Horse Riding in Morocco - a Hair-raising Experience?

We couldn't resist this story even though its connection with Morocco is tenuous, to say the least.  In what can only be described as "the luck of the Irish" an insurance broker went bald and lost his eyebrows and eyelashes after allegedly suffering trauma in a riding accident while on holiday in Morocco.

David Jameson (50), of York Road, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, told the Irish High Court his hair fell out in clumps eight weeks after the accident in Morocco, when he was thrown off a stallion.

This delayed action hair-loss prompted Mr Jameson to sue tour operator Sunway Travel Ltd, Marina House, Clarence Street, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin as a result of the accident. The wheels of justice in Ireland move slowly and only now has the court heard the sad hair-loss story that occurred after the accident way back in April 2006.

David Jameson claimed he suffered neck, shoulder and lower back injuries in the fall, he also said that eight weeks after the accident his hair fell out and later his eyebrows and eyelashes.

alopecia - "I bought a book on alopecia but the pages all fell out"

The court heard he may be suffering from alopecia. (hair loss, - not to be confused with "Appalachian" which is a place in America with very hairy people).

An Appalachian - note the hair

Sunway had denied the claims and had claimed contributory negligence on the part of Mr Jameson for engaging in an activity with inherent dangers which he ought to have known about. Fair enough, as most people are aware that falling off a horse will send you bald.

When the case resumed this week, Mr Jameson's counsel, Declan Doyle, told Ms Justice Mary Irvine the case had been settled. Earlier, Mr Jameson told the court he and his wife Maria and two children had gone on a family holiday to Morocco.

They were given information on excursions and picked horse riding at a nearby ranch.

On the way to the ranch the family were offered helmets and Mr Jameson said he wore his for the ride out.

He said he had been reluctant to go horse riding as he had no experience but had been cajoled into doing so by his daughters.

He said everybody in the group was mounted up and there was no horse for him. What looked like a thoroughbred stallion, which was highly strung, was brought out for him.

"I said I am not going to get on that horse but the man had broken English and he motioned that it was fine," he said. His two children told him to come on and he said he did not "want to spoil the party."

He said he felt as the horse was being led out by another person he would be safe enough. A teenager who he said was leading the horse brought him about 200m ahead of the group.

"The horse was kicking and hopping and frothing and rearing at the back," he said.

He said the horse reared after a Shetland pony appeared on the path.  The appearance of Shetland ponies is not a common event in Morocco.

A terrifyingly hairy and scary Shetland pony

The teenager let go of the reins and the horse reared again, throwing Mr Jameson back on to the road.

"The helmet was tightly strapped, if it had come off I would have been killed. After that near-death experience I did not want to get back on the horse. I flagged down a car," he said. "I was in very severe pain. I could hardly sit down for weeks afterwards."

Before the accident he said he ran marathons and about 100 miles a week.

After the accident, he said he had to stop after 16 miles when running the Dublin City marathon. David Jameson settled his High Court action for damages. Hopefully he earned enough for a hair transplant and a set of new eyebrows and eyelashes.

To aid his recovery, The View from Fez resident herbalist suggests:  For curing the Alopecia disease,  soak the fenugreek seeds in a pot filled with water and leave it, for a whole night.

fenugreek seeds

In the morning, take out the liquid from filled water pot and apply as a massage on your scalp. For spreading the liquid around head, you will require a cloth. On the regular basis, the alopecia patients should use the liquid so that could be got effective end of all kind of hair fall. Including it, for curing the alopecia disease, the alopecia patients can use raw egg’s yolk because it is also effective in getting the hair growth back, the procedure of using is just like message on the scalp, keep for some while and wash after an hour. Along with, the henna is also useful and uses it by just mixing in some water with little powder and makes the paste.

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