I was involved in one of the scariest moments of my life on Friday afternoon.
Having just walked my cross country course in preparation for Saturday, I was hustling up the hill to the trailer area at the Kentucky Horse Park.
With the immense growth of the infrastructure of this park, those of us who haul in daily for the shows are relegated a good mile or two from the stadium and dressage rings, and our hacks back to the trailers can be long, can be relaxing, or can be dangerous.
And as I hurried up the hill, I looked over to see a horse and rider heading back to the trailers themselves. In jump tack and with a smile, I assumed they were heading home from a good stadium round and gave a head nod–recognizing the rider but not knowing her well enough to actually speak.
And then I heard the deep exhale of a horse that was either spooking, or running, or bucking. And I turned and just froze.
I watched the rider sit the horse for a solid 4-5 bucks even though her reins were on the buckle and she was holding a drink in one hand. And then she was unseated, falling, and finally–the worst part–drug.
And I stood there with this horrible realization that there was nothing I could do. Nothing I could make better. I was too far away. Too helpless.
And so I simply watched as she finally came off and the horse went running up the hill.
I screamed over the fenceline to her to see if she was ok, but she did not respond.
I looked over the fence line to see if she was moving, but she was not.
So I threw my body into motion and jumped the two fence lines separating me from her and ran to her side. And what I saw made my stomach churn.
She had landed face down in the gravelly sod, and was not moving. I yelled her name and she did not respond. But my CPR and emergency training from the dude ranch kicked in, and I began to triage.
I checked her breathing and saw that she was, and knew that meant to leave her where she was lying. I did not want to risk placing her neck or spine in any malposition and risk paralyzing her.
Her pulse was strong and I didn’t see any gaping wounds that would need pressure applied to, but still didn’t move her arms or legs to investigate further.
But she still wasn’t responding or conscious, and I knew I needed help.
I screamed at golf carts passing by to no avail, as they either (hopefully) didn’t hear me or didn’t care.
So I pulled out my phone and dialed every number of every rider I knew that was at the stadium arena–only 500 meters away, but oh so far.
I finally reached one of my best friends Courtney Calnan, and she picked up on the first ring.
And it was the best person to reach. I simply said “I need the ambulance and medics on the horse path across from the Walnut Ring NOW” and she just hung up.
She didn’t ask questions. She didn’t try to get gossip. She just hit End on the call and went into motion.
I knew that Courtney would not only know how to get medical assistance, but that she also personally knew every show official, judge, and member of the board.
I could focus on the woman lying next to me while I trusted my friend to do the rest.
What felt like an hour, but was actually only a few minutes passed by before the EMTs arrived. And as they hurried to her side, they asked me her name-which I fortunately knew. And then they asked me her age, which I had no clue.
I stepped away, trying to continue to hold it together, and looked to my left to see Courtney running up the hill towards me. She grabbed me in a hug, and with that exchange, she took over and I took off to find the riders loose horse.
I called another dear friend Holly and quickly told her what happened and asked that she begin the hunt for the horse from the opposite direction, and she, like Courtney, just hung up and began searching.
The horse was caught, and quickly brought back to the trailer where a team of amazing women and men untacked him and got him settled. And as he was walked towards his rig, I noticed one man standing there looking confused.
It was the riders husband, awaiting his wife from her hack from the ring. And I calmly walked up to him and told him that his wife had fallen, and that the EMT’s would need information from him. Without a word, he jumped into his car and hurried down the hill to his wife.
And then I sat at my own trailer and just dissolved. All of the adrenaline seeped out of me in tears and I just weeped.
But suddenly my phone rang and I looked down to see it was Courtney and answered. She wanted to know how the rider had fallen, how long she had been unconscious, and how long she had been unresponsive even after coming to.
I gave her my answers and then looked at my own horse, realizing I needed to head to stadium myself.
Courtney texted me updates throughout the next hour, letting me know that the rider was finally talking, or being placed on the backboard to go into the ambulance. And I watched the police escort the rider out as I made my own hack down the horse path on my way to stadium, just trying to focus and hold it together.
Photo by Photography in Stride
First and foremost, I believe that riders should be required to wear medical arm bands in ALL phases of showing-and this goes for dressage riders, hunters, and jumpers. Maybe more importantly, that we should be wearing these armbands OUTSIDE of the show ring.
These medical arm bands should NOT require scanning in order to access pivotal information such as your ICE (in case of emergency) contact or essential medical information such as allergies, heart conditions, or the decision to be an organ donor.
I used to believe that these bands were useless, as I was in the arena and had already written this information down on my entry. But I realized on Friday that after her horse left, no one knew what number this rider was. Her information would not have been found had she not been surrounded by people who knew her by name.
These barcoded or scanner arm bands are smaller, and therefore popular in our discipline, and that is fine. But either on the opposing side of that plate or in an additional band, your name, DOB, and ICE number should be easily accessible, as none of the first responders who able to scan this code at this specific event to access any of this information.
