Farm Report II: The Fall (continued)
Inconsistent blogging and multiple distractions. Finish up the tale of the momentous fall of Mr. Nob a week ago. Nob reports probable compression fracture of a vertebrae where back joins neck and a cracked rib. Nob has trouble keeping his head up for straight ahead vision and walks a bit hunched backed.
Many rider falls, but we rarely get the gory details. Here Nob gives his full report. What's the thought process? Jock Terry McGee once told me that when there's a problem on board you usually have 2 seconds. In Nob's particular fall, what was the thought process, what's it like hitting the ground, and what are your thoughts and feelings after you hit? Read on.
The exceptionally calm Rodney never burped through his breaking process, but on this particular evening we'd twice unwittingly put Rod in panic situations(last post), and Nob admits being oblivious to this as the gallop commenced. Nob should have considered possible problems resulting from the pre-ride panics, and instead, proceeded merrily as normal in the more dangerous conditions which exist at late dusk.
Rod has a guttural pouch problem that stops him from breathing in the trot to gallop transition requiring a rein technique from the rider that permits breathing to commence.
On this night, Nob trotted the horse on past the usual start gallop point after stopping to fix his equipment (last post) putting the horse further on guard in near dark, Nob oblivious.
In fairness to Nob, the reason he was oblivious is, as always, commencing the gallop Nob was totally focused on getting the horse to breathe. The following is the report of what happened as reported by Nob:
As he started the gallop the horse was breathing fine, but within about three strides was unable to get his breath. Nob then commenced with the rein technique that takes about three more strides to get the horse breathing. This technique requires a completely lose rein (without snug contact with the mouth) and relieves the rider of his 3rd point of contact with the horse (the other two points of contact being feet in the stirrups) , and thus affects the rider's balance and thus requires complete focus on maintaining balance.
It was in this very moment, of course, while Nob had only the two point balance and was focused on the horse's breathing, that the horse bolted sharply left.
This suspended 6 ft. 1 inch Nob in midair to the right of the horse both feet in stirrups.
Nob said his first thought was to right himself with the horse. His second was that this might fail and the feet would get hung up in the stirrups. The 3rd thought--better to fall then get hung up, and down he went.
The next thought--and Nob is still suspended in mid air as there are, as T. McGee said, 2 seconds--was get into fall technique mode: 1. feet the heck out of the stirrup, spin into proper tuck position, avoid(at all costs) a neck landing, and hopefully get hands down to break the fall.
Nob, still in the air, spun around, chest up, head in direction of horse's head, body parallel to the ground, but the thud came before the tuck because the horse was on a 30 degree uphill. The ground came faster than Nob had mentally calculated.
The hit was hard but could have been much worse. The impact partially knocked the breath out of Nob. Nob states in former falls he had hit so hard he was unable to breathe, but breathing ok here, and looked up and saw the horse 25 yards away staring at him.
Thereafter, said Nob, severe systemic trauma commences quickly. Difficult breathing, near fainting, and in this case stinging severely in both arms. A stinger, as in football. This, Nob said reminded him of a year 2000 fall where he lay paralyzed for 5 min. Nob said he'd landed flat on the back on the incline and the head was then whip lashed into the ground. He lay there for about 5 min trying several times to get up before enough strength came back to actually rise.
Nob said he was relieved he was walking the 1/3 mile back to the mounting stand, which was in the pasture that night, and to his surprise and almost astonishment, the horse--and this was about 8 minutes post fall, was standing like a statute by the mounting stand in his saddle and bridle, head up staring right into the pasture at Nob. And, thereafter, in the 200 yards it took Nob to walk to the horse, Rod never moved a muscle, kept his head up and stood still till Nob came up to him. The horse then put his head down in greeting. If you've ever been thrown from a horse--they run back to the barn and commiserate with their buddies. This time we have a display of loyalty from a horse that according to Nob created such an impression on him and his relationship to that particular horse, that it almost made the whole miserable experience worthwhile. Nob said he'd remember that horse frozen there in the near dark waiting for his rider.
Training:
Thurs. 10/1: Deep mud. Horses were driven in riderless play for about 10 min. intermittent fast as they could negotiate. fairly tough workout with Art removed early due to his layoff.
Fri. 10/2: Rod and Art race each other riderless in light mud. Probably 6-7 heats of 4f full speed. Rod took the lead for the first time, understood he was fast enough to keep the lead, and then seemed to enjoy keeping the lead. We're trying to get this horse to like his work. Bit of a break through and to see this horse flashing real speed.
