Sunday, June 23, 2013

Bouncin' outta the tack, Part 2

Riley as a yearling, practicing his moves.
Well, this is bouncin' out of the tack, part deux. Thursday afternoon, I rode Ri in the indoor and decided to finish our ride in the outdoor. I'd just sent my entry into our first schooling show of the season and wanted to get him in the outdoor ring and footing. Things went well. We did a lot of canter work, no incidents. There were others in the ring too.

Not sure what happened. Walking along one end of the ring, cooling out on a long rein, something spooky outside the ring scared the horses. Two horses scooted forward. Riley startled but then took off bucking. My last thought was "Why's the saddle so far away?" And I came off.

A not-so-happy landing
Don't remember how I landed, but my left hip was buggered up. I was lying on my back like a big fat bug, and when I tried to sit upright my hip and back HURT -- and a weird kinda pain at that, deep and sharp, but also "stingy" in one area. In my younger days I would have gotten up, through the pain. Now, at 51, with osteopenia (low bone density), I'm more cautious. Folks were there to help, and did all the right things. I tried to sit up again, and again it HURT. Back down I went, staring at the sky.  One more time I tried, using a different method. I made it up but there was the pain, and I felt dizzy and nauseous. Back down. I was made comfortable. I had an umbrella placed over me to shield (the sun was blazing) and a makeshift pillow under my head. It was a short wait for the ambulance.

Where's Riley in all this?
Oh, not that I was too concerned at the time, but Riley (who has not had regular turnout since October) did not go crazy once he was free of me. He trotted in a big circle and came to a walk, right in the area where the spook occurred. He was fetched easily by another rider.

EMTs arrive
The ambulance came. The EMTs saw I was able to move fingers, toes, talk, perform basic limb movements, all good signs. They informed me, as I laid in the sand with my umbrella, that I was not in Cape May and there are no margheritas. They strapped me to a giant skateboard. They took me to the emergency room.

Stay tuned for Part 3...


12 comments:

  1. oh my goodness! I hope that you are not too injured.

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  2. Oh dear. Sounds like cracked sacrum perhaps? Lower back? "Stingy"?? There will be chiropractic and whatnots in your future. As for "lying there like a big fat bug," I think not. You are more "willowy" than "big fat." And I mean that as a compliment.

    I scribed at a local show last fall for an apprentice judge. One rider ended up on the dirt, the paramedics were there in a very short time, an ambulance called because the rider, who also tried to get up and then lay back down several times, had "broken." I hope you are just "cracked and bruised," not broken. Fingers crossed for a "not bad" ending.

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  3. Oh my - hoping that you just are bruised and not broken. So glad that there were people around to immediately attend to you and did the right thing by calling for the ambulance. Sending healing vibes your way!

    K. Thomas

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  4. Been there, opened the lemonade stand and sold all the t-shirts! Oh, Stacey ... I am so sorry to hear this. My gelding did a rather large, shoulder-dropping, spinning spook at a stupid bunny just the other day, and he had been quiet the WHOLE ride until that. Thankfully, no bolt and/or buck, though I've done the unexpected "bronc ride" before on several horses.

    Must be a long way down off a tall fella like Riley. I am hoping nothing is seriously wrong, though your descriptions of the pain send up my radar a little. Life is a real quirky bugger sometimes, ain't it?

    Sending really positive vibes your way, Stacey. Hang in there for us!!! And for YOU! Nothing but pampering, ya hear?

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  5. Oh, dear! Well the fact that you are able to post the story is a positive thing, so it makes me feel a little less worried. Still, having to be carted off in an ambulance is never a good sign.

    Sending gentle healing hugs and hope the rest of the story has a happy ending.

    Just goes to show you never know what's going to happen with a horse--something people who don't ride would never understand.

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  6. Oh dear, I am sorry this happened. I have lived too long to think that you will be back on tomorrow but eventually you will be better and back on. Maybe it's not so bad to miss the intense heat of summer? I know you have humidity there too which is not fun. But think of all the time you will have to blog and catch up on your reading. Thankfully Bob is on a course of treatment and that uncertainly is behind you. Here's wishes for a speedy recovery.

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  7. oh crap!! Harley and I send our healing thoughts your way. Rest up, follow the dr's advice.

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  8. Oh lady, I feel your pain. I was in the ER getting my back end xrayed very recently too after getting bucked! Same feeling, hurt, sting, OWWWW, nausea, OWWWWW...Feel better soon, lots of heat and ice. Kinesio taping really really helped my bruising break up and go away too!

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  9. Oh, my gosh. I was having flashbacks as I read about your fall! I fell down the stairs in Jan. and broke my femur bone (hip). I'm so glad you did not break this particular bone as I ended up having surgery (they put in a nine-inch rod and various screws) and was in the hospital for more than a week. I was basically confined to my bed for another month and a half. I'm still recovering. Just so glad you did not break anything (not hearing a loud crack when you fell is a great sign. When I landed, I heard a HUGE crack like a tree limb cracking in the forest. I could not move after that).

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  10. I am so sorry to hear about your accident. Here's hoping for a quick recovery. Take care and thank goodness for pain meds.
    Regards, Pamela N.

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