I also realized just how scary this situation would have been had this not been my home turf, and had I not been literally surrounded by my contact list. Had I not known that Courtney was on the grounds and near the ambulance, who would I have called?
I thought about calling 911, and was told by numerous people that that was actually the worst thing I could do. The horse park, like many other large breeding farms in our area, are a literal nightmare for these first responders. Addresses to individual barns or arenas are not accessible, and the ambulance driver then ends up driving in circles as crucial minutes tick by.
The show officials can call 911 and then send an escort to the main entrance to give the ambulance a lead, but not me.
And I didn’t have the contact info of any show official in my contact list. In retrospect, could I have logged onto USEventing and found this information? Yes. But in the heat of the moment, that was the last thing I thought of.
My boyfriend made a good point that (if possible) it might be prudent for these large horse parks and show grounds to create their own security number, or emergency number, and then advertise/promote the crap out of it. Have it hanging in every barn and every phone pole.
Make it 311, or 411, and have it immediately call either the security office, or the show office. Have it easy to remember, easy to access, and readily available in situations like this. We have medics on the grounds for these shows for a reason, but we need to be able to access them swiftly and easily.
And finally, find the safest route with your horse. I realized while watching this happen that we were so lucky. That she was so lucky. She had taken the horse path when so many others take the shorter route on the actual paved road. She had landed on grass, albeit hard grass, instead of cement. And that simple decision may have saved her life.
But this accident didn’t involve a high pace or a large fence, just a simple spook with a rider who wasn’t ready for it. And that can happen to any of us.
I am so thankful it was on grass. I am so thankful that she was wearing not only a helmet but also tall boots-proper footwear that can get you out of a drag more easily. And in a strange way, I am so thankful I was there.
I learned that night that this rider will be ok. She was concussed, and obviously banged up and bruised, but she was talking and she was with her family and friends. And I read that message and just closed my eyes and thanked whatever guardian angel was watching over her that day.
But we can all learn from this.
We should all take a first aid/CPR/triage class, and be prepared.
We should all ride with proper identification on us, whether it is at a show or at home.
We should all know how to access medical assistance at these shows, whether it is through a show official or a friend.
We should all ride with proper safety gear-helmets, footwear, etc, on EVERY RIDE.
And we should all hug our ponies and our loved ones tonight, because anything can happen in the blink of an eye.
That is what I learned this weekend. I hope you learned something too.
A Yankee in Paris 
Thank you for sharing this. I hack a lot of miles alone and while I have a tag on my horse’s bridle in case we get separated, I truly never thought about a medical ID for myself. Great suggestion. I also occasionally ride with a person in her 80s and I have gently learned more about some of her medical conditions in case I am in your place some day. As a former riding instructor, I do have CPR/first aid training but did a refresher after starting to ride more frequently with my buddy. We can all only hope that when we need it, that “muscle memory” kicks in.
I wear a road I’d, it has on it my ice, name, a birth date, and all the surgeries did it. Originally they were designed by a father for his son who rode cross country bikes, he was tired of bicyclist get run down or hurt and no one knowing any info about them.. the ids are about 19-30 dollars, come in many colors and styles.
Please order them from RoadId.com
My hubby and I each have one we wear all the time, since we live in different states.
I agree completely. I rode out to leg up my jumper. unfortunately I relaxed, fee out of my irons hands on my pommel and reins loose on the buckle. She lunged unexpectedly. I was miles from home, I had flipped in mid air and fractured T6 and T7. No I’D or anything. I was conscious and managed to remount. A man found me got me ultimately to the hospital. Looking back I made every possible mistake. You made me again think safety and ability to communicate information, and plan ahead. Accidents happen a split second.
Excellent read – I was also thinking that never ride alone might be a good one to add – but that is not always possible – everything you said was spot on and has really opened my eyes to a few things that I will put into practice while showing, trail riding or other
What a scary situation. She was lucky you were the one who helped her. I love the idea of the phone number for the grounds.
Call 911 first! There was at least one ambulance at the Horse Park— the dispatchers know and it’s not like it’s a private farm. So glad you saw it happen and were the first responder, though!!!!
I spoke with numerous show officials and they all said the opposite. 911 wouldn’t have dispatched that ambulance. They would have dispatched an outside ambulance and caused more confusion than progress.
Paramedic and eventer here… Please, never ever hesitate to call 911. Local EMS are familiar with the grounds and have maps to help them. The county dispatch has no connection with what the horse show has hired, they will send a local 911 crew who is most definitely familiar with the ground and area. Crews on grounds do not always transport, and are generally not a 911 crew. If anything, the incoming crew can help in an emergency, and in a true emergency, youre going to want a 911 crew, and not a show hired contract crew.