Sat. 10/2: Off
Many rider falls, but we rarely get the gory details. Here Nob gives his full report. What's the thought process? Jock Terry McGee once told me that when there's a problem on board you usually have 2 seconds. In Nob's particular fall, what was the thought process, what's it like hitting the ground, and what are your thoughts and feelings after you hit? Read on.
The exceptionally calm Rodney never burped through his breaking process, but on this particular evening we'd twice unwittingly put Rod in panic situations(last post), and Nob admits being oblivious to this as the gallop commenced. Nob should have considered possible problems resulting from the pre-ride panics, and instead, proceeded merrily as normal in the more dangerous conditions which exist at late dusk.
Rod has a guttural pouch problem that stops him from breathing in the trot to gallop transition requiring a rein technique from the rider that permits breathing to commence.
On this night, Nob trotted the horse on past the usual start gallop point after stopping to fix his equipment (last post) putting the horse further on guard in near dark, Nob oblivious.
In fairness to Nob, the reason he was oblivious is, as always, commencing the gallop Nob was totally focused on getting the horse to breathe. The following is the report of what happened as reported by Nob:
As he started the gallop the horse was breathing fine, but within about three strides was unable to get his breath. Nob then commenced with the rein technique that takes about three more strides to get the horse breathing. This technique requires a completely lose rein (without snug contact with the mouth) and relieves the rider of his 3rd point of contact with the horse (the other two points of contact being feet in the stirrups) , and thus affects the rider's balance and thus requires complete focus on maintaining balance.
It was in this very moment, of course, while Nob had only the two point balance and was focused on the horse's breathing, that the horse bolted sharply left.
This suspended 6 ft. 1 inch Nob in midair to the right of the horse both feet in stirrups.
Nob said his first thought was to right himself with the horse. His second was that this might fail and the feet would get hung up in the stirrups. The 3rd thought--better to fall then get hung up, and down he went.
The next thought--and Nob is still suspended in mid air as there are, as T. McGee said, 2 seconds--was get into fall technique mode: 1. feet the heck out of the stirrup, spin into proper tuck position, avoid(at all costs) a neck landing, and hopefully get hands down to break the fall.
Nob, still in the air, spun around, chest up, head in direction of horse's head, body parallel to the ground, but the thud came before the tuck because the horse was on a 30 degree uphill. The ground came faster than Nob had mentally calculated.
The hit was hard but could have been much worse. The impact partially knocked the breath out of Nob. Nob states in former falls he had hit so hard he was unable to breathe, but breathing ok here, and looked up and saw the horse 25 yards away staring at him.
Thereafter, said Nob, severe systemic trauma commences quickly. Difficult breathing, near fainting, and in this case stinging severely in both arms. A stinger, as in football. This, Nob said reminded him of a year 2000 fall where he lay paralyzed for 5 min. Nob said he'd landed flat on the back on the incline and the head was then whip lashed into the ground. He lay there for about 5 min trying several times to get up before enough strength came back to actually rise.
Nob said he was relieved he was walking the 1/3 mile back to the mounting stand, which was in the pasture that night, and to his surprise and almost astonishment, the horse--and this was about 8 minutes post fall, was standing like a statute by the mounting stand in his saddle and bridle, head up staring right into the pasture at Nob. And, thereafter, in the 200 yards it took Nob to walk to the horse, Rod never moved a muscle, kept his head up and stood still till Nob came up to him. The horse then put his head down in greeting. If you've ever been thrown from a horse--they run back to the barn and commiserate with their buddies. This time we have a display of loyalty from a horse that according to Nob created such an impression on him and his relationship to that particular horse, that it almost made the whole miserable experience worthwhile. Nob said he'd remember that horse frozen there in the near dark waiting for his rider.
Training:
Thurs. 10/1: Deep mud. Horses were driven in riderless play for about 10 min. intermittent fast as they could negotiate. fairly tough workout with Art removed early due to his layoff.
Fri. 10/2: Rod and Art race each other riderless in light mud. Probably 6-7 heats of 4f full speed. Rod took the lead for the first time, understood he was fast enough to keep the lead, and then seemed to enjoy keeping the lead. We're trying to get this horse to like his work. Bit of a break through and to see this horse flashing real speed.
Sat. 10/2: Off
posted by rather rapid at
10:39 AM
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