By the end of April 2017, the mounting block was just another exercise in the arena for Ducati. I don’t really have any photos of this time – oh how I wish I did!!! For some reason I didn’t video for a few weeks.
There was a day in the last week of April where it all felt so right – I was tempted to just slide on to him – but I didn’t. I had been wearing my helmet for some time – just to be safe – but getting on him wasn’t in the plan at that stage.
However, the following day – April 24 – the temptation proved too much. It was like I was just overcome – like something was drawing me on. I’d spent lots of time running my leg over his rump, putting pressure on his back and leaning right over him ….. now all I had to do was sit on him – click and treat – then get off.
Simple!!
And so I lifted my leg all the way over and sat down. Ducati’s head flew up – I sat there, got my treats out and went to give them to him. He couldn’t turn his head far enough and I couldn’t lean far enough to give it to him as my left hip/pelvis just wasn’t working. He became nervous, confused and was obviously uncomfortable.
My mind was racing. I needed to get off – but I couldn’t – because I had no support in my left hip. My hip was frozen – something that has become worse over the years. I tried to steady Ducati as I thought what to do. By this stage he was frightened and confused – where was his treat, what was I doing and why didn’t I get off?
I knew then that this wasn’t going to end well.
He’d had enough – he took off to the right in fright – and I went crashing off his left side onto the ground. I ended up partly on my side – but mainly on my back. I couldn’t breathe! I lay there moaning. On that day I had no phone – and there was no video running.
I lay on the ground for some time. Even though I was in so much pain, my first thought was what a failure I was! Then anger! I thought I had done all the right things – I’d spent months working up to that moment – and there I was on the ground.
I imagined how the ‘normal’ horse world would laugh at me!
Every negative voice I thought I had buried, now came crowding in. They went something like this “Oh Heather, you idiot! Did you really think you could do this? Did you really think you knew what to do? And you thought you were a horsewoman – what a joke!!! You CAN’T ride! You’re past it!!!”….. and on it went.
I was still lying on the ground. At that moment I thought I should just give up – leave the horses in the paddock and forget it – and forget everything about clicker training!
And so I lay there with every bad thought in my head – in a world of pain – unable to move.
Finally, it was time to see if I could sit up….
COMING UP – AFTER THE FALL
IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS STORY, PLEASE START AT THE BEGINNING HERE – Part 1 – An Introduction
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