A MALTON-born rider who brought her lame horse back from the brink of being retired, has taken over the running of a Ripon veterinary equine clinic.

Katie Brickman, a vet at Minster Veterinary Equine Clinic in York for the last five years, is now in charge of their Ripon unit.

As well as overseeing routine treatments, Katie has a particular interest in orthopaedics and the performance of sport horses.

Katie, who graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 2013, is also an accomplished event rider and a well-known name on the local eventing circuit with her horses, Flash and Mary.

She knows only too well how competition riders feel when their horses suffer lameness: she feared six-year-old Flash would not recover from a rare injury.

Katie said: “He was very lame on his left hind leg and, following diagnostics, it was discovered he had split his middle patella ligament.

“This is an extremely rare injury and of the very few cases I have found - most of which are from America - the horses have not done well. I was told Flash may never be sound again, never mind event again. But 11 months later, he is sound following nine months of box rest and a careful exercise schedule.

“He is going from strength to strength as, although I am taking it slowly, I am now hopeful we may make it to an event at the end of the season.”

She added: “I’m really enjoying the move to our Ripon clinic and have already met some lovely clients and their horses. We have amazing facilities and it is a fantastic unit to help clients with lameness issues or those with gastric ulcers.”

Minster Veterinary Equine Clinic has three units in York, Ripon and Malton.