There's Something About Horses...

... That I've never liked. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but there's something that has always scared me about them. Maybe it's their size, maybe it's their teeth, and maybe it's the fact that they don't go where you aim them. I dunno. But now I have another reason.

For some reason cousin Melinda has been on my mind lately, so the instant I got home from work I picked up the phone and called her. It rang enough times to get the phone message, but I hung up. I've never really been big on leaving phone messages so I usually avoid it, but right after I hung up I told myself I should have anyway.

I was sitting at my computer later in the evening chatting on Yahoo with my special friend Rhon, and I hear a "poit" computer kind of sound. I check my open windows, and there's my Gmail chat blinking, and it's cousin Melinda! Must be a mind link there...

Well, on Saturday when I was out having so much fun being naked in the sun all day, she was thrown from her horse. Hard. She's okay, all things considered, but she suffered a concussion and broke her back in 4 places. She was riding him at her house and her trainer was nearby fortunately. She said something to the effect that he bucked once to the right which cause her to lean sharply to the left, then he bucked hard to the left, effectively hammering her to the ground. She said she was out cold for 6 minutes. This was plainly a case where she was lucky to be wearing her helmet. Evidently her trainer had a brain fart though, and didn't call 911, but instead drove her to the ER in her pickup truck. Oh well... It worked out this time I guess, but that wasn't very smart. She's back home, but she has to spend 90 days in a back brace. She said her back is actually not too bad, it's her head that's giving her the grief.

I don't know what breed Melinda's horse Stevie is, but he's huge. I don't know anything about horses, but even I have to acknowledge that he's a fine looking horse. I also don't know how old he is, but he's relatively young. I'm thinking somewhere around 8 or 10 years old. She also has another horse that she got right after she moved to where she is now, but I don't know much about him. (I admit--I'm totally horse stupid.) I think she got him mostly for companionship for Stevie.

She has been totally smitten by horses her whole life. Almost everything in her life has revolved around her love for horses. She has had many mishaps, but not like this one.

She told me last night that Stevie goes. She said, "It's a sign from the universe" that she is pushing her luck and that next time she may not be so lucky. I know for a fact that a decision like that for her was probably not unlike someone telling a mother that she needs to get rid of one of her children.

I love Melinda dearly and I know I speak for all of the people that know her when I say I would hate like hell to lose her for any reason. I'm so glad that she skirted disaster.

Her words: "I guess I'll switch to golf."