I've ridden so much in the last week that I felt like I was ready to start getting back into jumping properly and more then 2 ft verticals.  I emailed Tracy Percival and requested a lesson for this evening on Poncho.  We were all set and I was VERY excited!  I needed a good lesson from a good trainer....feel like I was really getting educated and my monies worth.  Yeah for me...

I rushed through my dinner, sped down to Nice N Easy (without a seat belt on) to get some cash, then trucked on down Rt 233 (with a seat belt this time) towards Fairway Farm.  I thought about my riding and my issues jumping Poncho, and how I would just tell Tracy from the get go, that I lean forward and I have terrible piano hands...that's just how I roll.  Then, because I can't even talk to myself in side my own head without being sarcastic, I then thought...well, if I take a bad jump then I might have a new way to roll!  ha-ha right...

I noticed a lot of cars as I pulled in, but didn't really worry about it...trotted my ass down to the lower barn, disrobed the heavily covered Poncho, led him to the cross ties and began grooming.  For what ever reason I started on the opposite side of him and as I leaned down to brush his lower front legs, I glanced over and noticed his front right foot was bare.  Of course.  First lesson of any kind in over a year and the horse looses a shoe.  So I put Poncho away and trotted back up the icy driveway...ok it was more of a depressed, grunting climb.  Danielle had just gotten on Marcus so when she heard the bad news, she told me to grab my saddle and just have my lesson on him.  That defeated my purpose for scheduling one, but I was psyched for a riding lesson, so I said what the hell. 

Ten minutes later I am on board!  Tracy is finishing up with the next Clinton Combs superstar, Ben, and I hear someone yell, "Coming in.'  The arena door slides open...one horse enters...another horse enters...another...another...five altogether.  It seems Jennifer had trucked in several horses for a group lesson...at the same time as mine.  That's okay I thought to myself...we can handle it.  Next I see Jenn start breaking down fences in to gymnastics and taking your basic cross rail and making it...well still a cross rail but in Oxer form...I'm on a pretty green horse, and not feeling that confident, so this is starting to discourage me. 

I decided finally as Tracy was helping Ben put his horse away, that I would withdrawal from my lesson and just shoot for next week.  Danielle agreed it was a good decision.  I decided to canter just one last time before I got off.  As I transitioned into my canter Jenn yelled to her group to cross through the diagonal and switch direction...that's okay, I'm wrapping this up...

    ...here's where it gets ugly...

I circled at the one end of the arena in my canter...As I'm rounding the corner and heading for the straight side, we come upon three horses totting very nicely in the other direction.  Marcus is looking at them...just inquiring... at this same moment, Jennifer comes walking over to the jump I'm about to pass with a gate in her hands...Marcus suddenly takes notce of the walking gate, and spooks.  It was a stuttered type steps.  He hit the breaks...only momentarily, but enough for me to face plant into his mane and ears...then he moves (or leaps...whatever) to the right....into the wall...and takes off!  Finally!!  The race horse that never goes picks this moment to run!!  I stuck my right arm out (although you would think I would have learned to not stick arms out after the traction debocle of 1990) but I tried to stop myself from hitting too hard, dragging my right forearm down the ledge of the arena wall...simotaneously hitting my back against that same ledge and dragging that too across it.  Something, although we can not pinpoint what, something nailed my leg.  Danielle thing it just hit the cantle of the saddle the right way, but I know I saw a back hoof or two, and my theory is that as I came down, his back foot was stretching out behind him and got my inner left thigh...or better yet, my inner left thigh hit it!  Either way...it's a pretty large swelling as I type welt in a very circular, you might even say, hoof like, shape!

I sat right up as I hit the dirt.  My helmet flew off...the one Tracy had told me to buckle...and I had.  But when I decided against the lesson, I had unhooked it.  I sat there for a moment trying to decided if I could cry in front of 6 other riders, two trainers, and 4 horse show moms (who by the way later told me I was very graceful!)  I wondered if I would ever stand again because my back hurt so bad at that very moment, but I got to my feet, and tried to look like a million dirty,dusty bucks!  As we discussed the mess I had made of my non riding lesson, the burn began in my forearm.  I rolled back my sleeve to see the scrape and blood seeping through slightly.  I could feel the same thing happening on my back and hip but wasn't about to investigate it there in front of them all.

Danielle took Marcus down to untack.  Allison cleaned Poncho's stall.  Tracy had an earlier night then she had planned....me?  Well, I hugged 28yr old Fox and almost cried.  While every one was talking, all I could think about was how much I wish I could put Fox in Mr. Peabody's Way Back machine so I could just ride my boy. 

I drove myself home just feeling the pain in my back, but not too upset.  I showed my family my wounds and heard the anger in my husbands voice.  I know it was concern, but not what I needed at that moment.  I then jumped into the shower and was surprised that the water didn't burn the wounds like I thought it would.  Then I began to cry.  Not because of the pain.  Not because I was embarrassed....but because I needed my mommy.   I had no idea what to put on my cuts and soars and not even where to begin with what was quickly swelling in my leg.  I wondered if we even had that kind of first aid in the house.  I new Brett would take care of me...but I was afraid to show him and ask for help.  I finally appeared in the kitchen with tears in my eyes and asked for help.  We headed on down the hallway as a family to take care of my boo-boos.  Ellie sat on the counter saying, "Mommy don't cry!" as Brett felt the need to pour peroxide on my arm.  Then she opened each bandage and handed them to daddy as he carefully rubbed them all with Neosporin and covered them up.  Then together they got me a baggie full of ice for my leg...and I hit the Extra Strength Tylenol.

At this point, the leg is very bruised, and somewhere in my middle back I can feel how tight and sore it is every time I move...tomorrow will be a bitch. 

Almost 36 sucks. 

But I shall live another day! 

I shall get back on that horse!

And next week, if he has a shoe back on...Poncho and I will jump in a lesson! 

And right now...well, I'm going for a bowl of Forbidden Chocolate Ice Cream with some crushed up M&M's inside...


   'night all....




My Back/Hip/Butt look just like this...

And here's the Thigh!