The adventures of Gilly the rescue horse and his side kick and partner in crime, Pokey the donkey.

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Being with a horse is a journey that never ends. What they have to teach us is amazing; but we must quiet our mind to hear them. ~ jca

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Friday, July 3, 2009

After the fall...........again!

I have no pictures cause no one was out to witness this fine dumb-ass event!!!

I was riding Gilly this afternoon, we did cantering and he was doing fine. I had the western saddle on, just because I like riding it for a change from the English dressage saddle. We were having a great time cantering through the hay field on the way home, our field. We had cantered a little way and he slowed to a trot. I asked for a canter again and he responded then............a Blue Heron flew up out of the creek across the field from us. Lucy came tearing from up on the road bank and behind Gilly leaping up into the air trying to catch the bird. I was cantering with one hand on the reins and the other on the saddle, I turned my head to look at what was going on. Then Gilly started to run faster, threw in a little buck and next thing I saw was the ground coming up at me! I went off on the right side but somehow I hit the ground on my left side, my T-shirt and pants were covered with grass stains. I laid there for what only seemed like a minute or so trying to see if anything was broke and if I could get back up. I did and started looking for Gilly; I figured he ran toward Kim's house since we had just passed it shortly before. When I got back up onto the road, I limped down to see if I could see Gil. There he was standing on the opposite side of the road, looking scared. I called to him and he started walking to me. Thank goodness and thank goodness there aren't many cars on our road. Hadn't seen on for two hours.

I tried to get back on but the saddle had slid way back and sideways, so I decided to walk back home and hang on to Gil if I needed too. We made it back, I unsaddled him and put him back in the field. Hobbled to the house to see what I had done to myself. Couldn't find any bruises but lots of grass stains, and boy am I sore!!! My right knee hurts, both hips, my left shoulder blade.....nothing hurts bad enough to make me think it is broken. But I knew if I didn't do something that I would be so stiff I couldn't walk. Mike was out weed eating so I started raking and picking up the weeds. Pulling weeds in the flower beds, slowly though. As long as I kept moving I didn't feel too bad but if I sat down for any period of time I started to get stiff. I had taken some Ibuprofen as soon as I got back into the house to help with the inflammation.

After supper I got into our big Aqua Glass jetted tub to see if that would help with my sore spots. After I got in I was hoping that I could get back out!!! I did but the stiffness is creeping in and I am hoping that I can get out of bed in the morning.

I am so mad at myself for not holding the reins with both hands and making myself sit deep in the saddle and maybe I wouldn't have gotten bounced off. I hope that I am not too stiff in the morning because I want to get back on Gil again.....I swear I think I am going to invest in a Velcro seat cover so my butt will stick to the saddle better!!!

24 comments:

A Palmer said...

Oh, Jane! Ouch! So sorry that happened to you. At least you had the nice tub to "hop" into to kind of get a jump on your poor muscles. So glad Gilly was OK and didn't run too far. My husband was thrown once (went over backwards) in the wash when a bunch of kids powered up their dirt bikes right in front of him. He had to be taken out by ambulance and it took hours to find Hershey who only had some slight injuries. Very scary. Feel better soon!

Anne

jane augenstein said...

Anne, thank you! Nice tub yes, but there was no hopping into it! LOL
slowly, slowly!
Wow your poor husband! I have never been hurt badly, just sore, sore muscles. Horses are unpredictable and react in a split second, wish I could react that fast.

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

Owwwwie! It sounds like you really slammed into the ground. I do hope that you are right and are just sore. Sometimes the shock of a sudden accident disguises how serious our injuries can be. I hope a good night's sleep will let you wake refreshed and feeling better, but we all know the second day is usually the hardest. Hopefully, you will be the exception to that.

My husband and I had to struggle to get our horses from the pasture to the paddock, because a man in an orange vest that was drilling holes in the house next door to string cable put the horses on edge. We had to squeeze these highly agitated animals between the gate post and the horse trailer without getting trampled. It was touch and go. It doesn't take much to set horses off.

Dusty Devoe said...

WOW! So glad you just got hurt. I have yet to go off, and amnot looking foward to my first time. I expect my turn will come some day! Have a great 4th!!!

Katharine Swan said...

Horses are pros at choosing the worst possible moment to do something like that, aren't they?

I've fallen a grand total of four times (if you count the time I landed on my feet). One of the worst times, I was also the least sore, and I think it's because I continued to ride afterward. I'd fallen on my lower back, and I could literally feel the nice steady rocking motion of Panama's walk (it was a trail ride) loosening up my back muscles.

