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Re: [RC] kids and horses - Truman PrevattI'm very happy most people didn't get hurt when they were young riding a large strong animal. I can't say the same. My grandmother asked to me to ride my pony over to tell my grandfather in one of the "far fields" he needed to come home for some reason. It was about five miles from the house. I was six. I had been riding my pony - a large Shetland - everywhere since I was four and people though I was invincible on that pony.We start across a fresh disk field when an old John Deere tractor came along the dirt road beside the field and when he slowed down to cross the old bridge, the tractor let out a very loud backfire as those old Deeres would do. My horse was startled, spun and took off. There was no way a 6 year old had the strength to manage an animal that size that must have thought he was running for his life. He runs straight toward the woods and into the woods. A limb caught me, ripped me off my pony and I was out for the count. It took my grandparents, uncle, aunt and all the neighbors until about midnight to find me. The good news was I was not bleeding bad or I could have been dead. I hung on as long as I could - probably a mistake. The local MD was going to send me to Vanderbilt if the concussion I suffered had not started showing some improvement. It happens. A small child does not have the strength to manage a 700 to 1000 pound animal that evolved as prey. In retrospect the fresh disk field is probably the only thing that saved me. The horse could not get up full speed on the soft ground. Other wise my head might still be laying in those woods. Truman - who has a very healthy respect of the power and unpredictably of the noble animal called a horse. Barbara McCrary wrote: I was riding all over the countryside from age 12 on. The only serious accidents I have had all occurred in my adult years. -- "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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