True Cowgirl // Once Upon a Time

I was dubbed a "True Cowgirl" one decade ago. Some of you may have heard this story before, but the majority of you haven't. And all of you haven't heard it with this much detail. I thought I'd share this story with you today: The story of how I became a True Cowgirl.

I didn't realized the quote "If you climb into the saddle be ready for the ride" was talking to me one day when we were out with the horses.

I have always had a healthy caution for 1,000 pound animals, but my love for them have always overcome that fear. I went to horse camp, took riding lessons, posted a trot at age five, and had fallen off my fair share. But that day was different. That day, I didn't just get thrown over a horses head. That day I didn't just slide off because I couldn't ride a bareback trot. That day... that day I was taken on a out-of-control, wild ride ending with a hospital visit. Well, I won't spoil the rest of the story for you.

(All pictures for this post was taken out of a old photo book before I became a "cowgirl." I was eight.)

Bucking Brooklyne 

Written by a nine year old me

"Wednesday, Sept. 29th (2010) started out like any other Wednesday. We did two days worth of school and it seemed like we were in the "home school room" forever. After lunch, we went to the barn. (At the time we were boarding our horses.) We started on the stalls while the moms went to the pasture to  get the horses. It had rained this week and the horses were really muddy so we had to spend some extra time cleaning them up. Knight (at the time, we also had just the two older horses: Knight and Shawnee) was being a good boy and let us groom him. J, L, and Auntie had Shawnee saddled up with a bareback saddle. We put the Western saddle on Khnight and headed outside. (Note: our old Western saddle was just that-- old. Very vintage with a long horn.)

We walked the horses around the playground pasture and stopped to tighten their saddles. K and L rode first. Mom lead Knight through the hay pastures and through the first part of the trails. J and I walked behind everyone and made a map of the trails we were going though. We got to the second hay pasture and sissy road by herself. It was fun to watch Khnight and sissy trotting around free in the pasture. We went back into the trails and then it was G's turn to ride for a while. We walked and walked and then it was my turn. Shawnee had gotten a bit ahead of us during the time it took me to get on Khnight. (Lol, Idk why it took me so long to get on?) Mom lead me for a bit and then I said I wanted to ride by myself.

Knight was still a ways behind Shawnee so as soon as mom let go of the lead rope, off he went at a trot trying to catch up. I tried to stop him as he was running me though tree branches. (Poor baby!) He finally stopped when he saw Auntie on the trail. She had to get "big" with him to get his attention. Auntie hung onto Khnight's bridle through the rest of the trail and out into the hay field. Knight became very aware of his herd that was out in the pasture bordering the hay field. Auntie stopped Knight and let him see the horses from his herd that had ran over to take a closer look at what we were doing.All seemed well so I asked Auntie to let me go so that I could ride by myself back to the barn. J was almost to the barn when Auntie let go go the bridle.

I don't know what was going through Khinight's mind at this point. Maybe he just wanted to catch up with Shawnee. Maybe he thought he was being left behind, but whatever it was... he totally stopped listening to me. He began to trot and started going faster and faster and faster. I was pulling back on the reins as hard as I could, but he just kept going faster. I started yelling, "Mommy help me." And Mommy started yelling, "Dear God help her." (As dramatic as it sounds, it was very scary at the moment...)

Knight rounded the corner at a gallop (to me it felt like a gallop, he could have been just going at a fast canter, idk) and started bucking. I have never felt so scared in my life. (Poor me again!) He bucked three times and on the last buck, I flew through the air and landed on my head. I had no idea how hard the ground was. 

When I hit the ground, I was sure that I had a bloody nose, but it was just snot. (?) Mommy, Auntie, and Sissy ran up to me. Mommy held me and I told her that I thought my head was really hurt. I started feeling like I was going to throw up. Mommy carried me to the barn and we went to the bathroom to check out my injuries. While Mommy, Auntie, and Nannie were tending to me, Khnight had ran over to where J was standing with Shawnee. Knight started to run towards thee road so J grabbed his stirrup and tried to stop him. Sissy ran up to help. They took the horses and put them in their stalls fully tacked.

