I have often wondered how people get hurt around horses, which is a pretty stupid thing to wonder about when I look down at my legs. I have one bruise that was deep enough in 2008 that it appears it may be with me for life. That one happened when Remmie had the "incident" with the light-weight cart that almost took my daughter's life and shook me up pretty badly. In fact, if there is a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for driving horses, I think I now have it.
Then I have the broken toe from Sportsbar, the other broken toe and bruise from Equinox (both my fault........when they spooked and I wasn't exactly wearing boots).
As of today, I now have a nice shiner on the inside of my right knee. How did I get that, you might ask? Well, there's a first time for everything........
Last Sunday Craig and I took a ride to the top of our hill behind our home. The trails are nice and wide, but overgrown with tall weeds and grasses. I decided to take R Colelateral - after all, I have been having a great time riding Cricket and also Times is getting a good start - why not take Cole? He was quiet enough for saddling and quiet enough on the ground. We ascended the hill like we had been doing it every day, with Fargo and Craig behind us because Cole really wanted to almost lope up the hill! We got so far, and there was a huge log down. I ended up holding Fargo and Craig and Cole contemplated what to do with the log. All of a sudden, Fargo began acting like he was being attacked by a swarm of bees. I thought he was going to come over the top of me by lunging forward. Cole began the same behavior. They stomped, they kicked out their hinds, they wanted to lunge or run, and there we stood trying to hold them from it. I grabbed Cole's reins as Craig tried to calm Fargo down - I looked under Fargo and behind to see what was there and saw nothing. Cole, meanwhile, began reeling and wheeling and stomping and striking. Craig said, "It's these weeds - they are nettles!". Well, they were nothing like the common "burning weed" or "burning grass" I am so familiar with. Their leaves are wider and lighter green, but their sting is almost worse. I brushed against Cole's bridle and got a handful of the burning stuff and could instantly understand what the horses were feeling. We turned around lickety-split and walked down the trail to where there were less nettles. The horses continued to reel and strike and kick. Somehow in the lunging out and turning with Cole, I got too far back. He cow kicked and, BAM.........got me square in the inside knee. Instant pain, then realizing I could not feel my leg, I couldn't handle Cole's antics. Craig took two horses and frantically got halters on both of them so better lead them. I barely hopped onto the side of the trail but was in writhing pain.
I started cussing and yelling and feeling sorry for the horses, then myself.........
Craig got the horses down to trees and tied them both to the trees to come back and help me. Cole, who has not had much discipline in this area this year, was still crazy about the weeds or nettles and mad about standing still. He backed up against the bank of the tree and started kicking at it. I just stood there and wondered how I could ride such a spirited steed but, understanding what they had just been through, could not judge him. I wasn't even angry that he kicked me. It just wasn't his fault. We made it down the hill that day, but I wasn't in very good shape this past week. I could not bend my knee for a few days and still can't bend it all the way. It's pretty swollen and there's a pretty ugly bruise, but every day it gets better. Did I go to the doctor? Nope. Don't think anything is broken. I was very very blessed to not have gotten hurt worse than that. So.........that was our adventure last weekend.
Since it hurt worse to walk on the leg than to ride in a saddle, I naturally had to go to Duck Egg County Park the following day for a ride. It was one of the most beautiful days we have had this whole year (we haven't had many)........and I will always remember the blue of the sky, the clarity of the air, and the berries that Craig and I picked that day. Was I riding Cole? Nope.........took Remmie!
Someday I'll probably be an old lady that has a story to tell about every scar on my body. Maybe I'd never have it any other way!
Jordan is still home, and his girlfriend Sofie is here from Germany. Grandma is living here this month, so our home and our hearts are full.
Don't forget to vote on the animal rescue site, please please please - vote every day!
Susan
