I have had time to sit and think, while my body recovers from my daft decision to let my horse take charge, then for him to listen when he was having such fun. Galloping after a mare he wanted to win.
The 22nd of December the day after I broke up from work for my Christmas holidays. A holiday I love, I needed, feeling very tired and a much needed rest. To see my family and my friends, not constantly clock watching, watching TV and having lazy days!
“Let’s go for a Christmas ride on our horses”, I suggested to my friend. Around the grounds of a castle, not too far away.
So off we went. My daughters horse and mine in my horse lorry and my 2 friends with their horses in their trailer.
It was a lovely day. Families milling around the beautiful grounds of Elvaston Castle, it is like a place you see in a period drama but modern dressed people admiring our horses and chatting as we rode by. When I was little I would pretend I was on my trusty steed whenever we visited these places.
We skirted around the perimeter then headed towards the river. We had a lot of rain recently and the water was high.
We chatted and was happy as we rode, breathing the fresh air without a care, looking forward to the festive period it is a lovely time of the year, when the sun comes out.
I have had my horse just over a year, after I had to retire my old horse. He is fabulous, he is what I consider as safe as any but fun at the same time. He is only 14.2 but a splendid creature, from ireland with I believe welsh cob in his breeding. He has the Welsh character and the Irish cob sensible. Which makes him ideal for me.
My friend has an Arab mare, her favourite gait is gallop.
Anyway my little horse had not been on this ride often and horses do get to know where they go fast and slow down if they do it regularly. My friends horse knew where she went quicker, she also knew when it was time to stop. All of the horses were quite fresh as they have been kept in their stables a lot recently because here in the UK we have had floods and terrible weather that has turned the fields into bogs like never before.
when she came to a point my friend normally has a little canter. Her Arab mare took off at a faster pace than intended. I let mine go after her. He was keeping up, going like the wind. Then it was time to stop. There was a horse style, A 5 bar gate, A narrow pedestrian walk way, and a fence post and big fence as tall as the 5 bar gate.
My friends horse knew where she was and stopped, just before the horse style, my horse decided it was a race, and he wanted to win it!
As I pulled on the reins his head shot up so his nose was above his eyes, he was saying “no I don’t want to stop” as we careered at full gallop towards the fence. He couldn’t see where he was going. He was running blind. I was pulling on the reins with all my might. I tried to turn him so I could regain control. By this time we were upon the fence. He realised last minute where he was and darted through the narrow pedestrian access.
What went through my mind? This could have been my last moments on earth… absolutely nothing! Apart from stop you little s**t!
All of a sudden I was no longer on my horse. I had been deposited against the fence post then bottom planted hard onto concrete. My horse carried on a few strides then realised I was no longer on his back.
I imagined him acting like in a cartoon… looking around at where I should be sat, in full gallop and stopping dead and thinking “where is she”? He about turned and came trotting back with a confused expression. Not that horses do that, or do they? Maybe he just was coming back to say sorry? 😏
As I am sat on the mud covered concrete I felt no pain. Only a very wet bottom. How can this be, I am thinking. I touch my legs. Yep I can feel them. My daughter was shouting at me… “mum… are you ok” and I just sat there. I couldn’t speak. She and my friends jumped off their horses and got hold of my horse. I rest my hands on the ground looking at my legs. Caressing the mud in my fingers. My gloves are now caked too. I am covered in mud. If I move might I die or Maybe I am made of rubber after all? No no no… I am an almost mid 50s lady and I certainly don’t bounce… I know this because I only have to turn awkwardly and I am in pain from a tweeked muscle.
So I sit there. The wet cold mud making me think it feels like I have wet my pants… I haven’t though. I don’t think?
My daughter keeps repeating… mum answer me? Are you ok? Like a distant voice right next to me. I look up and her horse looks down at me. He is the 1st thing I notice. I look at him then her. I’m a little confused. I just say… “I don’t know”. Do I dare move? My friend takes her horse and she is full of concern. I am afraid to move so I carefully lift 1 leg. Yep that moves, then the other. Yep that moves too. She helps me to my feet. Maybe I should have stayed put I dont know. I only feel dazed, no pain anywhere?
I speak very little. She asks me again “are you ok” I gather myself and say “I think so”. We needed to get back to the lorry park so she tells me to get on her horse. He is mr sensible. A perfect gent. I have considered him boring to ride as he is very steady and calm. Today he is my saviour. My hero! He is such a kind horse.
There is a pedestrian style near to help me get on. I look up at his saddle. He is quite a bit bigger than my little horse. I go to step onto the style… boom. An electric bolt of lightning shot up my bottom cheeks and my back. I get off the style like a scolded cat… words came out if my mouth that are not fit for a lady.
I pace around thinking “maybe I should walk back”. Then thinking It is a long way! So I try again and wince and feel sick. I put my foot in the stirrup and hurl myself onto the saddle. As my bottom contacts the saddle pain hits my whole torso. I am on… ouch ouch ouch!
My daughter gets on my horse. He stands for her perfectly and behaves impeccable all the way back. I am sat on her horse with my friends hi viz under my bottom and my hand to keep contact with the saddle to a minimum and to keep the mud off her saddle and we slowly make our way back to the lorry park. I ride in silence, Every jolt I felt like electric spikes stabbing like I have never felt before. Dreading the dismounting procedure when we get back.
My daughter phones my husband and tells him what has happened and for him to bring me clean clothes. He doesn’t realise I have hurt myself.
We position the horse so I get off onto my lorry ramp. It is quiet steep so I dont have far to go down. I lean forward another pain shoots through my ribs and I feel like I might faint. By this time I am in shock. I start to shake uncontrollably. My friend puts another coat on me.
My husband arrives and laughs at me stood there like dome kind of weird mud monster. He then realises that I have hurt myself and am in shock. He also realises he will have to drive the horses home as my daughter does not have a licence to drive a lorry. He does have a lorry licence, although it is a task that I have never allowed him to do as he isnt the smoothest drivers. And one he certainly has never wanted to do.
My daughter gets temporary insurance on our car and she loads the horses and I watched dazed and angry with myself. What have I done! If I hadn’t let him gallop then he wouldn’t have. I know this because I have tried this when my daughter has cantered off and I have held him back and he obediently stood still.
The next task is to get into the car… that was not quite as bad as getting on the horse. Although I think I am a wreck by now. Shaking dramatically. The more I try not to the more I seem to shake.
So we left the horses in my husband’s slightly incapable hands, my friends will be there at the stables to help him.
And off we go to the Hospital!
To be continued…
Canal journey 