A TOP show jumper split her forehead in half after tripping over - and says her eyes were left so swollen by the fall that she looks like a goldfish.
Abbi Diamond was at the stables with horse Blue last week when she stumbled on uneven ground and smashed her head on the kerb.
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Show jumper Abbi Diamond has warned other riders to keep hard hats on, even when they're on foot, after smashing her head open on a kerb Credit: Kennedy News 5
The pretty 19-year-old could be scarred for life after the shocking accident, which happened as she had horse Blue on a lead rope Credit: Kennedy News
The 19-year-old was rushed to A&E - and discovered the "bone-deep" cut needed a whopping 17 stitches.
Making matters worse, her eyes quickly began to balloon - leaving her temporarily blind.
She's likely to bear a permanent scar from the freak accident, medics have warned.
Abbi, who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, said she was holding Blue on a lead rope when she tripped on a pot hole.
Concerned her "flighty" horse would bolt, she kept hold of the rope rather than halt her fall.
"My whole face went straight into the kerb," she said.
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"With Blue being so flighty, the reaction is not to let go in case she runs up onto the road - my main priority was to keep her safe."
TEEN'S HORROR INJURIES
She said the gash to her forehead was "5cm in length and bone deep".
"It was really deep. I was dying to see what it looked like properly so my mum took a picture while I was sat in A&E waiting for it to be stitched up," she said.
"It was a deep gash from one brow straight into the other one. It went down to my eyelid as well and I have 17 stitches in there."
She was assessed by a plastic surgeon and still doesn't have any feeling in her forehead.
"Both eyes were fully closed for two or three days. It was really strange. I worried about losing my eyesight," she said.
"I was supposed to go on holiday on December 31 to Tenerife. I was sat in A&E and asked if I could still go on holiday.
"They said I could still go, so I thought it mustn't be that bad, but I went home and fell asleep and when I woke up, I couldn't see a thing.
'I NEVER THOUGHT THIS COULD HAPPEN'
"I looked like a goldfish with golf ball eyes. A few of my friends have kindly said I look like an ant too."
She's urged other riders to wear hard hats even on solid ground in a viral TikTok which has had more than 5.1million views.
"The chances of injury when out show-jumping were high, but I never thought it would happen now," she said.
"I'd tell people to make sure they wear the correct footwear and even a hat.
"A lot of people don't put their hat on while handling their horse on the ground, you just think everything will be fine. If I'd worn a hat my injury wouldn't be as bad.
"I've been trying to be as positive as possible about what's happened. It's healing really well.
"There are people out there who have it a lot worse than me.
"The scar will heal over time and people on TikTok have sent me all these lotions and potions to help.
"People have been so lovely and it's so nice to see that side of social media. I've had thousands of comments from people offering support."
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Abbi shared a video of her facial injuries on TikTok - and says she's been overwhelmed by support from followers Credit: Kennedy News 5
She says her injuries would have been less serious if she'd had a helmet on when she fell Credit: Kennedy News 5
And she joked that she looked like a 'goldfish with golf ball eyes' after the freak fall Credit: Kennedy News
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