By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 2:51 PM on 28th July 2011 . An eight-year-old triplet died after suffering serious head injuries while horse riding on a holiday to celebrate his birthday with his parents and siblings. Hugh Moss-Wilcox had been on holiday with his parents and brother and sister in the U.S. to celebrate a birthday when the accident happened in April. The family, from Dorset, are now taking legal action against the ranch at a park near Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Tragic death: Hugh Moss-Wilcox, known as Ted, was killed while riding with his family in Missouri . His parents are also launching a safety campaign in Britain to make stables safer for inexperienced riders. Hugh Moss-Wilcox, known as Ted, was riding with his parents Terrence Wilcox and Christine Moss and his brother Jack and sister Amy at a park near Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. An inquest was told today that the horses spooked and Ted's saddle became dislodged. As a result he fell off the horse sideways and was then kicked in the head before he fell off. Mrs Moss told the inquest that Jack fell off instantly, Amy stayed on for a few seconds but Ted was dragged behind the horse. The boy died in University of Missouri Hospital the following day from blunt force trauma to the head. A post-mortem examination was carried out in the U.S. He was buried next to his grandfather in Great Dunmow, Essex. The family lives in Wimborne, Dorset. Essex assistant deputy coroner Eleanor McGann recorded a verdict of accidental death. Mrs Moss, a freelance social worker, . told the hearing in Chelmsford that they were pursuing legal action . against the riding establishment. She said that the three children and her husband were all riding as she watched. But . she continued : 'Ted was kicked while he was still on the horse. I . didn't actually see him come off but I'm pretty certain he was kicked as . he was hanging. He had started to slide off. It was the back foot of . the horse [which struck him]. The horse was determined to get him off.' She added that she also felt Ted's helmet might have been too loose. Hugh Moss-Wilcox died in an accident near Lake of the Ozarks . 'I'm not a horse rider. Nobody helped us check the helmets. It was a bit looser than I would have liked but it was the third one he tried on and we ended up doing it ourselves without any advice,' she said. 'I feel as if the riding establishment was negligent in teaching children who were first time riders, which he was. The only reason we are taking legal action in the States is to try and prevent it happening to another child.' The inquest was told that the American authorities had treated it as a tragic accident.  After the hearing Mrs Moss said they were not pursuing legal action for the money. She added that she was also concerned about the state of children's horse riding in England. 'The more I find out the more scared I am for children in this country. We live in a horsey area and everybody I have spoken to knows about incidents of children on horses who have had very serious accidents. It's more dangerous than motorcycling.' She said that unless parents are riders themselves they don't know what questions to ask. 'Given I know it's dangerous I want children to have a licence and riding establishments to train them up to a riding standard.' The triplets were born in Missouri and she and her husband, Terry, a retired social worker, had taken them back for a four-week holiday on 31 March. They were also planning to visit other states. The decided to go riding in the State Park near the lake after seeing it advertised in a tourist information brochure. The ride was scheduled to be just 20 minutes long. The riding professional leading them fell off and that caused all the horses to spook, Mrs Moss said. 'Ted was the loudest and the most talkative of the triplets,' she said. 'He was the tallest and the sparkiest. We will miss him terribly.'
Parents blame US riding firm and are taking legal action .
Inquest delivers accidental death verdict .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 2:51 PM on 28th July 2011 . An eight-year-old triplet died after suffering serious head injuries while horse riding on a holiday to celebrate his birthday with his parents and siblings. Hugh Moss-Wilcox had been on holiday with his parents and brother and sister in the U.S. to celebrate a birthday when the accident happened in April. The family, from Dorset, are now taking legal action against the ranch at a park near Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Tragic death: Hugh Moss-Wilcox, known as Ted, was killed while riding with his family in Missouri . His parents are also launching a safety campaign in Britain to make stables safer for inexperienced riders. Hugh Moss-Wilcox, known as Ted, was riding with his parents Terrence Wilcox and Christine Moss and his brother Jack and sister Amy at a park near Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. An inquest was told today that the horses spooked and Ted's saddle became dislodged. As a result he fell off the horse sideways and was then kicked in the head before he fell off. Mrs Moss told the inquest that Jack fell off instantly, Amy stayed on for a few seconds but Ted was dragged behind the horse. The boy died in University of Missouri Hospital the following day from blunt force trauma to the head. A post-mortem examination was carried out in the U.S. He was buried next to his grandfather in Great Dunmow, Essex. The family lives in Wimborne, Dorset. Essex assistant deputy coroner Eleanor McGann recorded a verdict of accidental death. Mrs Moss, a freelance social worker, . told the hearing in Chelmsford that they were pursuing legal action . against the riding establishment. She said that the three children and her husband were all riding as she watched. But . she continued : 'Ted was kicked while he was still on the horse. I . didn't actually see him come off but I'm pretty certain he was kicked as . he was hanging. He had started to slide off. It was the back foot of . the horse [which struck him]. The horse was determined to get him off.' She added that she also felt Ted's helmet might have been too loose. Hugh Moss-Wilcox died in an accident near Lake of the Ozarks . 'I'm not a horse rider. Nobody helped us check the helmets. It was a bit looser than I would have liked but it was the third one he tried on and we ended up doing it ourselves without any advice,' she said. 'I feel as if the riding establishment was negligent in teaching children who were first time riders, which he was. The only reason we are taking legal action in the States is to try and prevent it happening to another child.' The inquest was told that the American authorities had treated it as a tragic accident.  After the hearing Mrs Moss said they were not pursuing legal action for the money. She added that she was also concerned about the state of children's horse riding in England. 'The more I find out the more scared I am for children in this country. We live in a horsey area and everybody I have spoken to knows about incidents of children on horses who have had very serious accidents. It's more dangerous than motorcycling.' She said that unless parents are riders themselves they don't know what questions to ask. 'Given I know it's dangerous I want children to have a licence and riding establishments to train them up to a riding standard.' The triplets were born in Missouri and she and her husband, Terry, a retired social worker, had taken them back for a four-week holiday on 31 March. They were also planning to visit other states. The decided to go riding in the State Park near the lake after seeing it advertised in a tourist information brochure. The ride was scheduled to be just 20 minutes long. The riding professional leading them fell off and that caused all the horses to spook, Mrs Moss said. 'Ted was the loudest and the most talkative of the triplets,' she said. 'He was the tallest and the sparkiest. We will miss him terribly.'
family, from Dorset, are now taking legal action Eleanor McGann recorded a verdict of accidental