The Ride Nearly Ended

There is nothing that I love more than to ride horses. I have half jokingly said for years that everything else I do is to support that passion. There are other interests in my life of course, and more than a few are risky. I have owned a motorcycle, driven in fast cars on mountain roads, jumped out of a plane. The biggest risk was getting involved with Ketah when I was too young and too inexperienced to know how to handle an abused, intelligent and somewhat crazy young mare. She nearly killed me more than once in the first few years. I learned to jump off her back at a dead run as the only sure method of stopping her, I learned to take a fall and not let go, and I learned to deal with 900 pounds of scared, strong animal in many dangerous situations.

She's 24 now and a sweet horse that everyone else now trusts to chaperon young horses on their first trail rides. I never saw that for her.

I also never saw the position I'm in now. I have wanted to fly in a small plane for years. I'm a risk-taker, though I try to manage them intelligently. I missed a chance with my best friend many years ago and have always regretted it. Three weeks ago I got another one, and I jumped at it. Statistics caught up with me though. I had always assumed the fall I would take where I would end up injured would be from a horse. I've had dozens of falls with a few concussions (I wear a helmet) and bruises. I've attributed my lack of injury to judo, knowing how to fall helped.

Well, this time I took a fall but not from a horse. I got into a little plane, nervous but not overly so. I could feel the pilot fighting the plane as we lifted off and I knew we weren't going to make it when we brushed the first tree. The second one dropped us like the proverbial rock. I don't know how far we fell, probably not more than 70 feet. But I do know we were lucky to live through it.

It will be months before my back heals. Months in which I can't even touch my horses. It will be months after that before I will get on them again too, and it will be with some fear I suspect. Though at least it won't be fear of them. I will have to learn all over again, how to fall. It's inevitable after all. Next time though, it will be from a horse.