One second inattention - one broken leg

[Amber]

My sister-in-law has been riding and teaching riding as well as breaking, boarding and just plain loving horses for years. 5 years ago she developed Rheumatoid Arthritis which meant she had to give up her riding business. She still keeps two horses on their farm, and 2 weeks ago she was out riding. Instead of paying attention to the horse, she was checking her fence line. A bird darted out of the undergrowth, and the horse shied. Next thing she remembers is being on the ground with a broken leg. It wasn't the horse's fault, it was hers, but that doesn't make it any easier for her ego!

[CozInCowtown]

I feel her pain!
A couple of years ago Easy, one of our horses, got attacked by a viscious oak tree leaf and unloaded me unexpectedly.
Easy is the one horse who is best natured and we allways put kids new to rideing on him due to his "Easy" nature. He is so gentle and easy going I was not even expecting that move. Funny how a 1000 lb. horse can evaporate out from under a rider like that!!
I landed face first and fractured my arm. I still favor it several years later.
Gravity sucks sometimes!!
After I regained some of my composure, coaxed Easy out of the tree he was hideing in, we went back to work like nothing happened (except for the broken arm and bruised ribs, face and severely damaged ego).
DC

[ppine]

I am sorry to hear about accidents like these. They happen every day. The only cure is lots of ground work and exposing equines to all sorts of stimuli so that react less intensively. My worst accidents have been hornets, mountain lions, lightning, and ducks. Bears and uphill backpackers would be next.