|
|
Veteran
Posts: 160
 
| I wasn't riding, but I still fell. Does that count?  Anyway, I had already taught two lessons and rode my colt and was getting ready to leave. Since I board, I don't have much say in where my horses get turned out. At the time, they were in a 25 acre pasture with about 15 other horses. Since it was late in the afternoon, the herd was gathered at the gate to ready to be fed and acting like fools. The dominant gelding in the group was a grade paint that is just a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal.. He really has something wrong with him, he's one of those who missed out on the self-preservation gene. That being said, I always made a point to keep an eye on him when I was in the pasture and run him off before I turned my horses out. I ran him off when I turned my gelding out that night, just like any night. But, I after I took my horse's halter off, my friend walked in to catch her mare that the crazy gelding is horribly herd bound to. I didn't think anything of it because I had checked over my shoulder and crazy gelding was happily grazing about 100 yards away. No big deal. I talked with my friend for a little bit while we were in the pasture and I started to follow her out when she headed to the barn with her mare. Well, with my gelding being the puppy dog that he is, saw me walking away and decided to follow. When he followed, he put himself between the crazy gelding and his favorite mare. As always, my geling had his nose right in the middle of my back, and we both had our backs turned to crazy gelding because crazy gelding was actually acting the opposite for once. Little did I know, crazy gelding had actually taken off from 100 yd to run my gelding off of his mare. The crazy paint gelding ended up plowing into my horse who, of course, bolted to get out of his way. When My horse took off, I was basically caught in the crossfire. My gelding's chest somehow caught me square in the back and he hit me so hard that I didn't have time to catch myself and my head broke my fall. After I fell, not only did my gelding step on me, crazy gelding ran over me too. I knew I had hit my head harder than I ever had in my entire life, but I didn't get knocked out so I thought I was fine. I jumped up with intentions of putting my colt out and heading home. All bets were off when I saw my friend almost pass out and tell me I was gushing blood and needed to go to the hospital. I had hit the ground so hard that I busted my eyebrow open and it, of course, was bleeding like no one's business. (Down the side of my face and all over my favorite shirt.) On the car ride to the ER was when my speech started to slur and my eyes stopped focusing on anything and I temporarily lost control of some fine motor skills. I ended the whole ordeal with a concussion, several stitches, and a lovely scar. I now watch my back anytime I'm in a pasture and I really just try to avoid ever going in a pen with the crazy gelding. | |
| | |
 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
  
Location: Texas | Well I wasn't on a horse but I was feeding one.. one of my mares is witchy when feeding, she likes to try and bite the horses next to her. I was tired of it and was going to-IDK, do something- wave my hand at her, IDK.. but it involved me going from one side of the stall to the other with purpose. I forgot about the conveniently placed mineral block on the ground, that i tripped over and face planted in the stall..the dirty stall that hadn't been cleaned yet today…I have horse crap stains on my pants, through my pants, onto my knees… Apparently my hands have dirt so far deep in them no amount of washing has gotten the smell out. and I have a funeral to go to today, that I hope I do not smell like horse crap at.. | |
| | |
 Too Skinny
Posts: 8009
Location: LA Lower Alabama | Â My fear is suffocating so my worst fall was the horse I was running didn't stop like normal, hit the gate with his chest and flipped onto me. I ended up ok but I just knew I wasn't going to be able to breathe at any moment because his butt had landed on my chest. Most recent accident that scared me was we were warming up and my mares front feet tripped up causing that forward falling/ catching / re falling run. I kept trying to get down when I realized the reins were around her leg but the momentum shoved the saddle into me trapping me. Once we got to the fence she slowed just enough to stand up and wanted to freak out because of the reins but I had just enough time to hop off and unclip them. I stood there shaking forever before I got the courage up to test her for soundness. Thankfully she was fine but I I still worry about tripping. | |
| | |
Expert
Posts: 3147
| I was on the backside of the track pulling a horse up after a race. The horse suddenly decided to make a right hand turn to head back to the barns, jumped the rail and I landed on the road, flat on my back. I landed hard but flat-thought I broke my back, but didn't even knock the breath out of me. After laying there a few minutes and determining I could still feel and move everything I got up and finished the rest of the races. | |
| | |
