Israeli FEI rider Eyal Zlatin has sustained a severe head injury in a riding accident on 17 May 2015. Zlatin was trying out a sales horse for a client in the area and got bucked off.
He was airlifted by helicopter to the hospital in Bremen, Germany, where he was submitted to the intensive care unit. He was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury and bleeding in the brain, impairing the left hemisphere. After two days he was able to move to the rehab unit of the hospital. Eyal is now in Munich at Schön Klinik, a specialized rehabilitation centre.
"I don't remember anything of the day itself, but I was told that I got bucked off. It wil take a while until I can get back in the saddle," Zlatin told Eurodressage, "but I'm getting better every day. It's a hard work, but I'm improving a lot. I still need to work very hard on walking and my balance. Normal things that my body use to do before are not possible anymore."
The 28-year old Zlatin opted to do his rehab in Munich to be closer to his life partner, German Grand Prix rider Hendrik Lochthowe, who works for Gestut Meggle near Munich.
Zlatin was wearing a helmet when the accident happened. "I don't want to know how I would have ended up if I hadn't worn a helmet," he said.
Zlatin began his professional riding career as a bereiter at Arlette and Jasper Kohl's Gestut Peterhof in Perl, Germany. He twice competed internationally in 2013 at the CDI Hagen and CDI Perl with Silvano and Chamberlain. Since then Zlatin has moved to Gestut Sprehe, where he is now an assistant trainer.
Photo © Astrid Appels
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