Horses Lend Us the Wings We Lack

©GCL/Stefano Grasso; source: Global Champions League on Facebook

(Send me answers anonymously if you want!!)

It’s probably worth mentioning here that I did have a horrible riding accident, but was physically just a bit battered and bruised and a bit of whiplash (ambulance people said I was very lucky not to have a concussion). Mentally it really affected me. Having your one in a million horse, who is also your lifeline, your best friend and your reason for living when you’re verging on suicidal, die in your arms on the XC course does that to a person. The memory of falling, getting up and seeing her just lying on the ground, paralysed haunts me constantly. Afterwards I had a crash in my depression, my anxiety went through the roof (especially with riding and specifically jumping), and I developed PTSD like symptoms. I’m a lot better now, but still not back where I was, and it’s taken nearly 2 years to gain any approximation of the rider I used to be...

Racehorse history is wild