A Dallas teenager was knocked unconscious by a police horse at the State Fair of Texas, according to family

DALLAS – The family of a teenager injured by a Dallas police horse at the State Fair of Texas is speaking out for the first time.

The State Fair of Texas at Fair Park is an annual tradition for the Macharia family. The family of five took a photo in front of a Little Big Tex on Tuesday.

But when it came to taking a photo in front of Big Tex, Dallas police said a mounted police officer was patrolling Big Tex Circle when the horse became spooked. The officer attempted to regain control of the horse but was rebuffed.

Esther Macharia says her 17-year-old son Ian Macharia was injured by the horse.

“I could hear a crash behind me. So I turned around,” she recalled. “The crowd started screaming. Then I turned around. I saw the horse running. So my son is on the floor.”

Ester says her son suffered a seizure for the first time in his life after he was thrown to the ground and lost consciousness.

“He moved his hands. His eyes rolled back and forth. Then he just closed his eyes and just passed out,” she recalls.

Cell phone video taken by Ian's father shows Ian being placed on a stretcher before he went to a hospital, according to police.

Attorney Ramez Shamieh represents Ian and his mother. He believes mounted police officers at the trade fair are unnecessary.

“I think in this particular scenario it's a bit over the top. I think it’s all just for show,” he said. “We want to get more answers. We want to find out exactly why this happened. We want to get justice for this family and we want to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

The State Fair states: “The safety of all participants at the Texas State Fair is our top priority. We are deeply saddened that a fairgoer and an officer were injured… and we hope they make a full recovery soon.”

Esther says her son is recovering at home but doesn't remember exactly what happened.

“He knew there were repercussions,” she said.

However, Ester will always remember the moment she says her son lost consciousness.

“I can’t even get away from it,” she said. “I'm thinking about it. I replay it in my head.”

The family's lawyer is asking anyone with video of the incident to contact them.

The Dallas Police Department declined to comment.