type of blood clot called a pulmonary embolus.

The inquest heard Mr Slater, a farmer and livery yard owner, had more than 20 years of hunting experience and had enjoyed good health before his fall in Norton in Hales on February 2. His wife Debbie told the inquest what happened. She said: "I rushed over the fields and found him lying on his side. I was in shock, not knowing what to think.

"He had landed on his head and had a spinal injury. He couldn't move at all. In the hospital he was very matter of fact about it, and accepted what was going on, but he was the most distressed I had ever seen him."

The post-mortem examination showed that Mr Slater had clots in his legs and his digestive system slowed after the injury.

Spinal surgeon Christopher Hulme examined him the day after the accident. He said: "It was an unusual injury. He did not have a fracture but had a swelling of the spinal chord. I did not think he would have realistically returned to the active life he had enjoyed before. There is always a small chance of recovery but it was not likely. It was a devastating injury."

Mr Hulme had tried to get Mr Slater to a intensive care unit but no beds were available. He recommended a nasogastric tube should be fitted to empty his stomach but this was not done. He also prescribed special leg pumps called Flowtron boots to help prevent clotting while Mr Slater was immobile, but these were not used.

Mr Hulme added: "Even with these in place you cannot guarantee he would not have had the clot.

"I have thought about this a lot and I am very sorry that Mr Slater died, but I can honestly say I do not think there was anything we could have done."

Ian Smith, coroner for North Staffordshire, returned a verdict of accidental death. He said: "Mr Hulme acknowledged that other things might have been tried that might have made a difference to whether Mr Slater died or not, but they are mights and certainly not probabilities. We are speculating."

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