Yesterday I was out on a 16.2 hand TWH that is absolutely the funnest horse (besides Crickett) that I have ridden in a while, I totally trust this horse and
know his personality.
That being said, I made a stupid mistake, I was out alone, had my cell and helmet on and was about three quarters of the way back when it happened. I pushed J into a dry creek bed, through some tumbleweeds and thick thorny tumbleweeds and he did fine until I went to turn him around and get him out of the brush. I turned towards what I thought was a steep but climbable bank (Not that I was going to push him up it, but if he freaked I thought he could make it up.)
Before I could pull him around away from the bank he charged up it trying to climb, well nothing I could really do about it as he was halfway up (or so I thought) so I grabbed mane and held on. After a moment he came up again and almost came up and over on me. I kicked my feet out of the stirrups and put all my weight on his shoulder and neck and was able to push him to the side instead of coming up and over. My belt had caught on the saddle horn so I was unable to come all the way off, I am surprised that it did not break.
He fell between the bank wall and a syringa bush thankfully on top of 4 feet of fluffy tumbleweeds and my leg. The tumbleweeds were thick enough to break our fall and keep my leg from getting smooshed. I leaped off of him and he laid there for 20 seconds (The longest 20 seconds of my life!) before jumping to his feet and standing between the bank and the syringa bush.
So I led him out of the bush, checked him over, took the saddle off, un stickered the cinch and pad, saddled him back up. He went the rest of the way home with no lameness or spooks. Thank god we were both alright, it could have been very bad had it not been for those tumbleweeds. I was shaking like a leaf when I coming back. I have a bunch of pretty red lines all over me but otherwise I am good, not even sore.
I checked out J today and his was fine, no stiffness or soreness, and not a lame step. I took him out again today just to stretch him out and he did fine, so hopefully he is alright all around. But it was pretty much one of the scariest thing I have been through on a horse.
Thank god for tumbleweeds!
That being said, I made a stupid mistake, I was out alone, had my cell and helmet on and was about three quarters of the way back when it happened. I pushed J into a dry creek bed, through some tumbleweeds and thick thorny tumbleweeds and he did fine until I went to turn him around and get him out of the brush. I turned towards what I thought was a steep but climbable bank (Not that I was going to push him up it, but if he freaked I thought he could make it up.)
Before I could pull him around away from the bank he charged up it trying to climb, well nothing I could really do about it as he was halfway up (or so I thought) so I grabbed mane and held on. After a moment he came up again and almost came up and over on me. I kicked my feet out of the stirrups and put all my weight on his shoulder and neck and was able to push him to the side instead of coming up and over. My belt had caught on the saddle horn so I was unable to come all the way off, I am surprised that it did not break.
He fell between the bank wall and a syringa bush thankfully on top of 4 feet of fluffy tumbleweeds and my leg. The tumbleweeds were thick enough to break our fall and keep my leg from getting smooshed. I leaped off of him and he laid there for 20 seconds (The longest 20 seconds of my life!) before jumping to his feet and standing between the bank and the syringa bush.
So I led him out of the bush, checked him over, took the saddle off, un stickered the cinch and pad, saddled him back up. He went the rest of the way home with no lameness or spooks. Thank god we were both alright, it could have been very bad had it not been for those tumbleweeds. I was shaking like a leaf when I coming back. I have a bunch of pretty red lines all over me but otherwise I am good, not even sore.
I checked out J today and his was fine, no stiffness or soreness, and not a lame step. I took him out again today just to stretch him out and he did fine, so hopefully he is alright all around. But it was pretty much one of the scariest thing I have been through on a horse.
Thank god for tumbleweeds!
