Barrels and broken bones

I know, this one is long overdue. The summer just flew by and despite a bit of bad luck, the last month was great! Being back home is extra hard this year, I had to have surgery for my collar bone fracture. I had hoped it would have healed enough by now that I could still go to Kenya. Instead it has to heal all over again and I can't do anything other than watch tv and read, believe me, it gets boring fast. It does make me more determined to go back to Horseworks soon, as I didn´t get to do everything I wanted. I will ride in a rodeo! ;)

The best thing about this summer, I got to ride Missy! I started training her last year when she was two, we did a lot of ground work, which I continued doing this year. I was able to put my foot in the stirrup and lean over the saddle but I felt like if she would take a step, she would explode. I had tried a lot of different things and didn't really know what else to do. MaeCile took her and me to a local trainer. He worked with her from his horse and really focussed on getting her to move her feet. I was super nervous when I first got on but after her initial confusion she was so good! I rode her three times and the second time we were already trotting around the arena, I was very proud. The next step was going to be a trail ride but unfortunately we didn't get to do that due to my fall.

I really thought I would be fine after Tina did an unplanned sliding stop while I had lost my stirrups. I even got back on and did the barrel pattern again, even though I didn't have any strength in my left arm. But after cooling my shoulder for hours it still didn't get any better. We were planning on going into Cody anyway so I decided to stop by the clinic. The doctor didn't even need X-rays to see my collar bone was broken. The X-rays showed the elbow was fractured too. I had the best people to help me though, I am so grateful to everyone who was there but especially to Alissa who helped me with everything that seems so normal but is impossible with one arm, like doing my hair, to Caitlin and Janet for leading the trails like pro's and Janet being my left hand in every imaginable way my last week. I tried to make myself useful by doing lots of riding lessons, with one arm in a sling and a lunge whip in the other.

On the weekends, MaeCile's husband Jim joined us at the ranch to make life easier for us by making gates and fixing pumps. He also taught us to shoot his guns, I was so proud I managed to hit a moving target! (Don't worry, I'm not going into hunting, still a vegetarian). Another highlight was the camping trip we did in the Bighorn mountains. We found the most beautiful camping spot and went on a gorgeous hike through the woods to a crystal clear lake. The last two groups of this summer were great, both quite diverse but it worked out well and everyone fit in at the ranch. We had so much fun, from putting electrical wire up to eartagging calves and from cowcamp to cook-outs by the lake. The best thing about the ranch is always the people, they make Horseworks feel like home.

I can't wait to see my ranch family again next year!








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