Photographer denies Madonna horse claims

A freelance photographer has denied claims from Madonna's spokesperson that the star fell off her horse on Saturday because she was startled by the paparazzi.

Madonna was reportedly hospitalised after the incident and sustained minor injuries and bruises in the fall.

Thomas Hinton told Newsday: "As far as I'm concerned, the only photographer present when the accident happened was [her host] Steven Klein.

"If a photographer startled a horse, I'm thinking we would have seen the pictures by now."

He added: "That would be such an egregious thing to do, to trespass and startle a horse. The police would have been looking for a photographer."

Hinton said that he was at the scene before the fall but left because his view was obscured by bushes.

When he returned after the accident, he said that Klein and his staff stood in his line of vision to block photographs, but Hinton added that Klein did not confront him and that both parties were "polite with each other".