It's too bad you couldn't get back on Gilly, but from what you've said before about his height, wouldn't you have had problems mounting even if the saddle was on right? I think you've said he's so tall you need a mounting block, right?

dexmangoldens said...

ouch. you know what they say---shit happens. hope you remember to take your ibuprofen right away after you slowly get out of bed in the a.m.
feel better.

cowgirljlynn said...

I am so glad that you are ok! Have a great fourth!

allhorsestuff said...

Oh Sweetie...man that sounds like a small miricle for you to be UP AND ABOUT..AND PULLING WEEDS NO LESS!

Well, if it mqkes you feel any better..I too came off today.
But my mare has NO excuse, like Gil. She was deliberate and
went bronk on me...she is inHigh Heat and was looking for an excuse to blow Ithink...but, it was in the hay field...like yours!!!

OUCHY...we be hurting girls about now huh!! I have 2 ice packs on...let me know how you are tomorrow!
Kac

Pony Girl said...

Oh no! I'm glad you are okay and just have some bumps and bruises. I think I've heard that the first 48 hours are the worst for these kinds of things (swelling and pain) so I imagine you'll feel a little worse for wear before you start to get on the mend. I do think your story paints a good picture of horseback riding...anything can happen, randomly, at any instant. And we can't be perfectly prepared for every instant, no matter how hard we try, so don't beat yourself up. One question, were you wearing a helmet? I've been wearing one every time I ride now. Last year, sometimes I wouldn't. Not sure what changed.
Take care! :)

jane augenstein said...

NM,well, the good nights sleep didn't happen. I slept but I tossed and turned, finally got up and took some Advil PM and slept a little better. Am very stiff and sore this morning.
Dusty Devoe, nothing broken as far as I can tell. But boy am I SORE! I thought maybe I could get back on today but NOT happening!
Katharine, I did climb back on but that is when I noticed the saddle was way back and the cinch was loose. My neighbors husband got me a bucket to step back up on with. I was hurting so much that I didn't feel like resetting the saddle so I walked home. I hope that in a few days I will feel better.
Julie, thanks, I took some pain meds that I had from the last fall but it didn't really do any good. took some Bayer Back and Body this morning, lots of caffeine in it so I hope it will help.
cowgirljlynn, thanks, I'll get better.
Kacy, I thought what doing some work might help work out the kinks but don't know for sure if it helped or not. I am really sore and my right knee is really hurting, no swelling or bruising though. How can one hit the ground so hard and not bruise??? How strange we both fell off in hay fields and the same day. I didn't use any ice probably should have. I wanted to ride today but I don't think that's going to happen. If I did get on I probably couldn't get off!!! Jumping down would really make my knee and hip hurt, then I'd fall down again! LOL That Gilly, he probably did that so he could get some time off!!! :-)
Pony Girl, you are right on the first 48 hours. Last time I did this though it took 6 weeks to get fully healed up. No, I didn't have my helmet on, I have been wearing it all the time until yesterday! I had just washed my hair and I wanted to feel the wind blowing through it, like I did as a kid. Didn't, thank goodness, hurt my head though!

Katharine Swan said...

Ugh, sorry you're so sore. I was thinking you wouldn't be since you stayed active in the evening. I'm so sorry and I hope you feel better soon.

Usually for me, it's not the day after the fall, but the day after that when I feel the worst. Take care of yourself today and try to stay active or stretch periodically, so that you don't stiffen up too much more.

jane augenstein said...

Katharine, I have a knee brace with ice pack that I have on my knee made it feel a little better. But I think I need a full suit ice pack to help all of me! LOL Taking Bayer Back and Body for the pain, it's helping somewhat. Hope that tomorrow isn't worse than this! I am moving and trying to keep moving the knee. The boys were nice to me this morning and didn't leave any poo in the barn for me to clean, hope that they do that tonight also!!!

Katharine Swan said...

My sister used to be a gymnast and they always alternated heat and ice, 15 minutes of each. Ice to minimize swelling, heat to keep the blood flowing and keep you from getting too stiff. If you feel yourself getting too stiff from the ice, you might try it.

My personal favorite remedy is a soak in a hot bath. We have one of those deep claw foot tubs. Heavenly. :o)

Girl Tornado said...

OW! I am so sorry you had a spill and hope you were alright when you woke up this morning, albeit quite stiff?!

