A strapper was flown to Royal Perth Hospital with serious injuries after being kicked by a horse during Broome's Ladies Day race meeting.
Troy Enright, who works with his father — Bunbury-based trainer Jim Enright — suffered the blow on Tuesday.
"He's been around horses all his life but he's just only recently got his strapper's licence," Jim said.
"We were just leading the horse into the horse day stall area and [the horse] got a bit excited and dropped his head and let one go ... half-sideways."
He said his 54-year-old son was kicked in the eye and on the top of the side of his head, smashing his glasses.
'Probably could have killed him'
Jim said there was too much swelling around his son's eye socket to operate on Wednesday, with surgery instead expected on Thursday.
"[It] probably could have killed him, quite honestly," Jim said.
"People 30 or 40 feet away heard the crack.
"The eye socket is the biggest concern."
He said he hoped his son would make a full recovery.
"He's in good hands, so I suppose we can only hope that everything goes alright," Jim said.
"The doctors up here and the ambulance and the flying doctor, they were all absolutely brilliant.
"[It's] no one's fault ... it was just one of those unfortunate things that happened."
The horse involved in the incident went on to finish fourth in its race.
Broome Turf Club's race season will end with Saturday's Broome Cup.