 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | Most memorable was went for a ride down the creek on my bay mare early one summer morning, had a 8 am softball game at a tournament I was playing in (probably had lost a game the night before...) Hopped on bareback and headed down the creek a few miles, looked at my watch and thought I better kind of hustle headed home. Took off loping then got to a stretch of really nice sand and let her open up a bit, all of a sudden I felt her struggle under me, pitched her her reins hoping she'd be able to get her balance, she didn't. She went head first, I started to stick out my right arm when I knew we were going down and somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered all the gymnastic training about not sticking out an arm and got it almost pulled back into my body, she basically did a forward roll with me still on her, I came off about the time she came back up to her feet. I remember being on her hips and then just coming off, actually to my feet somehow, but then buckled to my knees in pain. Started to panic but took a couple deep breathes, it hurt but I was able to hold my breath so I knew I hadn't punctured a lung at least, my arm hurt, my ribs hurt and my head hurt but I could walk. Found her about a half mile up the creek, checked her over and she had a few scrapes on her knees and her face. Tried to get back on and couldn't pull myself up so ended up walking her home, got her fed, walked in the house and my mom took one look at me and put me in the car and took me to the emergency room. 3rd degree separated shoulder, 3 broken ribs, tore the ligament that holds the scapula down when I injured the shoulder and fractured the orbital bone along with knocked out a tooth on the upper side of my face. For almost a year after I kind of healed up I had to bat and throw left handed when I played softball. | |
| | |
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118
Location: The South | I'm still healing from my worst fall. At the end of September I was riding my horse at home and I somehow hit my head really hard. I was riding alone so no one can tell me what happened. We're thinking he fell on his front end and I hit my head on his. My neighbor saw my horse in the pasture with the saddle on and knew something wasn't right so he drove over and found me laying in the pasture. He called the ambulance and I am still so grateful that he came home when he did! We don't know how long I was out there, probably between 2 and 3 hours. It would've been dark by the time my husband came home from dove hunting so there's no telling how long it would have taken him to find me in the dark. I ended up spending a week in the hospital and a week at inpatient rehab. The final diagnosis was a moderate traumatic brain injury. I didn't have any balance and I couldn't use the left side of my body very well, almost like I had a stroke or something. It was weird. And I had absolutely no short term memory whatsoever. It was so frustrating!!But I'm slowly getting better, I thought they were kidding when they said it'd be six months but I guess they were right! I have a helmet now and I plan on wearing it every time I ride from now on. It's pretty cute actually. I almost didn't live to see 30 and I plan on being more careful and I'm not allowed to ride by myself anymore :) | |
| | |
  Expert
Posts: 1960
Location: NW Arkansas | My worst fall was September 2001. I had blown my right stirrup at the second barrel at a jackpot. As we ran out the gate my horse scotched on all four and made me a lawn dart. I broke my collar bone, sternum and ribs. I also had a concussion. I spent 4 days in the hospital and couldn't go back to teaching until almost Christmas. My husband tells funny stories about keeping me in a recliner doped up on pain pills and anti-nausea meds wearing his pajamas!
| |
| | |
Who Wants to Trade?
Posts: 4692
| I was riding a 3 year old, in an arena, at a walk. I was wearing a helmet. She tripped and we fell together. As she was trying to stand up, she scrambled. I was trying to sit up. She caught me in the face twice and then my tailbone. When she caught my face, she knocked me flat back and cracked my helmet down the back.
My face was mush, eyes were swollen shut almost instantly. I yelledfor someone to call 911 because thiswas bad. Through the grace of God I stayed awake the whole time. I was taken by ambulance to one hospital, they looked at me for less than 5 minutes and called life flight.
I was taken to BAMC where they rebuilt my entire face (literally broke every bone), fished 2 inches of nose out of my brain, repaired my dura, and did a great job all the way around! My TBI resulted in bad short term memory, extremely bad headaches, and a busted immune system.
This happened August of 2001.
Without a helmet, there is no way I would have lived. With a helmet it still took a lot of prayers and faith in God. | |
| | |
I'll Be Your Huckleberry
Posts: 1488
Location: Arizona | kuhlmann - 2014-03-17 8:31 PM
 I was riding a 3 year old, in an arena, at a walk.  I was wearing a helmet.  She tripped and we fell together.  As she was trying to stand up, she scrambled.  I was trying to sit up.  She caught me in the face twice and then my tailbone.  When she caught my face, she knocked me flat back and cracked my helmet down the back.
My face was mush, eyes were swollen shut almost instantly. Â I yelledfor someone to call 911 because thiswas bad. Â Through the grace of God I stayed awake the whole time. Â I was taken by ambulance to one hospital, they looked at me for less than 5 minutes and called life flight.
I was taken to BAMC where they rebuilt my entire face (literally broke every bone), fished 2 inches of nose out of my brain, repaired my dura, and did a great job all the way around! Â My TBI resulted in bad short term memory, extremely bad headaches, and a busted immune system. Â
This happened August of 2001. Â
Without a helmet, there is no way I would have lived. Â With a helmet it still took a lot of prayers and faith in God.
