Don’t Let Barriers Get in the Way of Your Dreams

April 25, 2011 by Taylor Studios in Professional & Industry Tips

Reading this gave me inspiration to write about a recent horse jump I took in Botswana that ripped my ACL. In September of 2010, I took a horse back riding safari in South Africa and Botswana. Africa has been on my life list for quite some time. I have dreamed of seeing those rolling plains with the magnificent herds of animals. Yet, I wasn’t sure I would ever get there. It’s funny how things happen when you dream of them.

There were several barriers to why this trip might have never happened:

Thank goodness these barriers did not stop me. This was the best trip of my life. On Safari we rode four to six hours a day. Most days we did not jump the horses. On the last day of riding there were several large jumps that a few of us decided to ride. I ride a lot, but don’t jump that much. Earlier in the trip we did some jumping and I loved it.

I was the last in the line of jumpers. There was no getting out of jumping once I started as Rusty would have had a fit if I took him out of the queue. I lost my stirrup on the second jump. I managed to get him to go around the next jump while I got my stirrup and posture back. My horse was wired. He had a tendency to buck with joy when cantering. He was ready to jump and wanted to take them fast. It can be a challenge to control a 1,200 pound animal. Most of the jumps went just fine. My adrenaline was pumping. I was having a blast. The last jump was over a log down into a sandy pit and then up over another log. At the end of that jump Rusty was a bit out of control going fast and bucking with joy. Thank goodness the rest of the gang was nearby waiting which helped calm him down to a stop.

After jumping we had a two-hour ride back to camp. We did the usual trot and canter along the way. I noticed that my knees were sore. I rode without stirrups for a bunch of this ride just to shake my knees out. When I finally stepped out of the saddle I realized I could barely walk. My knee was double its usual size. The three-hour drive back to Johannesburg cramped it up even more. I ignored the pain and enjoyed seeing the sites in Johannesburg.

After months of seeing doctors, I am now scheduled for ACL surgery on April 29. They will take a ligament out of my left knee and put it in my right. YUKKO! Doc says maybe I can be back in the saddle in four weeks. Was it worth it? Hell yes. That may have been the best ride of my life. I’m looking forward to more jumping in my future. The lesson learned:

I’m now looking forward to riding in Spain this coming September. Life can be grand if you tackle it.