It started out as the perfect ride...

We started out for a sunset ride with Paula and her girls. The horses were all a bit antsy, as it was a cold day and a full moon, so the horses were not on their best behavior. Even in the shot below, you can see that both horses ears are back...not a good sign. And, the ride hadn't started yet.

As the ride progressed, one of Paula's daughters who is an expert rider had to turn back because her horse kept bucking her. On we went...

I then had to gallup ahead because my horse, Cloudy, was getting to be uncontrollable and I didn't want him to stir up Jeff's horse or to run with me in the woods. So, I took off and let Cloudy run to get the craziness out of his system. At this point, Jeff was with Paula and Cody just calmly walking their way back to the barn.

The next thing I knew I heard galloping behind me, as I was walking with Cloudy almost back at the barn. I figured it was Paula. I looked back and saw Jeff galloping up to me. His horse was not in a calm run, it was shaking its head and shaking its rear end as it ran. It got to my horse and they both started running, out of our control. I yelled to Jeff to pull on the reigns, stay low and hold on to the saddle horn...but just as he was passing me, his horse head butted mine and his horse lifted his rear end and threw Jeff off at a full gallup. I looked over and saw Jeff falling, and I couldn't stop the horses. I was no running away from Jeff with his horse (sans rider) and Cloudy. Now we were on blacktop...which is like being on an ice skating rink for horses with metal shoes. I knew I couldn't help Jeff, and I prayed I could stay on and not fall on the blacktop. At last the horses slowed to a trot. I jumped off Cloudy and saw Jeff not moving on the ground. I yelled to him but he was in shock and couldn't hear me. I pushed cloudy into the barn, and ran to Jeff just as Paula and Cody caught up with him.

Jeff was in shock and thought he was OK. He did decline the pumpkin pie and whiskey offer from Paula and got into my car...looking very grey. He was nauseous and could barely speak. Then he said his chest hurt even though he fell right on his back. He thought he was having a heart attack....so he agreed to go to the ER. I called all of our doc friends on our drive to the ER to let them tell the hospital Mr. VIP was on his way and I wanted immediate service. Usually Jeff likes to sneak in and not let them know who he is to the hospital, but that day he agreed to be treated like a board member.

Well, by now his chest was really hurting, and were both scared. The hospital took him in right away and ran all kinds of tests. Heart was fine! But, after 3 hours of tests, and NO pain pills they finally told us he had 4 broken vertebrae, 3 broken ribs, a ruptured adrenal gland (sits on your kidney) and a bruised lung.

He was in the ICU for two days, then to a regular room (well more like a corner suite at the Hyatt) for another 4 days. No permanent damage, and he'll just need time to heal.

He's already walking without a cane just 7 days later, and his rib and back pain is very minimal. This is a good thing, because along the way he's developed an allergy to something he's taking...so now we are managing the hives that are covering his body.

Been quite a week here at the Manor. We are just taking the recovery one day at a time.

And, Jeff and I have both been instructed to "get back on the horse" as part of the psychological recovery process. So, within two months, we will be back up there for a walk.