May I rant for a moment?

This weekend was our first show of the year, it was a training show at the new facility in Summerside. It's a beautiful spot, a brand new ring in the center of the racetrack, with beautiful new barns. We were having a shortened show on Saturday morning, followed by a clinic in the afternoon. I had planned on taking Indy in the halter and showmanship classes, then in our first riding class together, the junior horse walk/jog class. I guess there was something he wasn't happy with Saturday morning, when I went to lunge him in the ring before the classes started, he was an absolute monster! I've never seen him jump and buck and dive like that in the over two years I've owned him. He seemed to settle down after a little bit, so I decided I would get on and ride for a few minutes. That didn't go over so well. I had to get help getting on (I'm still not very flexible, and he's very tall!) I got up and over, and he took off bucking. Apparently I stayed on for three huge bucks, then hit the dirt. I have never had the wind knocked out of me before, what a horrible feeling! I would gladly do that again though if it would take away the pain in my back. I already have nerve damage in my lower back, as well as arthritis and a herniated disk. Now I can hardly walk or bend. If I move a certain way, I get this sharp, stabbing pain in my lower back to the right of my spine. I feel so lucky to not have broken anything. Now I'm so terrified of the thought of getting on him again, I don't know if he's going to blow up like that again, or if I'll have my wonderful, quiet boy back. Anyhow, that's the end of my whine, just had to get it out :(

Oh Krista, I hope you will get back on once you are feeling better. My mare basically did the same thing @ home yesterday. When I asked her to lope on the lunge line going to the right she took off and squealed then let the bucks fly. I did ride her but she was not herself. She was tossing her head and spooked @ something and would not pay attention to me. It was frustrating. Please try to get on again and not let this discourage you!!

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Everyone's allowed a rant! Sorry you had a bad time. olnh is right though, don't let it discourage you! But don't get on if you're not 100% ready either, it will just make you nervous and Indy will pick up on it. Lunge him a lot, make sure he's got his silliness out, but be sure to get back on. :)

Have anyone else who can ride him for you for a while till your back is better? Hope you feel better soon, Back pain is Not Fun, been there done that many a time.

I'm in the same boat with my big guy. In November, 2009 he threw me badly and I ended up with a fractured pelvis and two slipped disks in my lower back. Had I of landed an inch or two more to the left my spine would've taking the blow instead of my pelvis and I dread the thought of what might have been.
I became scared to death of my horse, and really riding in general. I took lessons again with my coach, rode several various horses in various situations in an attempt to gain confidence again. It didn't really help, as I had a problem with T, so while I appeared fine on another horse, I was shaking in fear from the moment I put the saddle on T till the moment I dismounted, even with someone leading him on a line. I put 9 months training on T before I was able to ride him outside of the round pen. Last September we were even making journeys outside of the fence. Then he got hurt, and needed 5 months off. When I got back on him again he was back to his old tricks, totally threw away any confidence I had gained with him. Aside from the last 2 weeks, I rode him *once* since September of last year.

Me and T came a long way in those 9 months though, and what did it was me kicking myself in the pixie and being sick to death of feeling like crap about the whole thing. I got on, I rode, I had someone open the round pen so I could get into the arena, and I rode, then I had someone open the arena and let me loose on the grounds, and I rode. I walked the horse. No funny business, no pushing for too much too fast. We just walked. For months. He'd act up, we'd go back into the safety of the round pen, we'd work until he was calm, and we'd walk some more. I found the only way I could get over my fear was to ride him. He was the one who caused my fear, and only through him could I get over it. By the end of it, he could still set a scare into me, but it wasn't bad anymore. I could keep composed.

I am currently in the process of finding myself with my horse again. Since our accident I have a horrible seat, as one hip now pushes forward in the saddle and keeping a straight back puts too much tension on my damaged disks. This makes me feel off balance and insecure, therefore unsafe. Pair that with my Calgary Stampede escapee and it doesn't instill happy confident thoughts!!! But we're walking, in the round pen. I had a trainer come out and work with him for a few days, and I have a young woman who works on his gaits for me (gotta love those teenage velcro butts!), and someday, hopefully in the not-so-distant future, I will have one of those 'Frig This.' moments and just get on him and ride again without the mini-heart attacks and tears, and whatever else ridiculous I find myself doing on his back. But until then, we will walk until I feel comfortable and he knows to be calm with me.

I am not trying to be discouraging with this story at all, and hope I don't. I just want you to know that I know just how you are feeling, I understand the terror, and no one is pushing you to 'jump back on and get over it'. Do it at your own pace.

I must say though, I hope you recover soon, and I wish you and Indy all the best!!!!

Oh wow, big hugs Fiere!! :36_1_67[1].gif It's not easy getting over an accident, that's for sure! I'm looking at sending the boy off for a month of training to see if this is going to become a habit, if not, he'll become a little more consistent in everything. He's still very green and doesn't quite have power steering yet :P If you ever need someone to vent/talk to, I'm always here! I totally know where you're coming from.

What a scarey experience. You have every right to be nervous. The pain can't be much fun either! Sending Indy for training isn't going to hurt any - great decision. If he has an "issue" then they'll work him through it. This doesn't sound like his normal behaviour though, so hopefully it was a "one off" (pardon the pun).

I find that sometimes we are so set on carrying out our plans that we ignore the signals around us. If he was misbehaving on the lunge line then perhaps it wasn't a wise idea to get on him. I'm not being critical. It's just that I know that often I am so focused on what's supposed to happen (and the sequence of events) that I don't pay attention to the signs and signals of the "here and now". Don't know if that makes any sense to you, but it's something I try to keep in mind.

Heal quickly and get back in the saddle when YOU'RE ready.

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I think you hit the nail right on the head, Tammy! I was so determined to ride him in the walk/jog class that day, that not getting on wasn't an option. Any other day with him bucking like that, I would've said no way am I getting on that! The pain is getting better thank goodness! We're going to go talk to someone about putting a month on him tomorrow evening, I just hope they're not too expensive and have the room for him!

Oh ouch. Heal quickly. I think it was two years ago now that my guy put me off and cracked a rib. He was still really green and I always lunged first but that night I was in a hurry and the bugs were bad and....

Once I could hold the lunge line I started just lunging him again, he had one night where he went completely nuts, couldn't even hold him, bucking running, I think he thought the mare was going to the barn without him, no idea. But that was it, he's never done that again and knock wood I don't think he has ever bucked with me on again. I don't think he has even bucked since on the line or in the round pen. So maybe Indy was just protesting the change of venu? Take your time, I rode the old mare before I got back on my guy.

I just had a bad car accident. Got blindside by a tractor trailer. Lucky, lucky hit as I walked away without a scratch and barely any soreness. I drove again that night, the longer I put it off the worse I figured it would be. I have a rental and I am scared of having another accident, but it gets easier each drive. I have to do some deep breathing before I set out, but it should come. Fear and the fear of getting hurt is very powerful. Go slow and acknowledge it, and then just try and work past it.

Krista you do a great job with Indy! He still has silly baby beans in him I think that's all. He is such a good boy just got excited seeing everyone there. I can't wait to see you back up and on him, I would love to see you guys in a class.