Your story is literally the one that gave me the push I needed to wear a helmet EVERY SINGLE TIME I'm on a horse for any reason. I remember reading it a few years back and ordering a new helmet that night. You never know what's going to happen even if you're doing something simple like you were. I could never forgive myself if my boy's had a mother who was a vegetable or worse no mother at all. The power of prayer is amazing and I'm so glad you are alright. Heavenly Father was watching over you that day for sure  | |
| | |
Who Wants to Trade?
Posts: 4692
| MsDuchessGoTe - 2014-03-18 9:17 AM
kuhlmann - 2014-03-17 8:31 PM
 I was riding a 3 year old, in an arena, at a walk.  I was wearing a helmet.  She tripped and we fell together.  As she was trying to stand up, she scrambled.  I was trying to sit up.  She caught me in the face twice and then my tailbone.  When she caught my face, she knocked me flat back and cracked my helmet down the back.
My face was mush, eyes were swollen shut almost instantly. Â I yelledfor someone to call 911 because thiswas bad. Â Through the grace of God I stayed awake the whole time. Â I was taken by ambulance to one hospital, they looked at me for less than 5 minutes and called life flight.
I was taken to BAMC where they rebuilt my entire face (literally broke every bone), fished 2 inches of nose out of my brain, repaired my dura, and did a great job all the way around! Â My TBI resulted in bad short term memory, extremely bad headaches, and a busted immune system. Â
This happened August of 2001. Â
Without a helmet, there is no way I would have lived. Â With a helmet it still took a lot of prayers and faith in God.
Your story is literally the one that gave me the push I needed to wear a helmet EVERY SINGLE TIME I'm on a horse for any reason. I remember reading it a few years back and ordering a new helmet that night. You never know what's going to happen even if you're doing something simple like you were. I could never forgive myself if my boy's had a mother who was a vegetable or worse no mother at all. The power of prayer is amazing and I'm so glad you are alright. Heavenly Father was watching over you that day for sure
I'm so glad!
I grew up showing and riding cutters. I NEVER wore a helmet! I happened to be working at a place that required it which is the only reason I had one on. Needless to say, I wear one now!
The horse I was on was one of the best babies ever, no spook, no buck, no anything, she was born an old soul! She was also super sure footed, we joked she was part mountain goat.
Accidents happen.
I also buckle my seatbelt in the car, but I'm crazy like that :-)Â | |
| | |
 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | I have one that takes the cake.
I was starting a colt around the pattern for a client. I had been riding him about 45 days. He was cold backed, but never bucked after his initial fit. I had been exhibitioning and was on my last one. I was going into the 2nd barrel and leaned forward, at that time he lauched me (this horse could be on a NFR string in the eliminator pen). The saddle horn ripped open my butt cheek. I had to have a colostomy bag in for 4 months because of the damage.
I was lucky, but my riding and confidence took a HUGE hit.. I am just starting to be able to ride a right handed horse agressively again. | |
| | |
 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Had a gate sour horse rear up and fall backwards onto me. Saddle horn landed between my lower rib and hipbone. ICU for 3 days, regular hospital for 2. Ultimately bruised kidney and small intestine. Was out for 3 months.
Another wasn't bad, but it messed me up pretty bad. Was loping a young horse out in the field, she slipped and fell on her side, flailed around with my foot under her as she tried to get up. Messed my foot up really bad. I'm sure I tore some tendons. It took a full year for my foot/heel/Achilles' tendon to be completely normal again. | |
| | |
![](<a href="http://s1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/alicat0909/?action=view¤t=yellaandcalf.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1191.photobu) Heeler Hater
Posts: 3014
Location: Texas | My worst one was in 05. I was riding my gelsing down the road and some idiot flew past me in a car. My 4 yr old got scared rear up and slipped on the asphalt falling backwards into a 10 ft deep concrete culvert where people apparently thought it was a good odea to dump old barb wire. I kicked free and his head and neck landed on top of me amd then it was every man for himself. Scrambling legs went everywhere and we managed tl get oit woth kinor injuries. He needed a few stitches and a few adjustsments. In all honesty the barb wire saved us. It cushioned oir fall like an old spring bed. Best part of the story....a cop was sitting behind a tree and saw the whole thing and took him to jail. ha!
However my near death experience happened in australia. We were mustering cattle in a paddock that was riddled woth old mine shafts. Half the mob broke off and headed up a creek so o took off after them with another person when over the radio we heard my boyfriend at the had flipped the motorcycle. We wheeled our horses and were galloping back and I forgot about the mines. I was riding the ******* Whiskey....he ran up one of mounds of rock amd dirt then threw his entire body to the right avoiding a perfect horse sized mine shaft. Phew! Never more grateful for that horse! | |
| |
| |
Folks on-line