Down on my knees

This weekend really went down hill for me. Let me start at the beginning...

I belong to a "Girl's Club" of ex-employees of a certain company that I once worked for, actually, my first 'real' job. These employees were a close group so when several of them quit, they started a club for ex-employees. I used to tease them, asking if I could join them and they always said, "when you quit". Long story short, I eventually did quit and am now a member although I always seem to have plans whenever they get together so I'm not a regular and don't often get the opportunity to visit with the girls. Every month there is a luncheon hosted by one of the members. May was my month to host the luncheon. I chose a Chinese/American buffet. My mom had planned to come to town for the lunch but she got hurt and couldn't drive down. It seems that she fell when she went to pick up a heavy watering can and hurt her arm. She assures me she is okay, however. (?I hope?)

I audited a trail clinic at an arena in Albuquerque. I would have attended with my horse but I already had the luncheon set up so I only managed to see the last hour or so. There were trail obstacles set up and each horse and rider were given the opportunity to negotiate them. I would have loved to join them. But I was able to get ideas to use at home too.

Here's a bridge crossing and a not so anxious bridge crosser.
This gelding looked amazingly like Annie.Here's a different way to lay ground poles.
I missed seeing them taking the little jump but I can't see any issues here; it's so small.
I want to make one of these. I can just imagine how the horses think it's a monster. Again, I missed seeing them work with it so I wonder how they all did. It was very windy when I arrived so one standard had already blown down.
I appreciated seeing what I did of the clinic and I received a handout of possible obstacles on the ACTRA trail rides. Most of all, I was glad to find this community arena in Albuquerque so that when we have snow and mud at home I can go ride there.

The next day, the plan was to meet at a trailhead in the Sandia Mountains and go for a short trail ride, using the newly acquired skills of negotiating the obstacles. I was excited to go because my older son completed his Eagle project there, a foot/horse bridge, and we would be crossing it with the horses.

I had been tossing around who to bring. I considered Annie because I wanted to see what she would be like out on the trails. I thought of bringing both Nadia and Scout because I like to ride Scout and pony Nadia. But then I thought it might be too much to have an extra horse along in the group so I settled on just bringing Scout.

Sunday morning, I fed the horses and then loaded all kinds of stuff into my truck: water, buckets, hay, whip, long lead, brushes, saddle, blanket, bridle, helmet, and anything else I could think of. Jeez, it's like the first trip out with the new baby!

I waited until Scout had finished eating his breakfast and then caught him. I went over to the trailer and proceeded to lead him inside with grain as an enticement. He loves food and will go anywhere for a bite. I buckled him to the trailer tie in the front left corner of my new (old) stock trailer and turned to walk out and close the middle door behind him. He suddenly pulled back and the bungee trailer tie I was using stretched and stretched and then broke! I was in shock! I had assumed that the bungee would give a little and pull them back but it just wasn't made for that kind of torque, I guess. Bad, bad idea!!
Scout began running backwards out the full length of the stock trailer and fell out at the end. He lay on his side in a heap and then he got up and stood there shaking. Needless to say, I stood there shaking too. I looked him over for wounds. He had scrapped his elbow pretty good leaving some hair on the door. He had a small swelling on his forehead too. Thankfully, there seemed to be nothing serious.

I decided to reload him. Reluctantly he came up into the trailer but he immediately backed out again. I did get him to load a third time but again he ran backwards out. I feel so completely inexperienced about trailering. Now I've got my so-so trailer loading gelding terrified of the trailer. I was at a loss as to what to do next. I decided to put him away for the day. I'd spent several hours working with him already and had missed the ride anyway. I led him up to the trailer step and jumped onto his back to ride him back to the barn in his halter, bareback. Boy was that a big mistake...

but not for the reason you might think.

He is great in a halter and with the grass all around he was happy to stand around and eat. What happened was, when I threw my leg over his back, my bad knee cracked and I had intense pain, blacking out pain, and waves of nausea. I was able to scramble up the rest of the way and then I sat there, fighting the sensations of wanting to throw up and seeing stars. I wondered how I was ever going to get down. I let him graze while I pulled myself together. Then we rode to the barn and I was able to open the gate and ride through to the barn where I went up to a fence and stepped off. By this time, my leg was feeling a little better. I put him away and went to my house thinking that it probably was a good thing I hadn't gone on the trails and had this happen.

I considered going to Urgent Care, I hurt that bad, but decided to wait and make an appointment during the week.

Down on my knees - song: Buddha of Suburbia, artist: David Bowie, album: Buddha of Suburbia