Failed Rodeo Rider!

So far I have had a wonderful time re-visiting a much loved pastime of horse riding. I decided that this was the year that I was going to learn to ride technically correctly and master the technicalities and SHhhh.... Don't tell any-one! I am hoping to work up to some jumps, something I have never done!

All has been going well, I had been riding Molly for 3 weeks, then my tutor swapped me to Hector, an adorable slightly smaller pony of mature years. He has a brilliant smooth canter and I was able to easily find the correct position on him. I looked forward to this weeks lesson and riding Hector again.

I duly arrived for my lesson and found that Hector had already been booked out by some-one else and I was to ride Poppy, now Poppy is a real beauty, jet black with a wavy mane and tail, younger and more sparky than Hector but never the less a great ride. She was very responsive and moved gracefully from trot to canter and was a dream to ride. I was almost finished my lesson and about to transition from trot to canter for the last time when a chicken suddenly flew out of a nearby bush squawking loudly.
Poppy went from trot to full pelt gallop around the school, swerving as she went, Amy was shouting instructions to sit tight, hold her mane, but I was already out of the saddle. I grabbed for her mane and neck but she then put her head down and started bucking wildly. I remember that I seemed to be firstly falling towards the sky, which was odd, then gravity took over and I fell fast and hard onto the ground.

My first fear was that I was about to be trampled on, but Amy had run over and stood over me and assured me some-one had caught Poppy. To say I was winded is an understatement I could not physically move for a while. My first thought was that I must get back on the horse or I would never do so again. Jane the Manager and Amy established that nothing seemed broken on me, just my pride or so I thought! They decided that they would let me get on board again and praised my bravery for wanting to do so.

Amy rode Poppy around for a few minutes to get the demons out of her, then gingerly I got back on, it was a very painful experience as I was very sore, but determined not to be beaten. I was not brave enough to ride without Amy beside me as I was very shaken and I feared Poppy would sense my trepidation and give me another audition for rodeo rider of the year!

The upshot is that I am now on sick leave as I took such a battering that I bruised my right kidney and have had some blood in my urine, which is not so good. I return to the Doctors tonight for a re-examine. My ribs are so sore I cannot let any-one touch them and I have a bruise on my head where the hat has dug into my forehead.

I have just bid on eBay for a riders body protector, I remember that when I rode Teddy, a mad horse that I once owned I never rode without wearing one, as I often ended up on the deck with him. However never at such speed as Poppy threw me!

I will be booking again as soon as I am healed but will request solid dependable Hector! He and I are both middle aged with an eye to mature activities such as trotting along nicely and not getting upset about the odd mad chicken.