1992, we moved to our place in Arizona. Of course we wanted horses. We checked the sale ads and found a really nice Morgan gelding, named Bud. Our 8-year old grand-daughter rode him on weekends and summer vacation.
On February 28, 2001, my husband finished his work for the day and came up to get his saddlebag supplies for his daily afternoon ride. He was going to ride his Arab. I surprised him and told him that I want to go too. He got our two horses saddled up and off we went.
When we got to our front gate, Bud started hopping around. I told my husband that I felt like I needed a seat belt. When Bud got to the meadow near the house, Bud bolted, like he was running for his life! (we never found out why he bolted. Could have been a black bear, mountain lion or a rattlesnake?) I wasn’t ready for the full gallop and I was falling off! I tried to squeeze my legs on his sides, like when riding bareback. My feet were out of the stirrups and flapping in the air! I was pulling back on the reins and holding onto the saddle horn and screaming "WHOA" and "STOP", but Bud would not stop!
Unknown to me, my husband did not put a bit in Bud's mouth! I thought about pulling on one reign and making Bud turn into his side, but we had never worked with him on that, so all I could think of that he would probably just fall on me and that would have been a worst wreck!
I was in a "slow motion, free fall”. I looked on the ground and all I could think about PLEASE NO CACTUS!! Lucky me, no cactus and no rocks! The horses were still freaky, so my husband made sure I was okay, he left me there sitting in the sand, counting ants and feeling a little dizzy, while he took the two horses home! It seemed it was forever, when my husband finally came to get me. I sat on the tail gate of the truck.
On the following Monday, I went to the doctor cuz I couldn't put weight on my left foot. My Dr. took an exray, but he couldn't find anything wrong. My cowgirl friend had a bone doctor and got me in. He found that I have an in-operable bone chip in my left ankle. I couldn’t walk for any distance for over a year. The wreck made a serious problem come alive, I didn't know that I was going to get arthirtis when I was older. My knees hurt. The worst part of this, is that I'm not riding anymore. Oh I did get back on Bud, to get over the fear of falling off, but I never got the chance to ride any of the Sulphurs, like Sundance Desert Cielo or Freddie Prince Jr.
My suggestion to anyone who has a feeling of impending doom, when you are near or on a horse, do not dismiss it. STOP what you are doing, leave or move away. DO YOUR GROUND WORK BEFORE YOU RIDE, even if you ride your horse everyday. I would be a happier person these days if I could walk for a longer distances and ride my beautiful Sulphurs like I always wanted to do.
Judy Cubel / Desert Duns
