Night ride didn’t go very well

My thirteen year old cousin Whitney and her friend visited my great uncle for the weekend and wanted to go riding, but couldn’t unless I went with them because they wanted to ride between 5:30 and 5:30 pm at night, and it’s dark by then. After a bit of begging, I consented to go. I really didn’t want to, because it was cold and I’d already been riding a little earlier, but since I don’t get to see Whitney that often, and I owed her a horseback-ride from her birthday, I agreed.

I should have known when I caught Gypsie that she wasn’t pleased. She tried to run from me when I went to get her, and she never does that. She tried to move away when I went to bridle her. I walked, trotted, and cantered her around my great uncles yard a few times before we left and she didn’t buck, so I figured we were good.

Whitney, her friend Megan, and I rode about two and a half miles. Whitney rode her mum’s horse Patch, Megan rode my great uncles horse Buttercup, and I, of course, rode Gypsie. All the horses were doing pretty good. We’d done a little trotting and cantering, not much, but some… and Whitney wanted to ride Gypsie. I was ok with it… Gypsie hadn’t really acted up… and Whitney has always been able to handle her, so I let her.

Bad move on my part.

After Whitney got on, she asked Gypsie to trot, and Gyps grabbed the side of the hackamore between her teeth and took off completely, heading back towards the house as fast as she could go and leaving me, Megan, Buttercup, and Patch in the dust.

We met back up with Whitney about half a mile from my house. She was leading Gypsie. Whitney told us that Gypsie had refused to stop or slow down and at the bottom of the hill, Whit had started to slip sideways and Gypsie bucked. It threw her off in the ditch and she’d landed on her shoulder and arm. She’d gotten back up, went and caught Gypsie, and, upset, had popped her good with the reins and Gypsie reared up, picked Whitney up (she was holding the reins short), and knocked her off her feet. We’re not sure, but we think that Whitney’s shoulder may be dislocated and her wrist is sprained pretty bad… and she lost her cell phone. She’s going to the doctor in a few hours.

Ouch! That's really sucky! I hope she feels better.

Yeah, same here.

Ow I hope she is ok!!!!! Poor little girl :(

She'll be fine. Whit is tough... she'll probably be back next weekend wanting to go horseback riding again...

That bites!!! Hope she's okay!

I haven't heard anything from her or her parents yet... so maybe that's a good sign... lol.

That must have been a scary experience for everyone!
I'm glad Whitney didn't get too badly injured. Hopefully she'll be back in the saddle in no time.

Wow, that could have been so much worse. I am so glad she was not seriously hurt. I guess it would be really odd of me to ask if you guys had helmets? I know this sounds harsh, but when you have a chance, tell Whitney that she shouldn't go and whap the horse with the reins long after the bad behaviour has passed, just because she is pissed off. (and I don't blame her at all for being pissed. I would be cussing like no tomorrow!) But taking it out on the horse, so long after the fact, will not teach it anything. I guess I am not telling you anything you don't already know.
Thank you for sharing that story.

Lol... I think just about everyone on this forum probably knows that we don't wear helmets when we ride... I own one helmet, and it's too small for everyone except my ten year old cousin and she wears it when she rides one of my horses in my english saddle.

I did tell her, and she admitted that she was in the wrong on popping Gypsie. She let her anger get the best of her, and she did apologize to me for hitting my mare and let me know that she hadn't meant to let her anger get the best of her, it just happened, she was so mad. I've forgiven her for that, as I can understand it and I've also done the same thing, a few years ago, before I got my anger issues under control.


I think she's going to be more worried and upset over her cell phone than anything now... she lost it and it's rained all day... if, and that's a big if, she ever finds her phone, it probably isn't going to work again...