Two people were injured in separate farmyard accidents involving animals in Shropshire. A woman was kicked in the head by a horse at Dudgley Farm, near All Stretton.

And a man suffered a suspected broken leg after becoming stuck under a cow at Loughton, between Bridgnorth and Ludlow.

An air ambulance was called to Dudgley Farm at about 8.40am yesterday.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Murray MacGregor said the woman was taken to hospital by the road crew.

“It seems as though she has had an extremely lucky escape,” he said.

“Although the 44-year-old, who lives in the Stretton area, was caught by the animal on the back of her head, it was little more than a glancing blow and left her with a minor laceration to the back of her head.

“The horse was not wearing shoes. Had it been, then the crew felt the injury could easily have been significantly more serious.”

The other incident saw farm worker John Thomas airlifted to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital from Church Farm, Loughton.

An ambulance was called out at about 9.25am yesterday. Farmer Richard Digwood said he and Mr Thomas were using a hoist on a cow that had recently given birth but the cow slipped onto Mr Thomas’s leg.

Mr Digwood said: “The leg wasn’t broken but it was badly sprained and caused a lot of pain.”

Emergency medical technician Ian Alton said: “The animal fell out of the hoist and knocked the worker over and landed on his leg.

“The man, who was in his 40s, was freed by colleagues, but was in a great deal of pain. In the end we decided airlifting him would be the best solution.”

The cow was unhurt.