Whats your riding history?

Well Cow puncher, I see we've got a few things in common all these kids don't have. And that's injuries from horses.

I don't come off very often. In fact pretty seldom. But I've had my share of bucking horses that I've rode out. I don't encourage or look for it, but once in a I just happen to be on the wrong horse in the wrong place.

I was on a young 4 year old Paint that went down in a bog up on the mountain. As it thrashed I went over it's head and ended up under the horse. As the horse continued thrashing to get out the bog he stepped on me and pushed me into the mud. It cracked several ribs and knocked the wind out of me.

But my worst injuries have come when I was not on a horse, but rather working with them while I was walking on the ground.

In 2002, I got my hand caught in a rope and tore off my middle two fingers . They sewed them back on, but they have a lot of numbness.

In Oct 2005, while ground working a 3 year old. He paniced and jumped forward, head butting me in the chest. I fell back and put my left arm out to break the fall. Exploded the ligiments in my left wrist. 4 pins a cast and 6 months later, I got to start trying to use that wrist again. Old men don't bounce very good.

As far as your poll:
1. Age 54
2. Started riding at 7-8 years old
3. Off and on since I was a kid.
4. Self Taught
5. Usually have 4 or 5 at any time
6. Tearing two fingers off.
7 Unshod
8. Unclipped.
9. Trail rides, usually hunting of fishing pack trips
10 None come to mind

Tearing 2 fingers off?

You win.

Win, I didn't win.


A day or two after the accident I went into Sam's
The lady cashier saw my bandages and asked what had happened. I told her and she proceeded to tell me how sorry whe was. She carried on so much it about made me cry feeling sorry for myself.

I went out to the car and sat down and realized, I had sustained a bad injury, but it would not change my life. It was an inconvience. But not a life altering injury. At the time I didn't know if the surgery would save the fingers. But even if I lost them I realized, I would still work, still drive a car, still play with my kids, still own and ride horses. ( by the way, Doc wanted to cut my fingers off and not try to save them. Said I had only a 10-30% chance of saving them, I told him you cut them off I have a ZERO chance of saving them)

I have a brother in law who had a stroke at 45 years old and lost his whole left side. Has a very hard time walking. Can't use his left hand at all. Can't even put his left hand in his pocket when it gets cold. Lost his job, can't find any work. Now that's life altering.

A riding buddy had a mare go bonkers when a hiker with dog passed him. Horse jumped off a cliff. Broke his back in 5 places. He has had to give up horses. Take a maximum dose of Oxicontin daily for the pain. Has to use a cane, and probably will have to use a walker/wheelchair as he gets older. He easily gets tired and his kids had to push him around in wheelchair to go see the Christmas lights this year. His life has changed!

Things happen in life to all of us. We can't avoid that. How we deal with them is our only choice. Those who deal with Life Altering events are the winners.

There only winners when they have succesfully been able to live there life how with those injuries.

1. How old are you? 19

2. How old were you when you started riding? Er think around 8

3. How long have you been riding? Since then I suppose!!

4. Did you get taught to ride at a riding school, or have parents teach you? Myself, then pony club smartened me up!!

5. How many horses have you had? 3

6. What’s the worst injury you have had falling off a horse? Never fell off,,,ive jumped off but not exactly fallen!
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7. Are your horses shod or unshod? Shod , especially for the roads!!

8. Clipped or Unclipped? Unclipped

9. Whats your favourite riding event? I dunno really, I like them all!

10. Whats your most embarrassing riding moment? Oh…there’s so many its hard to choose one…suppose one would be finding that your jodhpurs had ripped in the wrong place, whilst going down a main road. Lovely!!

Crap, I'm such an idiot, I didn't even finish answering the questions. Sorry, I had a flashback in the middle of typing that wreck story, and had to quit...too traumatic....(Just kidding, Im just an idiot.)
7. Are your horses shod or unshod? Shod. If I'm not going to ride them for a few months I might pull shoes, but I even ride in winter, so they stay shod.

