Much has happened since I last blogged. Last year on a ride in Ebenezer in June of 2016, we were riding with Len and Barbara. We rode over to the "other side" and came back to the back side of the Beaver Pond. Barry went through the little creek with Sarge kind of popping up out of it. Biscuit did the same. I turned to watch Barbara come through with her little 5 year old mare, Weeks. She popped up, too. All of a sudden, Weeks was going all over the place. I thought she was trying to bolt and was telling Barbara, "Grab your reins". Anyway, she came off - she had broken her pelvis when Weeks popped up. Just a freak accident. Barry came off of Sarge in a flash and so did I off of Biscuit. Len got off of his mare, Charm.
Barbara fell around high noon - in the direct sun. OMG. I called Kellie - she said call 911. We called 911 and I gave them GPS coordinates. Barry rode on Sarge to Letney Road to meet an EMS. I gave coordinates about 4 times to different EMS members.
Barbara was in a lot of pain. I took my fuzzy wool saddle cover off and rolled it up and tucked it between her legs. I took my cool vest off, dipped it in water and wrung it out along with my "chilly pads". I put the vest over her arm so she wouldn't burn and put the chilly pads strung on the little plant over her face to shield her the best we could. Barry came back about an hour and 45 minutes later doubling an EMT on Sarge. Sarge was the hero of the day. Poor baby!!
Shortly after that a bunch of EMT's arrived and got Barbara stabilized and on a stretcher. It took them 45 minutes to get her to the shell road down the little tiny horse trail that had vegetation grown up saddle high.
Len ponied Weeks behind Charm and we made it back to the park. They airlifted Barbara to Beaumont. Len tried to load the horses and Weeks refused. She knew something was wrong. She wouldn't load even though her dam, Charm, did. We told him to just go and we would look after the horses.
He came back later and the next day too. The trainer came and Weeks loaded up nicely then. We went home and I visited Barbara in the hospital. She was operated on the next Tuesday. Pelvis broke in the front and the back. Barry and I visited her and Len in the hospital after surgery. She recovered nicely - coming to Beaumont for doctor visits. I would meet them for breakfast and lunch when they came. They are now my good friends and we are looking forward to riding with them again.
Lesson learned - NEVER RIDE IN THE FOREST WITHOUT YOUR GARMIN!!
The bottom pictures was just a few hours before the accident. The top one is when the EMT's had finally arrived.
