Kid fell, parents want to sue me!

[Crookedblaze]

I work giving lessons for a small trainer in Del Mar, working mostly with little kids. I really love my job, I love the horses and I love the kids.

Well, yesterday one of my favorite kids took a pretty bad fall. It was her first time in the big arena (she's been riding a year, and is a pretty good rider so I thought it was time to take her out of the small arena!) In the roundpen she can walk, trot, canter, get her diagonals, and is an agressive rider and has no problem controlling the ponies. For the last 4 months she's been riding in a small arena and doing great. She can walk trot canter confidently and control the pony. She's had one bolt that she got under control right away. She is my number one kid at shows, she always takes home a ribbon.

Well, yesterday I put her on the most bombproof pony, a 30 year old Arab x Welsh to ride in the big arena. I put her on a lounge line and walked around with her. We worked up to a trot, and all of the sudden the pony LOSES it, takes off, and drags me across the arena. I am frantically trying to stop the pony, I still have a hold on her lounge line but she pulled me over and dragged me face down through the dirt. Then she starts to buck. I'm not talking littke crowhops, I'm talking giant bucks. My kid stays on but then the pony ducks out from under her at the last second and she falls off, landing on her bum.

I picked her up, dusted her off, and did an innital assesment. I'm currently in EMT school, so I knew what to do...checked for any injuries, bruises, etc. She was fine. The sand in the arenas is deep and groomed twice a day so it's really soft. She didn't even cry for more then a minute, then said she wanted to get back on. And she did, and we worked the snot out of that pony.

Before she went home I checked her again, and she had no pain and no bruising.

My boss just called me and said that the parents want to sue me because their childs confidence is broken and she is also "hurt". They are trying to claim her tailbone is broken. They want me to pay for x-rays and the co-pay at the E.R!

They did not sign anything through my boss (I found out she does not have students sign contracts AFTER my kid falls off) but she does have a posted sign saying that horseback riding is a dangerous sport, injuries can occur, etc.

Could I still be held responsible? Would they have a case?

I really, really don't need this right now. I just finally moved out, I am still hurting financially and I don't have the money to pay for a lawyer.