If you are like me your learnt all your important life lessons on horses, but even if you didn’t learn them all from your horse I’m sure your learnt one from your horse. My favorite was that miracles happen every day and forgiveness will release your soul. I would learn them both when I was nine.
My Aunt owned a horse camp. When I was young I would spend all summer there. By the time I was a teen I practically lived there. When I was nine my Aunt purchased 115 acres down the road. It was fall and by the spring she was going to move the whole operation down the road. She had invited everyone to come on a trail ride to the new property. I was so excited and hoping I could ride Tasha.
Tasha was a 3 year old 3/4 Arab 1/4 Walking Horse Palomino. Everyone wanted to be the one who would ride Tasha. She had only been under saddle for the summer and although I had rode her during the summer and didn’t think that I would be able to ride her on the trail ride. To my surprise, I was allowed to ride Tasha. I really thought I was the coolest kid that day.
On the way back we had to walk a short distance down the side of a country road. There was 14 horses total and I was second from last in the line. We had to walk up a tall hill and then the road turned the left. The first horse in the line was at the top of the hill. Tasha and I were still at the bottom. She was trying to walk up the horse’s butt in front of us who was 28 years old and didn’t move as fast as she once did. I decided to circle her and give a little bit of space before the hill.
By the time I was back in line we could hear a car coming. It came around the corner real fast; later I would find out that she was going at least 65. The car went flying off the side of the other side of the road. Then like it was in slow motion I could see the car turn and coming toward me and Tasha. I froze. Tasha ducked her head and throw one giant buck. I remember tumbling down her neck. I hit the gravel part on the edge of the road. I glanced back and could see Tasha jumping up out of the ditch and she ran passed me up the hill toward the rest of the horses. My Aunt was racing down the hill asking screaming at me, “Are you okay?” I replied, “I am fine.” She headed to the car that had flipped three times and was laying on it’s side to check on the driver.
When Tasha reached the top of the hill I began to hear the screams. I looked up and saw Tasha standing with her right side facing me. She looked fine, but there was the most horrific screams coming from everyone. Then she turned. From her withers to her girth all the way back to her hip was gone. The beautiful gold coat had been taken away and in it’s place was a red mess. Someone pulled off a saddle blanket and soon everyone was ripping their saddles off and pressing the blankets on her side.
I don’t remember much after that until I arrived at the hospital. I was in a full neck brace, back board and every other supportive instrument they have. I was left strapped down on a bed in a room. On the bed next to me was the lady that had hit my horse with a her car. The only injury I had was a scrape on my wrist.
Meanwhile, Tasha was in a trailer going from vet to vet being told there was nothing they could do for her. Six hours later she would arrive at Blue Ridge Equine. They told my Aunt that they could perform surgery, but she probably wouldn’t be able to make it through.
While in the hospital I had to listen to this lady beg my forgiveness. I wanted nothing to do with her. I was so angry. I was trying to reflect on the events that had happened. Right before they had taken me away from Tasha she had nudged me with her head. I realized she was trying to tell me she had my back. She had sacrificed herself for me. She was my guarding angel. I began to cry and I told the complete stranger what I had realized. She started crying too. It was in that moment that I knew it wasn’t her fault. It had happened and me being angry at her wasn’t going to change that. I just knew I had lost my sweet horse, but it wasn’t her fault. Tasha had saved my life and in a way also saved this women’s life. She told me she could have never lived with herself if I had been the one that was hurt.
They finally released me from my restraints just as my mother arrived. Later we would hear that Tasha was in surgery. I couldn’t believe she was still alive. There was someone else who also couldn’t believe she was alive. The vet. She made it through the surgery. He was sure she wouldn’t make it through the night and again he was surprised. When it finally was time for her to head home he said, “well I still can’t believe this horse made it this far, but she still isn’t out of the woods.” She had a tube in her stomach that had to be drained and she was at high risk of infection. When she arrived back for her check up three months later the vet could not believe it. Never thought she would make it from the moment he saw her. He would have one last thing he thought she would never be able to do again… Ride. We’d prove him wrong on that too! :winkgrin:
