A verdict of accidental death was recorded on a young woman killed after apparently being kicked in the head by a horse she was tending.

Heather Boaden, 23, of Oak Glade, Huntington, York, died on April 13, after the accident in a field at Sandburn Farm, Malton Road, York, where she kept her horse in livery.

The cause of death was recorded as asphyxia due to a head injury, thought to have been a "glancing blow" from a horse's hoof, which caused her to fall face down into soft mud.

The inquest heard that her death was all the more tragic as the field where she died only got muddy four or five times a year.

Heather, described as a "lovely, beautiful girl" by a family member, was a confident and skilled rider, who farm owner Richard Hetherton said was one of the most dedicated he knew.

He told the inquest at York County Court: "She would come every morning and most evenings. She really looked after the horse properly."

On the morning of April 13, when Heather had not been seen for a couple of hours by Mr Hetherton or his wife, he went out to the field to check on her.

He said: "I went to see if the horse was in the field and when I got there at first I thought there was a green horse rug on the floor, but I realised it was Heather.

"I ran across and called her name but she was lying with her face into the mud. I couldn't see any injuries but there was a trace of blood. Her airways were blocked by the mud."