Crack! I can still hear the noise like it was yesterday. It sounded just like Barry Bonds hitting a homerun.....
I turn and see a small child in a heap on the ground and a horse running wild....
"Wow, who is that? Why is Bailey's horse over there?" nothing was making sense until I put the two now very physically separate images that I can see together in my head... "That" is my daughter, Bailey, a 50 lb 11 year old and her horse was "over there" because he had just thrown her. The CRACK, I later learn, was the sound of his back hoof hitting her helmet as he kicked back at her after stomping her...
Everything stops and I am not sure if I don't move at all or if I move at lightning speed, but I am there and her trainer and we roll her over. She is breathing, gasping, but breathing. We don't want to move her and her body is twisted up very odd, I am telling her to just slow down and tell me, just tell me, "are you hurt, scared, or really really hurt?" she tells me hurt and scared. I sigh ever so slightly. After what seems like hours we realize she can sit up and we get her out of the ring and inside.
Slowly the story comes out, a little from her and a lot from those who saw it. For whatever reason, her horse spooked and jumped straight up and she fell on the ground. He reared or in some other way came down on her, one front hoof right on her back and one on her shin. She jumped up on her knees and just and she did he kicked her right in the head with his back hooves. The signs were all over her body... A solid hoof-print on her helmet, 1/2 on and 1/2 below the lower edge (just missed her shoulder, or any other flesh and blood), a solid hoof-print on the back of her protective riding vest and a solid hoof-print on the thick part of her leather half-chaps. Miraculously, she eventually walked away with only a very bad neck and back ache and a wicked hoof-print bruise on her shin. Those who saw it say they had already called 911 as it was one of the worst things they had ever seen and these are experienced horsemen who have seen a lot. I have no idea, other than God, how 3 hooves of this horse could connect so solidly with this small child and cause no more harm than that. It was much, much more than luck.
Back up even 4 more hours the same day... We are driving to riding class and a voice in my head says "go get Bailey the riding vest".... Bailey had been very resistant to wearing a riding vest as they are pretty bulky and she is so small, but she was starting to jump and it just made sense, but I had not forced her to as of yet. The voice told me, "go to the feed store and get the vest". Lucky for me they had on XS in the back room and off I went. Bailey was none-to-pleased with me, but I told her to put it on and one day, she would thank me for it... Little did I know it would be that same day. I can gurantee you the MINIMUM she would have had were some severely broken ribs and I don't even want to think about the worst that could have happened without the vest... without a helmet, forget it, I won't even go there.
If you have children, please consider the protective vest or if they ride western, also the new hard helmets for western riding. Even cowboys in rodeos these days wear vests, helmets and even some catchers' masks. A horse is a huge and, at times, unpredictable animal. If you grew up riding you might remember as a child thinking that you were untouchable, your horse would never spook or throw you, but you never know... it could be a dog (I broke my arm due to one chasing a horse), a snake, a back-fire or a bag blowing in the wind... enjoy horses, but be safe and make sure your children are safe so you have many many years of equestrian fun to enjoy.
The vests are not inexpensive, try a consignment shop or ebay, especially if your child is growing. Have a vest decorating party if you want so they can snaz them up, anything just get them to wear them. Take it from me, one day, you might just thank heavens you did.
Janie Coffey
Owner/Broker, GRI, TRC, QSC
cell: 786-252-4970
email: janie@papillonllc.com
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Wow Janie! I'm so glad that your daughter is OK. It's so great that you listened to that little voice that told you to get the vest. Great reminder to everyone who rides.
When my sister and I were young girls, her horse was spooked by a backfire and took off like crazy. Her cinch was apparently not tight enough and she ended up riding almost upside down, with her head bouncing on the ground. Luckily she escaped with only a few scratches but we both gained new respect for our horses that day.