I have often wondered about the helmet thing. I never wore a helmet as a teen (of course, we didn't back then!) and wondered if we are all just more paranoid these days or if it's really important to wear one. Sounds like maybe it's really important!

Hope to hear from you, and that you are just stiff and sore today, but otherwise OK!!

jane augenstein said...

Katharine, I have iced the knee but no heat yet. I did the hot bath last night, oh, my! Too hard to get out of the huge tub! LOL At our other house we used to have an old claw foot tub, wish we had brought it here when we moved, I LOVED it for soaking!!!
Oz Girl, sleeping was hard last night, trying to turn over hurt! Yes, the helmet thing is a quandary sometimes. I never wore one as a kid cause they didn't have any back then and now, I do then I don't, but maybe I should??? decisions, decisions!

Desert Rose said...

O VEY!!!
These things happen in 3's you know! And I will be riding Little Lady!!! I will make sure to double velcro my butt in!!! LOL So glad you were not seriously hurt but you will more than likely need a few days off to mend before you get back on Gilly! Thank goodness sore muscles are all you are dealing with!

jane augenstein said...

Desert Rose, well, Kacy at All Horse Stuff came off her horse yesterday also, so you be very careful riding then!!!
I am wanting to ride Gilly next weekend that the horse show, not in it but just around so he can see other horses, hum, maybe I'll just lead him instead. hope I will be healed up by then.

Blackfeatherfarm said...

Oh Jane, I won't give you any gory details about my falls, let me just say been there.Glad you are in one piece, feel better soon !

Amanda said...

Sorry to hear of this, I hate when this happens and each time it takes me longer and longer to get up. Hope you will be feeling better soon.

Jennifer MacNeill said...

OH NO!! Glad you are okay. That must have been so scary:(

JoJo said...

Jane, although you don't think you broke anything, if I'm any example, it doesn't take much of a fall to crack bones. I missed two basement steps last year during a plumbing emergency and broke a chunk off my tibia and almost tore off my finger, breaking it, when it got it caught between the support pole and the hand rail. Thank God you're "only" sore, but that soreness is almost as bad as breaking something. It's good to hear you have a deep tub and good aspirin or ibuprofen. Please take care and hang on!!!

jane augenstein said...

Blackfeatherfarm, thanks! with horses comes bruises and bumps for sure!!
Amanda, well, I have to say that this time I am actually healing faster then four years ago when I got bucked off. I think it's because I am still making myself move, do work and not just sitting around....pain meds help too! :-)
Jennifer, scary, well, I remember thinking as I went past Gilly's shoulder, dang why did you buck??? Then I was on the ground, laying there thinking, OK, what body parts can I move! No, real pain so nothing is broken....OK where'd Gilly go?
JoJo, Oh, my goodness you poor thing!!! That would be terrible to fall down the steps like that! I guess I have pretty strong bones, the soreness is getting a little less each day. I hope it's mostly gone by Sunday, I want to ride at the horse show. (not in it just around so Gil can see other horses.)

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Yikes! But it sounds like you were very lucky aqnd haven't broken anything. Whew!

After I fell off my mare, I also kept busy and even remounted her and rode her around for about 10 minutes. And then I went an fed all my woolies and chickens, walked up the stairs, took a shower and as I did all those things I got steadily more gimpy....limping and feeling more and more pain in my knee.
I was thinking that maybe I tore some minuscus, which is bad enough and usually requires surgery eventually, but I had no idea that I had completely severed my ACL. Who knew you could still walk around with a severed ACL? Not me! lol!

By the next day, though, even putting a little bit of weight on my knee was excruciating, so I suppose a soft tissue injury does finally catch up to you....and they take longer to heal, too! Quite honestly, I think a broken bone would be much better, in terms of healing....6-12 weeks healing...and then you
re back to normal again. Not so easy with soft tissue injury. bah!

Feel better, my bloggy friend!
And I hope you were able to enjoy a nice holiday weekend, too.

~Lisa

word verification: hertarme
(sounds like hurt arm! lol!)

jane augenstein said...

Lisa, hearing about your poor knee brings tears to my eyes!!! That must have been horrible, I can't even imagine that kind of pain! I have never had a broken bone of anything that painful. My knee hurts but I can walk, it's just not wanting to bend but seems to be getting slowly better.
Yes soft tissue injuries are really hard to heal; I got kicked in the ankle when I was 15 years old and it took almost 20 years for it to heal. Doctors said that it bruised the muscle and bone covering.
LOL....word verification is correct, I hurt my arm too! good one!!

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