Fat horse, fat rider and the long winter sick.

Fritha fat and sassy!

It was a long winter, a long sick winter. Evidently somewhere during the many flu bugs and colds I caught this winter, I developed a sinus infection. I had no idea. It wasn't the typical symptoms, I've come to expect. However, it did have the effect of making riding near impossible. I had no energy, body aches, and no balance. Not that I didn't try to ride every chance I had, where I felt even half-way good. I wish now that I hadn't. A winter of poor balance, and uncertain riding have set Fritha and I considerably back.

Despite all this, there were some great experiences this winter.

I had a chance to get someone else up on Fritha, with great results.

I also had a chance just recently to work with Fritha over an obstacle course. This turned out to be a blast. Fritha was willing to trust, and happy to work. I was riding bareback, and using my Crazy Ropes bridle, and loving it. We walked over tarps, we trotted over poles, and we practiced bending around cones. Fritha did really, really well, until nature conspired against us.

It's been a really, really long time since I've fallen off a horse. Over 10 years since I've had a horse fall down with me, and more than that since I've come off for some other reason. Evidently...I've had it coming.

I had no business being on my horse that day. I had hopped on earlier, and realized my balance was still too shaky to ride. Part way through my first course of antibiotics for that sinus infection, and I was feel better, but a properly working equilibrium is essential when riding. But the obstacle course lured me back on my horse's back.

The weather was really unpredictable that day. Sun, rain, even snow and hail. The wind was the worst though, coming in huge gusts that shook the barn. A big gust of wind came howling through the barn, making a horrid noise, and shaking stuff about. It also flapped a small white sign on the other side of the back arena wall up, so that it was just visible. My calm sane horse who had handled trotting over tarps with no problem, spooked at the noise, and the motion. I stopped her with my legs, but the noise continued, and she spooked, and spooked, and spooked. I felt my balance going, and then she spun to get away , and there I went. I tried to use my seat bone against her back bone, to stop my slide, but Fritha is fat from the long winter, and no backbone was to be found. I tried to grip with my legs, but I'm out of shape from the long winter too. I knew I was going down, so I tried to control my slide, letting go, and dropping at the opportune moment to land beside, rather than under her.

I landed rear first, hitting just far enough back that I didn't bruise my tail-bone again. Then my back hit, then evidently my head hit pretty hard. I didn't feel that part, thank goodness for helmets. My legs came down last, and I lay there in the dirt of the arena, with the breath knocked out of me, and thought "Wow, that was embarrassing!" When I got my breath back, I started laughing, and checked to see where my horse had gone. My friend was holding her, and poor Fritha had a look of terrible concern on her face. Clearly she was not expecting to loose her rider in that fashion.

We walked around for a long time, while I was hoping the wind would die down enough for me to crawl back on for a short ride, before I stiffened up so much I couldn't crawl back on. The wind continued howling, and growling.

Finally my friend went and got a lead rope, and I had an even more humiliating little pony ride around the arena, then crawled back off my horse almost crying. Oh I hurt! I made my friend get up and actually ride Fritha for a little, to remind her riding is the norm, not people flying off her back for no reason.

It was an important, and painful lesson for me:
1. That I can't ride with my equilibrium impaired, no matter how much I would like to.
2. That I need to work harder to get myself and and my horse in shape before we really start riding again
3. I no longer bounce back from falls they way I used to. In fact, I no longer bounce at all, more like splat.
4. Thank goodness for helmets.

So the plan.

Fritha and I clearly need lots of ground work. Why ground work you ask? Well, to start with, I may need a third course of antibiotics for this dumb sinus infection. But also, the ground work will give us a good starting point for jumping back into our work for this summer. It will start getting Fritha back in shape, but more importantly, all the walking and running will get me in better shape before I get back in the saddle for serious riding. Not that I'm not planning on getting on her again as soon as I get the chance. Today is a beautiful day *stares out the window longingly*, but I hope I've learned my lessons.

We've got great plans for this summer. Exciting work to do together, and I've very much looking forward to it. Time to step forward into spring!