Wasn't gonna, but I guess I will...

Did the title peak your interest?

Well, Summer and I had a bit of an accident last Sunday (March 14th) evening at about 6:45pm. At least this time I got to enjoy the ambulance ride to the hospital. Eric drove and Clint did all the paramedic stuff that is required on the trip.

I bet that has really peaked your interest now! LOL

I was not going to write about it, and even as the paramedics were putting me on the gurney, I told Tracey (in a very weak voice), "don't put this on Facebook." The paramedics laughed. Tracey said she was gonna take a picture and put it on FB. Then in a world wide known finger gesture, I told her she was number 1. The paramedics laughed again.

But I had to take that expensive ride as we didn't know if my hip was fractured, broke, dislocated or what.

While in the ambulance, Clint took off my socks and boots. I thought I might be getting a foot massage, but he said he was doing something about a pulse thingy (darn it!). Just then though, I realized I hadn't shaved my legs in a week and apologized. (he giggled at me again) Then the pain meds really kicked in and I remember telling him I sure was glad I listened to my momma and put on clean underwear everyday. LOL

When we got to the hospital they put me in my own room in the ER that actually had a door and not a curtain. Next thing I know one of the female nurses says, "Mrs. Haley, we are going to have to cut your clothes off." Crap. Of course I am more worried about horse stuff than myself as I was wearing my Freeze R Burn t-shirt that Summer and I earned last year at our 1 and only LD endurance ride. So I asked the young lady, "could you cut that picture out and give it to my husband?" So I have basically a wash cloth with last years logo on it. That's okay, I am gonna wash it, frame it and put it on Summer's brag wall.

Anyway, they got the hospital IV in me and shot me up with more pain meds. I asked my ER nurse Eric (yes, another Eric, remember, the ambulance driver was also an Eric), what is the worse case scenario? He said, "the way your leg is laying and the description of your pain, I would say a possible fractured hip." Then I say, "Okay, worse case for that?" Surgery. Crap again. He told me not to worry about it though, let's just see what we are dealing with.

We were there for a bit when they finally got me in for my CT scan. And we had to wait a bit longer for the results. My doctor (Dr. Brown) came in and said they were supposed to X-ray me first but that was okay. He said my CT scan came back normal. No head injuries, internal injuries and no hip injuries. Thank God. He said he still wanted X-rays done but the CT scan was actually better than the X-rays. X-rays came back normal as well. My ER nurse told me and another orderly that he would have bet a $100 that my hip was fractured. That it was amazing that nothing was broke or dislocated. All I kept doing was thanking God. I was constantly asking God to let everything be okay. Guess what folks, the power of prayer is amazing. The doctor just said that I would be feeling this for about a month. I am okay with that.

Now, as for the accident. Well, Summer spooked. It was the worse spook she has ever done with me.

Tracey and I had gone out for a ride and the girls were real good. When we got back to the barn yard, there was a white pipe that I had brought back in from the pasture the weekend prior. I had said it would make a good jump for ponies and a cavaletti for horses. Well, one end was on a cinder block and the other in the fork of a tree trunk. I had Summer walk over it and she bumped it and knocked the cinder block over and now the pipe was even lower. Which was fine. So I walked her back over it. Tracey then took Amira over it. Well, Amira kind of drug her left front foot going over it. No big deal. Unfortunately she did the same with her right front foot. This time the pipe moved but didn't give and hit the ground as that one end was in that fork. Had it not been in stuck in that fork, all of this may have been prevented. Live and learn. Anyway, When it moved, it hit the back of her front left leg. She panicked. Now the pipe was between her front legs with that one end still in the fork of that tree and she started backing quickly. Then the pipe (not a PVC pipe) sort of bent around her left leg. Then she REALLY started to panic. Well, that was all I got to watch as Summer decided she wasn't hanging around as the horse eating pipe ate her BFF. (So much for BFF. What kind of BFF won't help their buddies that are in trouble? Oh, that's right, horses!) Anyway, Summer started to back up REALLY fast. So fast, I could feel her rear end WAY under her. Well, in my infinite wisdom and immediate lack of proper horsemanship, I was asking her to whoa while putting on the brakes (pulling on the reins). Unfortunately, I wasn't putting on the brakes, I was kicking her reverse into over-drive. I knew we were almost on top of a large fence and a large stump. By the time I realized what I was doing with the reins, it was too late. I let go of the reins just as she hit the fence and stump. This completely made her loose her footing. She sort of sat down and roll backwards on top of me. Now I was lying on the ground with 1000lbs of horse lying on her back between my legs.

