Following horse hoof trails into the mountain, sorting old from new and up from down, I finally get the one of the trails at the top and find a bloke looking for the horse who says the rider is up top of the mountain. So more flat-tyre no clearance firetrail riding later, I find her up the track on her belly with a back injury. Basic first aid check later, figuring she's not spinal injured, but maybe done some discs and muscles? Ambos have been called. Waiting, talking, waiting....
Ambo's walking up hill a bit later carrying lots of stuff by hand and puffed out as their ambo won't do 4wd stuff. 5 minutes later the Westpac Rescue helicopter's dropping surgeon and paramedic in through trees 50m away from us, with 4wd ambo coming up to get her to take her to the empty paddocks next to our block for a pick, to fly to john hunter hospital...
Horse was huge and was moved into our backyard, after I left, in case the chopper spooked it. Turned out another rider, the guy I met at the bottom, was riding his horse and her horse got spooked and bolted from under her when it noticed the other riders... Sienna had a ball playing with the horse, feeding it grass and carrots and walking it around the backyard, saying 'there is enough room, can we have one?' ...She's a real natural with horse. Later we went over to a friend's who has just got a new horse after it was neglected by the previous owner. It initially would not let them come within 10m, and now they can only get within 1m of it most days. Sienna was rubbing it's shoulder in 10 minutes with the horse later coming right up to her to walk past next to her. i hope she grows up to be just as confident with horsepower!
I don't have photos from up the mountain...
There's a saturday you don't have everyday!
z
