Shock

At first I didn’t realize how badly I had been hurt. I was focusing on my back and my legs. They appeared to be fine…but when I tried to move my left arm I knew something was not right. Although I felt no pain, I could hear the bone grinding against bone. I now know that I was in shock and my body was protecting me from the pain of a clavicle that had snapped and was badly displaced. Of course I immediately wanted to know if my gelding, Pugsley, was alright. One of the girls caught him, and I asked her to trot him back and forth for me so I could see he was fine. Satisfied that he was not injured I had her untack and put him back in his stall. Another girl ran to get the barn owners once it was evident I was not able to get up on my own. I knew I needed to go to the emergency room, but rather than call an ambulance I had someone call my husband at his office. He was about 10 minutes away. While waiting for him to arrive I continued to sit on the ground, and I continued to feel no pain. It was during this time I learned the barn owners had not removed the cones from the arena. Instead it had been the girls who were there when I arrived. “Where are the cones?” the barn owner roared when he entered the arena. “Who moved the cones?” ( I have to admit his language was a little more colorful than that, but I’ll try to keep it rated “G” since there were teenage girls involved) Frightened by what had happened to me, the girls told the barn owners they had asked the hired man if they could move the cones and he told them yes, however, they should be careful and take it easy. I could not believe my ears! They had neglected to tell this to me! If they had I would not have cantered through that end of the arena. I was to distracted with my situation to confront them at the time. Now, all these months later…I wish I had.