Riding Wreck

I guess accidents are bound to happen when you ride for many years. I’ve never had a wreck where I had a lasting injury until about a month ago. Before it was just bruises. In this last wreck, I pulled something in my shoulder, probably in the rotator cuff. These types of injuries often take a very long time to heal but I am able to ride again now although the shoulder is still a bit sore. It makes me cringe to think of hard pulling or jerking.

My adorable 4 year old is responsible, well sort of. She likes to go under trees but we have avoided doing that until this accident. She had been doing so well, I thought it would be okay to brush slightly against the edge of a pine tree when she suddenly turned right into the tree and the PINE TREE MONSTER was on her back. I was struggling to stay on and all tangled up in pine needles when she decided a bucking gallop was in order. I was too unbalanced to stay on and went flying. I guess I passed out for awhile for I woke up and thought “Where am I? What am I doing here. Oh yeah, I was riding. Where’s the horse?” She was hiding out in the barn looking very sheepish. I was wearing a helmet and don’t feel like I hit my head.

It seems a bit difficult to regain confidence after an injury. I suppose the thing to do is to ride under safe conditions and work up to more challenging situations. I started riding in the round pen and have graduated to the open area on the lot. So far, I’m leading her when we are off the property but will get back to riding there too. The thought of re-injuring the shoulder is still a bit intimidating. Riding my older horse helps too.