Was painful. I'll tell you what happened, best I can remember.
I was trying to climb aboard and Molly the Neighbor girl saw me trying to get up and she was riding her horse. She came over and helt Siaga for me and I got on. We went out to ride around the field. He stopped at the irrigation ditch and started to walk across it like a good boy, then jumped. He started trotting and I was too off balance to pull myself straight to stop him.
He went into a canter and the saddle started sliding sideways. I really should invest in a Leather latigo.I'm holding on for dear life because there's nothing else I can do.
He goes into a gallop. The ground is whizzing by. He's eating it up like nothing. Even in that peril, I remember being impressed. Then the saddle's still slipping so I free my feet and kick off of him and bale because it was the safer thing to do. Glad I had a helmet on. I don't remember anything after that. I don't remember landing or anything. I think I passed out for a moment. Next thing, I'm waking up, on the ground, and I'm seeing two of everything it's all bright and sparkly. I'm panicked because I don't see Siaga. Molly says he's right behind me and just fine. She grabs his lead and we walk off, with me half wandering along behind and sometimes leaning on the saddle. I was too out of it to get back on.
After that, I don't remember crossing the irrigation ditch again. I don't remember leading him to the back paddock, or taking off his bridle and putting on his halter. I don't remember taking off his saddle, but mom says I did. I don't remember leading him back to the barn. I don't remember closing the gate or shutting him in his stall or taking off his halter. But I did. I do remember feeding him and giving him water though. I went up again a bit ago to check on him and make sure he was ok and that I had locked all the gates. I did. Somehow. I'm walking with the use of my bamboo staff now.
I do not think I have a concussion, my eyes are fine and my memory has returned, that of which that had vanished, like the memory of moving home again, and I see fine and move fine and talk fine and I don't have any head ache. I do, however, have a sooooore left shoulder, where I think I took the brunt of my fall, and I've got three golf balls on my knee, and my shin is a little swollen. I've got a few scrapes, but I'm fine. I'll be hurtin in the morning though!
And I'm very thankful to Jeni, for giving me a helmet, because I probably would have died without it. Or something like that.
Despite all this, I'm still looking forward to my next ride. :)
You're most welcome Beth. Be sure you check it for any cracks inside and out. If it's cracked you shouldn't wear it.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're ok. You really need to come up with a solution for that saddle slipping.
The only crack is a small one on the side of the visor, which is no big deal.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to think that like you said, the nylon of the latigo is stretching as it's used. I tightened it to the regular setting yesterday, then walked him around and tightened it two more inches, but under the stress of his running it was still slipping... I think. It doesn't help that he has like no withers and though narrow, no spine to hold the saddle in place. He's just flat.
So I think I'm going to take the latigo off of the junk saddle in the barn and use it, since that one is actually long enough to properly tie.