HOUSTON -- A 50-year-old woman watching the annual Pride Houston Parade was kicked and stomped by a police horse and will likely need plastic surgery.

Kirste Reimers didn’t notice mounted police officers approaching, trying to keep pedestrians from spilling off the sidewalks into the street during Saturday night’s parade, according to a Houston Chronicle report. She found herself being trampled, and suffered bruising over most of her body. Her chin was split open, teeth were knocked and her head was slammed on the asphalt.  She spent the night in an emergency room.

Witnesses said it appeared one of the three horses got spooked as police led them close by the edge of the crowd.

Police said the officers and their horses were just doing their job.