8. Clipped or Unclipped? Uh, bridle paths and cavvy marks get clipped.....nothing else.

9. Whats your favourite riding event? Branding in the spring.

10. Whats your most embarrassing riding moment? Can't say that I have one. Sorry. I don't get embarrassed much.

Painted,

I feel your pain. I have menaged to not lose any appendages, but I do get hurt rather often on the ground. I've been knocked out six times in the last like four months. It sucks, but that's what happens when you work with problem horses.

That's why you forgot to answer all the questions. Been knocked out too many times.

I've still got my fingers. They just don't look the same as my other hand any more. And they have strange finger prints or lack of prints. And when I go break the ice on the tank, I absolutely use my other hand.

I was amazed at how hard that colt head butted me and how fast I hit the ground.

Riding Questionairre:

1. How old are you? 15

2. How old were you when you started riding? 4/5 yrs old

3. How long have you been riding? 10/11 yrs

4. Did you get taught to ride at a riding school, or have parents teach you? Got shoved o apony and gone from there but taught by my mum

5. How many horses have you had? 11 currently but over the yrs loadz!

6. Whats the worst injury you have had falling off a horse? Not had a bad injury (touchwood)

7. Are your horses shod or unshod? Half shod other half unshod (ridden shod unridden breeder's shower's unshod)

8. Clipped or Unclipped? Same as above

9. Whats your favourite riding event? Inhand(not ridden but still lol and show jumping)

10. Whats your most embarrassing riding moment? Getting on and falling off the other side this happened when I was very young[/b]

1. How old are you?
17

2. How old were you when you started riding?
8 was when I got lessons first

3. How long have you been riding?
i suck at maths but 9 yrs(i think)

4. Did you get taught to ride at a riding school, or have parents teach you?
I had lessons for 1 year before buying a horse since then I have had lessons on and off with a tonne of diff instructors and some stuff self taught

5. How many horses have you had?
4 since I was 9, 1 I got when I was 10 and I still have him, I have part owned several show ponies with friends and ridden/trained some for other people( so some were like my own horse)

6. Whats the worst injury you have had falling off a horse?
touch wood only bad bruising

7. Are your horses shod or unshod?
shod if necessary

8. Clipped or Unclipped?
My pony has to be clipped in winter otherwise his coats like a polarbear!

9. Whats your favourite riding event?
I love dressage and Cross Country

10. Whats your most embarrassing riding moment?
I can't think of only one............................................... ...........okay 1 time at pony club we were practising for mounted games and we were doing stepping stones and as I was dismounting I fell over my own feet(idiot) and my horse took off, everyone thought I had fallen off when I had tripped!

1. How old are you? 16

2. How old were you when you started riding? 5

3. How long have you been riding? Seriously, only for about 7 months but I've been ridin' for 11 years. I sometimes spent 6 months at a time not being able ta ride though so mebbe more like 9 years

4. Did you get taught to ride at a riding school, or have parents teach you? Completely self-taught until about 2 months ago when I had a teach school me 'bout 8 times. I have stopped lessons though and I'm back on my own and doin' great.

5. How many horses have you had? In my own name, 1. But 9 all in all.

6. Whats the worst injury you have had falling off a horse? Never fallen

7. Are your horses shod or unshod? Unshod

8. Clipped or Unclipped? Never been clipped

9. Whats your favourite riding event? Riddin' open range in the country on fields o' gold. But as far as show typa things go, endurance.

10. Whats your most embarrassing riding moment? Wow, too many ta think of... Well probably the most emberassing was this time when I was stayin' at a dude ranch fer a bit and me and the wrangler took some dudes, that I don't think had ridden before, out on a trail ride an' one of em flipped out sendin' his horse flyin'. I went after em ta tryin catch em and right when I was right bout ta jump on ta the other horse my right foot slipped and I couldn't make the jump. Then my horse took a jump over a log and knocked my head inta a tree branch so I slowed my horse and was rubbin' my head and all. The wrangler ended up goin' for the runaway horse, which hadn't run all that far, and man did he laugh at me though when we got back to the ranch. Everbody found out 'bout it. It was really emberassing, especially since even the noobs were laughin' at me when I went back ta watch over em.