There is a company named Medical Emergency Data Systems, http://www.idformyhelmet.com, which sells an inexpensive medical information carrier system that attaches to a riding helmet and includes all the rider’s important medical data. It could be the solution.
There are also companies like RoadID and RideSafe which make bracelets with pertinent info!
Love RoadId, has saved me more than once.
And although we’ve all done it- we shouldn’t ride on the buckle anywhere. With that first stumble, or that initial buck, if we can pull their head up the trouble might end right there. But I loved relaxing after working too, on the buckle.
We did some research with over 350 accidents and one of the greatest predictors of severity of accident is when people “ride on the buckle” and are not paying attention. One should never not pay 100% of attention when riding, as that can be the difference between life and death. You can relax, but never just zone out.
This person is so incredibly lucky to have you close by.
Thank you for sharing.
My worst falls were walking, on the buckle, or on a loose rein.
The armband is a great idea — why not put the showground emergency number on that as well? i also ride alone and am very conscious of the risk. i always text a friend before I mount, how long i plan to ride, and text her again when i dismount. Goes without saying I wear a helmet — and I use stirrups that are designed to not catch my foot should I fall. Often I will wear a safety vest as well. Read today of a new GPS device in development in France that attaches to both the rider and the horse. In the even of a fall. it will call emergency contacts, and if the horse takes off, he can be found via the GPS tracking device. If you fall and are ok, you have time to deactivate the notifications.
It would be hard to put the showground emergency number on an armband as you show at different locations!
Pony Club requires a medical armband or bracelet for all mounted activities, and I think it’s a great idea. When I am on show grounds, or off property where I board my horse, I never take my bracelet (non-scanning) off. I try to wear it constantly – the road ID in slim is kind of perfect IMO.
Love to hear that USPC had instilled this!! I think we need to get more organizations and more disciplines on board!
If you ride out alone, text someone: your time leaving, route/location, and when you plan to be done. This way its in writing and not lost to (faulty) memory. When you are done, check back in. No one needs to have a whole conversation, you are just documenting. Then, if you don’t check in, they can check with you. If you can’t answer, help will be sent.
Thank you so much for this post! I don’t event anymore, but when I did, I saw a few scary moments, more often than not with people riding on the buckle, or zoning out a little. So important to keep your head in the game. This person was lucky that you were so quick to jump into action, and that you were able to reach the right people to help!
I often ride alone on my own farm. My husband and I have a pact that if I’m riding alone I need to text him (no matter where he is) with two sentences. The first is “I’ve mounted”, the second is “I’ve dismounted”. If more than an hour goes by between the two he texts me. If ever I didn’t answer, he would somehow dispatch help.
I totally agree with wearing medical armbands at all times when on the show grounds, not just in the ring.
Great post – thanks again for sharing 🙂
Also a very good reminder to keep your helmet chin strap BUCKLED until you dismount! I see so many riders (namely pros) who undo their chin strip while walking back after their ride, and it goes against every “Mind Your Melon” campaign these same riders participate in.
So glad to see Rachel’s (paramedic) clarification re calling 911. That should be an automatic response in an emergency when time is of the essence…
I’m not hear to argue, just repeating what I was told by numerous paramedics and show officials on the grounds. They all said that 911 only slows the process.
Regarding whether or not to call 911 – a) it is nation-wide emergency #; b) it would be most people’s first thought. So rather than set up a competing emergency call system, wouldn’t it be better to set up special training for any 911-dispatch and emt units that have any type of event venues (not just horse parks) in their territory. Also, perhaps 911-dispatch could be provided with contact info for the event.
I have a RideSafe bracelet and I do ride by myself a lot. I always try to text the barn owner or my husband when I’m getting on and when I plan to get off if I’m in the ring by myself. I also use the Ride Safe when I’m traveling with our agility dogs by myself, I’d like to think it might save some time if I’m unable to communicate for whatever reason. I’m glad to hear the rider you helped is going to be okay.
Having a band on is a good idea and certainly something I’ve never thought about. I’ve gone trail riding by myself a time or two. Something like this is definitely on the right path to staying safe and saving a life. Thank you for raising awareness. So glad that rider is going to be ok.
Strong work on your quick thinking and ability to stay calm. Great read! 💪
I am a flat racing track physician. At our track we have cards with emergency information on riding vests that are required. Medical paperwork must be completed prior to riding. So it’s on site if needed. You have to also consider a bracelet getting caught on something. But I do think it’s a good idea!
Calling 911 can be difficult if they are not familiar with the grounds but it is true that some of the EMS staff on site are not equipped to transfer. There are different levels of EMS care.
I’d suggest 911 first then security/staff on site. They can then call 911 to get connected with that particular unit to help direct best way to get to injured rider. Agreed time is of the essence! In an ideal world I agree it’s best to discuss with EMS around the area basic understanding of the facility etc. Maybe have them come by as a practice drill and keep maps of the facility in their units!
Thank you again for sharing!