She just laid there as I was screaming for someone to get her off of me. I honestly don't think I have ever been that scared with horses as I was right then. All I could imagine was her panicking worse and fighting to get off of me, then putting a hoof in my chest or my face.

But she didn't, she just laid there. Most of her weight on my left hip and leg. After about 4 or 5 seconds, I moved my right leg just a little, then I must have blinked, because the next thing I knew, she was gone. I never lost consciousness, though I wanted to as the pain was so bad. But Tracey, Barb and June kept me awake. Barb called 911 then called David. David arrived just as Eric and Clint loaded me into the ambulance.

About 1:30am, when the doctor told me nothing was broken, I called Tracey as I know she is a night owl. She told me something that started me crying again, as with this story, I knew God was there and that my mare really does care about me.

Tracey said that Summer did actually lay there for a few seconds as it looked like she didn't know what to do. It must have been when I moved my right leg ever so slightly that the next event occurred. Tracey said that it looked like Summer looked at me, then looked at the ground, saw a clear spot, then ever so gently, rolled off of me, then looked at me as if to say, "get up now". Tracey said she didn't bolt or panic, that she just stared at me.

We didn't get out of the hospital until about 3:30am and didn't get home till about 4:00am. David didn't go to work as he got no sleep and needed to take me to get my meds. We got my meds about noon and then I asked him to take me to the barn as I just felt I needed to see Summer and let her know I was okay.

Now, you have to know this about Summer and I. We have a good relationship, but different than Fawtal and I did. I could holler Fawtal's name and he would holler back and come running to me know matter where he was or what he was doing. If I do that to Summer, she flips me the hoof and continues grazing without nary a whinny or a neigh.

Anyway, David took me to the barn about 1pm on Monday. He pulled right up to my pen. Summer was standing in the back of it near my barn owner's stud (No, he can't reach her, they both just do a lot of wishful thinking). As soon as she saw me come around the truck, she nickered at me and here she come. My heart about exploded. She NEVER does that unless it is feeding time, and even then that is rare. Right then, I knew she understood and I believe she was honestly happy to see me and that I was okay.

Thanks for reading

Things that make you go...hmmmm?

A friend of mine on Facebook just posted this quote:

"Believes some things will fall apart, in order for other things to fall into place."

At 41 years of age, this quote immediately grabbed my attention and automatically made me start thinking. And the older you get, the more and more this quote will relate to the life you have lived.

Bad things happened in my life in my late teens, and due to those circumstances, I met and married David in 1988.

Something bad was happening in our country and overseas when David was in the Army, and for fear of loosing him during that war, I decided to get pregnant. Maybe that was greedy, but if I lost him, then I had to have a part of him with me forever. Amanda was born March 16, 1991.

It only takes a moment for me to think of so many other stories I could share, but then this blog would be mile long. And all because of a one line quote that got me to thinking on my life.

This quote can also be compared to:

"When God closes a door, He always opens a window."

It is up to you to go threw it. And I have gone threw many windows. Thank you Lord for opening them and for allowing me to see them when they have opened.

Thanks for reading.

I am very honored by this award...thank you.

I am honored to be one of the recipients of this award. A wonderful thing about this award is I have discovered new blogs that can/will help me on life long path with my horses.

It comes with three conditions. Links back where they come from (here), 7 things about me and 15 new blogs to pass it on to.

Unfortunately, I don't think I follow 15 bloggers, but I will post the ones I do keep up with.

7 things about me:

1. I have loved horses ever since I can remember. I started sketching horses at about 7 years of age. If I couldn't have a real one of my own, I would draw them and dream of riding them across open plains. That is how I made myself fall asleep at night as a child. Galloping astride my horse, into the sunset and into the land of sleep.

2. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up. But the thought of putting an animal to sleep tortured me. I just couldn't do it.

3. I am a brown belt in Karate. I haven't practiced in approx. 11 years. If I went back, I would start again as a white belt.

4. I have worked in law enforcement for 16 years. In those 16 years, I have seen things that might make your toes curl, but I wouldn't give those experiences back for anything. However, law enforcement has put a hard outer shell around me most of the time, I am glad for this shell, but once in a blue moon, I wish I didn't have it.

5. I am an extreme animal lover. Within my financial means, I will take any animal in that I think needs help. I even took a 7 1/2" Boa Constrictor in. Just call me "Urban Elle Mae". My husband dreads when we get a place in the country.

6. I have been blessed to get to know my Grandmother and my Great Grandmother. My Great Grandmother passed away in 2000 and my Grandmother in 2008. Which means my daughter got to know her Great Grandmother and Great-Great Grandmother. I possess 2 pictures that are 5 generation pictures. One when my daughter was about 5 months old and one when she was 8 years old. Those are priceless to me and I will always treasure them.

