SPOOKED HORSE HURTS 6 CHILDREN AT SCHOOL.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Staff Writer

Six children, a teen and a parent were injured Friday when a horse spooked and bolted out of control during an elementary school Halloween assembly, officials said.

The parent, 48-year-old Amanda Sanchez, is credited with saving the children from further injuries by coming between them and the bucking horse on the playground at Castlebay Lane Elementary School at 19010 Castlebay Lane.

``She threw herself in front of the horse. She saw the kids were in danger. What she did was really heroic,'' said Karyn Burleigh, who was videotaping the festivities during the 2 p.m. incident.

Two students were hospitalized for minor to moderate injuries, including a 10-year-old boy who was cut below his eye and a 9-year-old with abrasions, said Los Angeles Fire Capt. Steve Ruda. An 18-year-old woman watching her little brother perform was also hospitalized with minor injuries.

Sanchez was in fair condition at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, a hospital official said. She had bumps and bruises to her body.

Seven other children were treated or assessed and released at the scene by paramedics who triaged the schoolchildren.

``It could have been a lot worse,'' Ruda said.

About 800 students, teachers and staffers were attending the schoolwide assembly, officials said. The students waited in anticipation of fifth-grade teacher Randi Lieber's Halloween show, which is traditionally the favored one, parents and children said.

School Principal Robert Caplan said Lieber did not get permission from him to bring the horse on campus.

``You must have approval to bring any horse on campus. I did not give the approval,'' Caplan said. ``The first time I saw the horse was when it entered the festivities.''

Adorned in old-time sheriff's attire, Lieber rode out on the horse that belonged to the parent of a student in her class, officials said.

Suddenly, the horse was spooked by the loud music, ``Wild Wild West,'' and strong winds, school and fire officials said. The large crowd of students wearing costumes also may have frightened the horse, they said.

Lieber was thrown by the horse, which the children said began bucking out of control, kicking and stomping children and adults.

``It was like bull-riding, where the horse was out of control,'' said 10-year-old Eric Rosenthal. ``There was loud music and kids screaming. It was scary.''

Parent Pat Lunsford said the horse stomped on her leg and kicked her daughter in her back.

``Before you knew it, it was kicking and jumping all over the place, over fences, trampling people. I bent down to pick up another child, and the horse stepped on me,'' Lunsford said. ``One fourth-grade class had just moved, otherwise the whole class would be in the hospital.''

Lily Sadafi, 10, was also slightly injured on her arm when she ran from the horse as it chased her, she said.

``Suddenly, I see this white thing over my head. It was really big, and I didn't know what it was. I closed my eyes and ran. The horse was running after me, and I fell down,'' she said.

Her mother, Lila, said she was in shock over her daughter's brush with tragedy.

``It was really Halloween. It was really scary,'' she said.

As for the horse, the owner managed to capture it as it headed eastbound on a road near the school, said LAPD Officer Ken Cioffi of the Devonshire Division. Animal control officers were also investigating the incident.

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Photo: L.A. City Fire Department personnel attend to hurt children Friday at Castlebay Elementary School in Porter Ranch. Six children and two adults suffered minor to moderate injuries when a horse spooked during a Halloween assembly on the school playground.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer