Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Sucker Punched!

.. Not sure anyone reads this blog anymore.  You see, I have laid aside showing both aside and astride while we build our dream house, a project a long time coming!!  If you want to see more on that, go to www.equusvilla.blogspot.com where we are charting the progress on that project...

Anyway - we do have an assortment of adorable horses here at the farm that I still pleasure ride.  It has been a while since I have ridden sidesaddle though - and feeling guilty about that, I asked my  husband Don if he would watch over me as I rode my daughters horse, Southern Revival sidesaddle last Sunday.  He agreed.  Rev, as we call him can be as amped up as any American Saddlebred... but on the other hand, he can be a gentle as a lamb and he is my #1 pick for my Grandaughter to ride.  Yes - he is that level headed!!..and to think he was a stallion for 11 years.

Lots of my sidesaddle riding muscles are in pretty poor shape, so I was not asking much out of Rev.  He was not sure about the first direction canter since I could not give  him the leg queue, but out of 3 tries, he got in twice!  we trotted too, but not for long - my fault not his..

Back in the stall, I was starting to untack him.  I noticed some flies as I removed his bridle and started to put his halter back on and then..WHAM!!!!  All I remember was the sound of the back of my head hitting the stall wall and feeling wet.  My brain was screaming at me to MOVE!!  Don was above me helping me to get up and asking me what happened.  I honestly had to think about what had happened before I could answer him!

As I raised my hands to put Rev's halter back on, he shook his head to get the flies off and that was it.  His massive facial bone hit my cheek - hit me so hard it threw me across the stall.  I hit the wall and slid down to end up sitting in his water bowl!  The flight response set in and my brain was trying to get me out of that stall...Don heard my head hit the wall and said he thought he heard a kick, which sent him rushing over.

Poor Rev really did nothing wrong and was just standing there as still as could be - probably trying to figure out what had happened as well.  For over 30 years I have owned and worked with horses.  I am not stranger to their strength, but I have to say that I never imagined the strength of just a toss of the head to shoe away a fly would have sent me flying through the air!!

I am fine... my face is a slight color of green and there is swelling.  Funny thing is that I feel the swelling more on the inside of my mouth than the outside.  A bit lower and I would surely have lost a few teeth.  A bit higher and I would be in the hospital dealing with an orbital fracture.  As it is, I have a good strong cheek bone and a real life expereince to know what it must be like to be a prize fighter!!

4 comments:

Kaede said...

Yep, people are still reading.

AnEnglishRider said...

Still reading :)

Caroline said...

Yikes! I hope you feel better quickly. Been there. Once, just picking hooves, my face was in the wrong spot and the horse, just lifting his hoof, whammed his knee into my temple. I literally saw stars. Congrats on your home!

Caroline

Lee McLean said...

Still reading you, too, Julie. Take care and heal your bruises! Cheers, Lee.