7. I save the best for last. I am married to a man with the patience of a saint. I don't think any other man on this planet could put up with my shenanigans, my temper, my willfulness and my mood swings the way he does. The Lord truly does make someone for everybody.

Now for the blogs I follow and to pass on this blogger award (which some of you may have already received):

Facing 40 - Mid Life Musings
Deals with my personal friend Tracey and her life with her family and her beloved mare Amira.

HorseCentric
I am just getting to know this blogger who calls herself Breathe. I love reading about her own personal "road to the horse" with her horse Cibolo.

Green n Green = Black n Blue
I just started following this one and can't wait to read more.

Endurance Granny
If you need a good source to follow to get your horse ready for endurance riding. Follow Granny!

sweet horse's breath
About a sweet horse named Lazarus. But be careful, you will need a tissue.

The Joy of Horses
Just joined this one also and can't wait to read more.

A Horses Spirit Is A Fragile Thing But With Loving Hands Is Easily Healed!

Just started on this one. Looks to be a good one!

Adventures Of Me and G
I have been cyber friends with Kate for several years via a gaited horse site. What she has accomplished with her boy G is inspiring me to do more with my TWH.

Trot on Hank
And last but not least is another personal friend, Jonni. Read about the horse that had major colic surgery in 2008 and went on it 2009 the win the coveted NATRC President's Cup. A truly inspiring blog.

If I can remember the other blogs I follow, I will attach them to my side bar.

What a "fantabulous" weekend!

Saturday morning I borrowed David's truck as I didn't feel like unhooking my SUV from my horse trailer to go get a round bale. Got to the barn, wormed my ponies as they were in much need of a good worming, hooked up my barn owner's round bale picker upper trailer thingy (did ya like that? hehe), and headed to the feed store a whole mile and a half away from the barn. Got a round bale loaded on it and headed back to the barn with Summer's buffet.

While I was doing that, Barb and June headed to Rio Vista and picked up 60 square bales of some of the most beautiful hay I have seen in a long time. 10 of those bales were mine so when they got back, I helped unload and stack them all. My little feed room is now full and I have enough hay to last me hopefully till the first cut of the year. My ponies only go through about a bale a week and Summer's round will last for approximately 5 weeks.

After we got done with the hay, I realized it was a few minutes after 1pm. I loaded up Summer and headed to our sort lesson. Got there, unloaded Summer (and she was very good doing that), tacked up and Robin and I headed out for a few minutes in the pasture. After about 15 minutes, we saw James heading to the arena with a tacked horse so we headed that way ourselves. He brought 10 head of what appeared to be Angus cross cattle up to the pens. He got them in and Robin and I assisted him the best we could (without getting in the way) getting the cows in the squeeze shoot and placing the numbers on them. Before we got started doing this though, James warned us that these cows had never been worked before and we were to watch ourselves and be careful. (James also told us that the cows we worked the weekend prior, were also like the ones we were preparing to work and that is why folks were having a bit of a problem).

Once we got started, we had a good lesson. Summer was a bit spooky on her first entry, but wasn't a complete idiot. Being that these cows had never been worked before, they had no clue to the rules of the game. But that really gave me some learning and I loved it. Another good thing about these cows was, once you pushed them through the hole, they wanted back to their herd and since I had that same problem the last two SWTPA competitions, it gave me a chance to learn to watch the cows behind me while working the hole.

4 of us showed up for the lesson and it was a very nice day. I got to make one run with Allison and we did very well. Allison is the partner that I placed with in January and I think if we had more pratice time, we would do really well when competiting. Praying that Roy starts the Friday nights back up!

Robin's little mare Taz, has learned a new trick that terrifies me every time she does it, and she is doing it a lot. Rearing straight up and pawing the air. I have lost a friend to this and I will not loose another. James is going to put 30 days on Taz and I really hope he can stop this. I can tell this is breaking Robin's heart as she really cares for this horse and loves sorting. I pray that James can stop Taz from this dangerous habit.

All in all, it was a productive day for Summer and I. For the most part, we did better this day than the previous Saturday. But now I know what to watch for as the cows we are preparing to work may have never been worked before this day, and to not just go in balls to the wall. James also gave me something I can work on at home too using our barrel racing barrels.

Sunday was a semi work day at the barn. Barb, June, Tracey and I moved the dressage arena over. Now, you may think this a simple task, but this is not a normal arena, everything has to be precise. So that took a couple of hours, just moving markers on the ground, but it is done! Then I got my few chores done, saddled up and went for a nice ride on the trails with Tracey and another boarded.

It was a great weekend filled with horses and horse activities!