No, really. I was. Aunt Esther came for a visit from Florida and brought a little 12 year old girl with her. Taylor is her name. Aunt Esther told Taylor Id take her horse back riding. So I called Abe (theyre his familys horses) and he said he’d take us. I jumped on Riahs horse Chako (Abe and Riah are brother and sister) bareback with Taylor on with me. Abe got on Spirit with a saddle. We went up the road next to ours and I heard something in the woods. Like a squirrel or bird or something. It scared the horses. Abe had a saddle so he grabbed the horn and stayed on. I got a handful of Chakos mane, but it didnt help too much. It let me stay on a little longer but I still came off, Taylor in tow. The horse took off a for a few steps and then stopped and started bucking. about the third buck is when we came off. Taylor was holding on to me, so we came off and hit the ground pretty close to eachother. I landed on my back and she landed on her side. My mind did some weird thing and started moving really fast so that everything around me seemed slow. I could see Chako’s front hooves landing near me as he continued to buck. I saw one of his back hooves land either on or near my left leg out of the corner of my eye. I couldnt tell. It didnt feel like I got hit. Then the horse calmed down and stood still. I could hear Taylor crying. I tried to get up but it hurt so I rolled on my side and lay still, watching Chako graze for a second. Abe came up and helped Taylor up. I heard Taylor (still crying) asking if I was alright. She couldnt see my face. All she could see was me laying completely still. I can see how that would scare her (I think it scared Abe too). After a second I forced myself up. I looked down and saw a muddy hoofprint on my jeans on my upper left leg. Turns out Chako did step on me. We went back to the barn, tied up the horses, and Abe drove us home. Halfway there, I realized my glasses were missing. After taking Taylor back and explaining what happened to her (not to me, because thanks to adrenaline, I didnt feel anything yet. everyone at my house for Chads graduation party saw me walk normal) and then we went back to find my glasses. Abe jokingly asked if I wanted back on Chako. I did. I knew if I didnt, Id be afraid. Ive never been scared around horses, not in my entire life. I didnt plan on starting then either. So when we got back to untack Spirit, Abe put me back on Chako. I rode around the pasture. When I got off, I started feeling my leg. It didnt feel very good. As we were taking Chako’s hackamore off, we saw an ambulance head to my house. I tried to call my parents on my cell, but it wouldnt go through. So I went back to Abe and Riahs house to call from their home phone. Mom said it was just a precaution (she hit her head on the pavement) and not to worry. I asked Abe where Riah was. He had told me she was home for the weekend. She was getting out of the shower, so Abe carried me to the bathroom door where we waited for her. The minute she came out she hugged me close to her and didnt let me go. She didnt know anything yet. All she knew was there was an accident and I was holding my leg up. Abe explained what happened as she held me. I realized that Taylor was hanging onto me and if I would have stayed on, so would she. Then I cried. Riah held me tighter. She didnt know why I was crying, but I think she figured out later. I asked her to take me home, so she helped me out to her and Kevins car. Kevin drove. Riah put me in the back seat and I thought she’d get up front with Kevin but she didnt. She got in the back with me. She put her arms around me and tried to keep me from being shaken by our long dirt road. It helped alot, but some bumps were too big to protect me from. I wimpered and wondered what was going on with Taylor. I was thankful it wasnt her that got stepped on. Thankful she couldnt remember what happened. When we got back to the house, Riah half-carried me to my parents room. Mine is downstairs and I couldnt get down there. I sat on the bed while my dads best friend (who’s gone to college to be a doctor) checked me out. Everyone was shocked Id been stepped on but was walking fine earlier. They didnt know I had been stepped on until later that day. After he said I was fine, he left. Which left me, mom and Riah. Riah had come to the bed and was sitting close to me, with her arm around me. I was dozing against her. “did you find a sister, Brandi?” mom asked. Riah answered for me. “yes” she said. I instantly woke up and looked up at her, smiling. Mom had me check my BG, which was 129. Amazing. When mom left we had a few precious moments alone. She held me as I began to doze again.
