
Humpty Dumpty
My “hump” day this week went a lot like Humpty Dumpty. I spent a lot of time trying to “put it back together again.” Not because I was sad or mourning or whatever, but it was just a really annoying, crappy day.
Because the universe is awesome, this week at work has just been completely bananas. I’m not sure if my sad widow card is playing out at my job or if it’s just circumstance, but all the things are happening plus everything going on in my personal life. Normally I feel like I juggle and multitask pretty well, but not feeling that this week.
As part of my multi-tasking, I worked a “1/4 day” on Wednesday to get some necessary items done. Next was my internet installation appointment at the new place, because I can’t physically live without the intertron. I scheduled that early with plenty of time for unpacking, running errands, picking up my two dogs who had a slumber party with a friend on moving night and hacking Simon before the horse show. Perfect day scheduled!
That was until the internet guy took well over four hours to install my internet.
In a bit of a foul mood because my schedule was ruined, I set out early to the barn to hack Simon before picking up dogs + running errands. We’re in the middle of a really hot/dry spell here in Texas, so the temperature at the barn was high 90’s with the “feels like” temps well over 100. Neither Simon nor I were super enthused to ride, but as I got him out to tack up I realized my half chaps and paddock boots were missing.
Long story short, the chaps were found but the paddock boots accidentally got thrown away. 🙁 I’m trying to console myself by saying they needed to be repaired anyway, but realizing my boots were long gone did not improve my mood.
So I hop on Simon sans boots & chaps to do a hack. Our dirt ring had just been watered with the new water truck (yay water truck!), but didn’t get dragged so I headed to the grass ring. Now, in the summer Mr. Simon is not a huge fan of picking up his feet. Plus, the grass ring isn’t 100% even but it’s safe and nice to ride in normally.
I start riding, and my saintly horse is being a twat. He was due for an off day with my crazy schedule lately, but I was still annoyed. All Simon wanted to do was rush the trot and blow through my aids without actually going anywhere. We were doing a trot circle to the left and I asked for more forward, but instead got some gross canter strides. I sat deeply and gave him a firm half halt, and about ten seconds later we were both on the ground.
I think what happened is that he tripped, went to right himself and slid on the super dry grass with his hind leg. I saw a long slide mark near where we went down. First he basically sat on the ground, and then couldn’t right himself so I came off to his left and then he rolled down next to me.
I wasn’t hurt at all, and Simon got back up immediately. He was scared at first, but I pet him to try to calm him down. I’m pretty sure he thought that I made him fall down for trying to canter.

This is when I texted my trainer, “Fuck today. I’m done.”
However, I knew I needed to get back on so he wouldn’t be scared or hold this incident further in his brain than it needed to be. So I got on and walked a few laps. I thought I should trot him a little bit to make sure he didn’t hurt himself, and luckily he was sound as a bell. Plus, he was doing a great job of picking up his feet and not rushing the trot… sigh.
If that isn’t good show prep, I don’t know what is.

Now I’m back at work and the next four days seem very daunting to me. If you need me, I’ll still be humpty dumptying but hopefully won’t have anymore wipeouts involved.
25 thoughts on “Humpty Dumpty”
That sounds like a scary fall! It’s good that Simon’s OK- but are *you* ok?
Totally fine. Just stressed out and overwhelmed by everything going on!
“I start riding, and my saintly horse is being a twat.” I came this |-| close to spitting my tea all over the computer laughing at that statement.
Glad you’re okay from the fall – hilarious that Simon thinks you “made him fall” for cantering. I LOVE when things happen coincidentally when horses misbehave to make them think X happened because of Y. Has the potential to save so much grief in re-training or un-training behaviors!
Scary! I’m glad you are both okay though.
Sometimes they have to learn the hard way… It’s never fun when they include us in said learning. Glad you’re ok though! And I love your shoes! So sorry about your paddock boots though. Ugh. Hoping things turn around and you have a GREAT horse show! Can’t wait to read about it!
I had that happen once. My mare, who was VERY athletic, tripped and totally went down. It might have been the only time in her life she ever stumbled and she looked SO confused when she got up. Glad you’re both ok.
Blerg. I vote for more poptarts and chip dip.
Horses falling down while you are on them is basically the scariest thing ever.
It really is! Luckily for me this has only happened twice in my life and both times horse & rider were 100% okay. Still, that’s 2x too many.
Good show prep as in you got a fall out of the way and now you’re going to have a kickass show! Falling with horses is no fun at all. Glad you are both okay. Have fun this weekend!
Wipeouts are always scary, I’m glad you are both okay.
Falling horses seems to be a theme. Sorry your boots got tossed out. Was there a tack room cleaning spree? I won’t be there to take pictures but I’m rooting for y’all this weekend!
I have fallen off my horse at least three times as a result of random tripping – all from a walk. Once it wad an icy patch, once it was a muddy patch, and once was completely dry level ground. Sometimes pony doesn’t pay attention to where she’s putting her feet and I’m like, HELLO?! We’ve both been fine every time (she went down on her knees during the mud and dry ground incidents) just like, ‘wtf just happened?’ right after.
Yikes! Glad you’re both okay and there was no squishage.
Even though we want our horses to be our therapists, I’m pretty sure they can pick up on when our emotions are all out of whack. I’ve been a mess the last year, really, and I’m sure that has a lot to do with wizard’s inconsistency. Some days he’s like this- I JUST WANT TO PRANCE IN PLACE AND NOT GO ANYWHERE AND OMG. It’s obnoxious. I think my trainer hates me because I’ve only been coming out two or three times a week, but I’m just not in a good place to ride, and I don’t want any more of my bad ju ju rubbing off on my horse :\
Random rant, I’m sorry you fell, I hope things start looking up towards the weekend!
Hang in there. 🙁
Oh man. I’ve had days like that. At least once things go SO horribly wrong that they just get completely ridiculous and absurd, you have no choice but to laugh. Cable guy being late is no surprise, moving totally sucking is a given, work stress I relate to. But boots accidentally getting thrown out? Your horse falling down??? On top of everything else? In the SAME DAY???? This is the Universe attempting to force you to laugh at even when you don’t want to.
I feel a little bit the same this week only without the falling. Glad that you are both okay. Good luck at the show!!!
Well now that That’s out of the way….
Good luck at the show. You guys will do great!
Oof, ouch. When the horse falls, too, it’s the scariest.
sorry that Simon fell and you had a lousy day. Sometimes the universe is just an asshole.
glad that you were okay though. Good luck at the show!
I’m convinced that you’re building up credit, so pretty soon all the awesome stuff is going to pour in like a waterfall.
🙁 Glad you are both okay!
ugh boo to all those things 🙁 somehow falling down WITH the horse always feels much different than any other type of fall, and i definitely don’t like it. tho perhaps it’ll be a good reminder to Simon going into the show that he does, in fact, have 4 feet and should probably consider using each of them to their fullest ability lol.
glad you’re ok and good luck with all the rest!
Forty Doctors and forty wrights Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty to rights! The riddle may depend on the assumption that, whereas a clumsy person falling off a wall might not be irreparably damaged, an egg would be. The rhyme is no longer posed as a riddle, since the answer is now so well known.