All Change

Not popped by for a while as it has all changed around here. My last visit was on a Monday, a couple of weeks back I think. I got a call from a job agency during the day for a temp job I had applied for. I had a phone interview that evening, and on the Tuesday I was told I had got the job, and could I start on Wednesday ! So I did and I am there on a 3 month contract. I'm doing project support work in an office about 40 mins drive from here. Not difficult work, but there is loads of it !

So I haven't ridden in a while, but here is a whole other story. My younger son went to do some cross country riding with Bev from the yard and some others. I went along to take photos. He was a bit nervous at the start but soon was having a blast. Then his horse, Shanks, reared and my son fell. But the horse had lost his footing in the mud and fell over backwards onto my son, and he couldn't get his footing to get up quickly, so he ended up rolling on him a couple of times more in the effort to get up. I cannot describe to you what it's like to see your 12 year old son screaming with a panicking horse on top of him. Shanks, bless him, got up and stood still but my son was in agony. He couldn't move his left leg and his ribs and chest hurt. Ambulance was called and the fab paramedic, Mark, was calm and reassuring and the major worry was my son's leg. He gave him gas and air, which my son loved and it helped him so much. Boot off, jodhpurs cut, no visible sign of a break. But into a neck brace and onto a backboard and into the ambulance still sucking on the gas and air. After declaring that he felt "so stoned" he had the mouthpiece taken away from him!! Paramedics, the doctor and nurses were all fantastic, so kind and caring, we really do have the best medical team in the world.

The important thing is that he was xrayed and there were no broken bones. Thank God. He was wearing a body protector which saved his ribs from being broken. There is no doubt about that at all. And a riding hat which prevented any concussion. He is bruised and sore, of course, and he has a hoof print on his ankle. But it could have been so much worse. So much. I thank God that he is ok, that he wasn't out on his own, that Bev was so calm, as was everyone, that the ambulance got there quickly, that the whole medical team was so fantastic, that my son is safe. And that the horse is fine too. It wasn't Shanks' fault. It wasn't my son's fault. It just happened. I am so grateful that the outcome was so good.

It's Easter weekend, so we have a long weekend which is just as well bearing in mind what has happened!

And as for getting the motor glider back from Sweden, that is proving more difficult and complicated due to plenty of circumstances which have cropped up which could not have been factored in at the start.

Kettle's on - coffee I think...