EXCITEMENT AND INJURY
I had my first riding lesson of the semester earlier today.
I asked to ride a horse I'd ridden once before, who I couldn't control then, but that I wanted to try to ride again. This horse, he wants to be a racehorse. He wants to go fast all the time.
For almost the whole lesson, he was very good. He trotted nicely and slowed down when I asked him to.
Then I forgot not to click to him and he took off. I had to hold his head to the wall until he stopped.
A few minutes later, the instructor asked if I wanted to canter for realzies. Well durr. But once he'd gotten a good head of steam, I had to go between two other horses.
I freaked out and tried to get my horse to slow down. He sped up. He broke into a gallop. I lost my stirrups. I bounced up and down on his back. In a desperate bid for safety I clung to his neck. I slipped, fell, tumbled.
I felt the impact of the ground through my helmet. Sat up, shakily. Stood up, even more shakily.
The instructor had me hold my horse's reins and walk him around the arena by hand, me on the ground, until the end of the lesson. I was shaking for most of this time.
We returned to campus. I was feeling a little better, though my feet were cold and I could feel the impact site was hot. And I was hungry.
I knew I couldn't be left alone, so I asked the driver to drop me off at a certain dorm. Went up to find the boy I wanted to have dinner with. He was asleep, as threatened, since he didn't sleep last night. Well, okay. I called a different boy. Then, on my way to put on my extra pair of pants, I started shivering violently, in the heated dorm building, having spent maybe 30 seconds in the full cold between the car and the dorm.
Was met by Philip. Borrowed another coat. Went to get food. Soup. Warmed my core. At this time, my speech was ever-so-slightly slurred and my thoughts were slow, muddled. Went to starbucks, got hot chocolate. (I had had my pupils checked two or three times at this point, for evenness - good results every time.) Went to the corner store, grabbed more food. Went back to my dorm, still accompanied by Philip.
Made sure I was not going to be alone at any point. Made sure everyone knew I'd hit my head. It hurt a little bit, sometimes. My back hurt a little bit, too. Started feeling very sleepy. Ate. Drank lukewarm water. Got on my computer. Invited Seb over; he said he might bring a game.
Clarified on Facebook that I was in fact taking care of myself.
Noticed that my thoughts and speech were much clearer than they'd been two hours previous.
Seb came over with Abi and with Settlers of Catan, Cities and Knights expansion. We played, him and Abi and Philip and Doug and I. It was fun. We didn't finish the game, because he and Abi were tired.
Now I feel somewhat better, but my head is noticeably (though subtly) unhappy. Going to try to stay awake as long as I can; going to sleep in the common room and make sure someone else is there always.
Tomorrow I'm going to go to UHS, get myself checked out as well as I can when the only person there's a nurse.
I asked to ride a horse I'd ridden once before, who I couldn't control then, but that I wanted to try to ride again. This horse, he wants to be a racehorse. He wants to go fast all the time.
For almost the whole lesson, he was very good. He trotted nicely and slowed down when I asked him to.
Then I forgot not to click to him and he took off. I had to hold his head to the wall until he stopped.
A few minutes later, the instructor asked if I wanted to canter for realzies. Well durr. But once he'd gotten a good head of steam, I had to go between two other horses.
I freaked out and tried to get my horse to slow down. He sped up. He broke into a gallop. I lost my stirrups. I bounced up and down on his back. In a desperate bid for safety I clung to his neck. I slipped, fell, tumbled.
I felt the impact of the ground through my helmet. Sat up, shakily. Stood up, even more shakily.
The instructor had me hold my horse's reins and walk him around the arena by hand, me on the ground, until the end of the lesson. I was shaking for most of this time.
We returned to campus. I was feeling a little better, though my feet were cold and I could feel the impact site was hot. And I was hungry.
I knew I couldn't be left alone, so I asked the driver to drop me off at a certain dorm. Went up to find the boy I wanted to have dinner with. He was asleep, as threatened, since he didn't sleep last night. Well, okay. I called a different boy. Then, on my way to put on my extra pair of pants, I started shivering violently, in the heated dorm building, having spent maybe 30 seconds in the full cold between the car and the dorm.
Was met by Philip. Borrowed another coat. Went to get food. Soup. Warmed my core. At this time, my speech was ever-so-slightly slurred and my thoughts were slow, muddled. Went to starbucks, got hot chocolate. (I had had my pupils checked two or three times at this point, for evenness - good results every time.) Went to the corner store, grabbed more food. Went back to my dorm, still accompanied by Philip.
Made sure I was not going to be alone at any point. Made sure everyone knew I'd hit my head. It hurt a little bit, sometimes. My back hurt a little bit, too. Started feeling very sleepy. Ate. Drank lukewarm water. Got on my computer. Invited Seb over; he said he might bring a game.
Clarified on Facebook that I was in fact taking care of myself.
Noticed that my thoughts and speech were much clearer than they'd been two hours previous.
Seb came over with Abi and with Settlers of Catan, Cities and Knights expansion. We played, him and Abi and Philip and Doug and I. It was fun. We didn't finish the game, because he and Abi were tired.
Now I feel somewhat better, but my head is noticeably (though subtly) unhappy. Going to try to stay awake as long as I can; going to sleep in the common room and make sure someone else is there always.
Tomorrow I'm going to go to UHS, get myself checked out as well as I can when the only person there's a nurse.