Hamstrings and the healing horses bring

It's been awhile since I have posted, mostly because I have been recovering from partially tearing my right hamstring muscle and straining my left one. Simply, I was playing with Maverick in the outdoor arena. I was asking him to canter on a right circle, but then he veered off to the left. As I turned to bring him back, I stepped forward, caught my right heel in the deep dirt of the arena, and as Mav pulled me forward, my hamstring distinctly "popped". As I was off balance, my next step with my left foot also landed on its heel, and that hamstring got strained before I finally let go of the rope and landed on my face in the arena dirt.

I tried to get up, but saw multi-colored lights clouding my vision and told myself, "Ohh,  back down, Isabelle, going back down!" I bent over, caught myself with my right hand then laid back down on my back. Poor Maverick, he had no idea what to do, stepped on his rope as he tried to get to me and stopped.

We were like that for about fifteen minutes when I decided to try getting to my feet again. Again, a no go, saw lights again, felt really nauseous, got back down.  At this point, I was really hoping someone would show up. I had called Ben, but he was about 45 minutes away. Five minutes after that, I hear voices, but I can't seem to raise my voice, the pain in my hamstrings was starting to throb.

Now Mav decides he is going to roll with my saddle on his back. I got up long enough to swing my carrot stick and savvy string, preventing him from rolling all the way over on the saddle. He popped up, shook himself off, but did not approach or retreat, he just hung out looking at me. I went right back down, still very shaky and unstable.

Fortunately, I see Erica and Katie coming through the gate leading from the barn, but they haven't quite figured out what I am doing sitting up sideways in the arena dirt. I wave them over and they quicken their pace as they come through the arena gate, now realizing I am down not because I am playing some Parelli game with Maverick, but am hurt.

Katie gets the gator, and they help me in, SLOWLY. As Katie drives me to the office, Erica gets Mav and unsaddles him, returning him to his turnout. I never got into the saddle that day! Erica and Katie took very good care of me until Ben could come and get me. They put ice under my neck and both legs as I laid on the ground until my blood pressure rose back to normal and I could sit up. Nausea did not last either. I really have to thank Katie and Erica for taking good care of me. They were angels of mercy that day.

The first week, I felt pretty sorry for myself. The pain was intense and the injury really restricted what I could do. I am not one to stay in that frame of mind long, but I would not want to repeat that week any time soon. I was grouchy and out of sorts, and I have not felt so fatigued in a long time. I don't like the feeling of being so physically unstable and vulnerable.


It's taken a couple of weeks to feel good enough to try riding again. This injury has taken a lot of energy out of me, but it's coming back pretty quicky. When I checked my saddle on Friday, it was covered in dirt. It took me awhile to get it cleaned and oiled, but it was still in one piece, thank goodness. I have kept my sessions short, but both Walker and Mav have taken good care of me while we have ridden.

In fact, Walker has been able to pick up his left lead much more easily, I think partly because he got a couple of weeks rest and partly because Dr. Doval, our chiropractor,  adjusted his hips back into place. In fact, he was flowing almost as well from the left lead as from the right, not choppy the way he was moving on the left lead before I got hurt.

Some people would think I would want to avoid my horses after such an incident, but not me. Being around them helps me heal. Being with them brings me an inner peace hard to find in any other way for me. Mav had no intention of hurting me, it's just that when you are playing with 1200 pound horses, even when you are being careful, bad things can happen. Makes for a steep learning curve, but the rewards for me far out weigh the occasional down sides. 

One weird thing, the second time I posted on Walker, I felt a distinct pop in my left hip near where the hamstring attaches to the hip, and I thought, "Damn, I've done more damage to myself!" I stopped immediately, but the opposite was true, I felt better, as though something had moved back into place. I Had no problem riding all weekend after that, and I was walking better afterwards. I will have to ask Dr. Doval about that one when I see her next.

Oh, did I mention I have a huge bruise on the back of my leg? As though someone had beat me with a baseball bat? It showed up about five days after the original injury, and now the bruise is draining down into my calf, making it look ugly too. Lovely, but healing, thank God...I can't jog yet, but with rehab, in another couple of weeks, I shouldn't be long before I am 100% again.