This was before out western saddle...

Mommy had talked to Daddy on the phone and he was on his way. When he got to the barn, Mommy and I were sitting in thee lounge and I was feeling quite sick. They decided to take me to the ER at a Children's Hospital in big town. Now I felt hurt and scared. (Just to let everyone know, I hate hospitals.) Nannie took Sissy and G to her house. Daddy, Mommy, and I headed to the hospital. I was so upset the whole way to the hospital. I was scared that there was something wrong with me and of what they would do to me once we got there. Daddy dropped us off at the door and went to park the car. Mommy carried me in and put me on a wheelchair. (Can I just say how my mom rocks? I don't remember this part about her carrying me so much.) I didn't want to be in a wheel chair, but I knew that she couldn't carry me for long. Once inside, Mommy got a mask for me to wear and we stood in line with lots of sick kids. We got registered and the nurse gave me a ID bracelet. This bracelet had my name and birthdate on it. The nurse was very nice and took us back to a room. Another nurse came in and asked me tons of questions about what happened, and how I was feeling. She asked mommy if I was allergic to anything. Mom told her the names of a couple drugs. She wrote that on a red bracelet and put it on my arm with the other one. They were talking about putting a neck brace on me, but a doctor came in and looked at me really quick and said that I didn't need it. I was glad about that because it really looked like a uncomfortable thing to wear. 

They said it was time for us to go to another room. I felt weird because Daddy wasn't using me to the other room. It was a man that worked at the hospital. I wonder if he had been doing this job for very long because he ran me into a door and a chair. (Oh my, I'm dying of laughter over here while I type this up!) 

This room was quieter because it had actual walls and a door, instead of curtains. (Does anyone else thinking I'm being super observant with my young writing style?) This room we pet the rest of our time in. Two different doctors came in and examined me, and a nurse brought me Advil. The doctors said that I had a mild concussion, whiplash, a bruised sternum (my sternum had hooked on the saddle horn during Khnight's bucking...) and leg. But other than that, I was going to be ok. We stayed in that room for several hours and I really started to get hungry. About 10pm, they finally let us go.

We all were starving so we went to McDonalds and got sandwiches, french fries, apple pies, and water. Then Daddy saw a Dunkin' Donuts with a drive thru. So we got donuts too, but they weren't very good. I was really tired and fell asleep in the car on the way home. When we got home, Mommy carried me to her bedroom and let me sleep with her. The next day, I was really sore. My legs and head hurt the worst. An my sternum felt worse than it did at the hospital. I took cdcil and did feel a bit better. Mom let me watch movies all day, which was fun, but it got boring. Auntie, Nannie, J, and L, brought lunch over and we all talked about what had happened.

I have to say that was the scariest thing I have ever been through. I know that my angel kept me from getting hurt worse than I did!"

The End.

Wait, there's more... my cousin J, wrote me a poem!

True Cowgirl

Written by a 10 year old

My friend Brooklyne

Rode the trails

This time was scarier

Then riding the rails

You see, I heard her shout

And there came Khnight 

Running about

I grabbed his stirrup

To stop him

Then my thoughts 

Grew very dim

She fell on her head 

With a bump

Laying there in a small

Little lump

She's a true cowgirl in 

My mind

A concussion, whiplash,

And a bruised hind

I thank God she will be 

Alright

For she really did 

Put up a fight.

I'm so cute!

(Then she drew me a little picture of a girl with a bandaged head.)

I have this story I wrote, J's poem, and a hospital mask with my "bracelets" saved in a special folder. I will forever remember the day I became a True Cowgirl.

"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway"

Have you ever been bucked off a horse? Have you ever had a concussion? Tell me all about it down below in the comments! (P.S. This is my 150th blog post!!)

Many Blessings,

A Thankful Little Cowgirl