A West Seattle woman spent a week in the hospital after falling off her horse in an incident on Vashon’s west side, where she says a car came close to her horse and revved its engine.

Susan McLain, who boards and rides her horse on Vashon, suffered 11 broken ribs, a broken collarbone, multiple fractures in her back and a collapsed lung after falling offer her horse on SW 220th Street, near Wax Orchard Road.

McLain was riding her horse on a trail alongside 220th when she says a car came quickly from behind and revved its engine. Her horse jumped, McLain was knocked off, and the car continued on.

“Horses are herd animals. If they are startled or frightened, they have an instinct to run or bolt. Their instinct is to get spooked,” she said.

After the driver of the next car to pass stopped and called 911, McLain was taken by ambulance to Harborview Medical Center. She spent a week at Harborview, including two days at the hospital’s intensive care unit.

McLain said she will be in recovery for some time, and may have to have surgery on her collarbone, but she is grateful she’ll be okay. A professional harpist who performs regularly and teaches private lessons, she is also grateful that she recently obtained health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

“That’s a miracle I have at this point,” she said.

It’s unlikely McLain will be able to contact the driver of the car that passed her, she said, as she is unsure what the vehicle looked like and no one else witnessed the accident. She said she believes the driver should have seen her and her horse, but is unsure if he or she did. She also believes the car revved its engine once more as it drove away.

“I’m not saying I blame the driver, but the driver did some very unsafe things,” she said.

McLain boards her horse at a stable near Wax Orchard Road and for years she and a group of friends have come to Vashon four or five times a week to ride together.

“It’s delightful, and getting over there is part of the fun,” she said.

McLain said she plans to continue riding on Vashon as soon as she’s able, but will now take extra precautions. In addition to waving when she sees cars approaching, she said she plans to walk her horse on roadside trails and ride only when she gets to forested trails. She also hopes to purchase an inflatable vest that acts as an air bag for equestrians, which costs about $1,000.

“It’s not going to stop me from riding, but I’m not going to take the risks I did,” she said.

She also hopes that others will learn from her accident, she said, and that island drivers will remember to watch for horses and take precautions when they pass.

“If people just go around and give a berth and go slow, there’s shouldn’t be any problem,” she said.

Friends of McLain have set up a fund to help cover her medical expenses and lost income. Donations can be made to the Susan McLain account at US Bank or at the website www.gofundme.com/ekf7g0.