Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

Speaking of trauma centers...my first trip to an emergency room
was due to my polo instructor having a riding accident during our
lesson.  It was a miracle her injuries were relatively minor.  I
was wearing my heavy duty schooling helmet, she was bare headed.

Her mare, a polo pony not usually ridden except during 7-minute
polo chukkers, had a hissy fit at being asked to work much longer
than 7 minutes.  Thinking the mare was going to rear, the rider
leaned forward.  The mare threw her head back, clipping the rider
over one eye and breaking the occipital bone.  The rider, badly
stunned, reflexively leaned backward and hung on the reins.  This
caused the mare to fall back on her rump, dislodging the rider
who was ejected head-first 3 feet to the ground.  The mare then
fell over onto her back, on top of the rider.  After squirming a
bit, the mare rolled over, leaped to her feet straddling the
rider, and galloped off to the barn.  The mare managed to get up
and away without injuring the rider but her weight and rolling
caused some internal abdominal crush injuries.  Good thing the
saddle was a flat seat polo saddle!  The rider was unconscious
for about 10 minutes, with very unequal pupils (definite brain
injury), and several times she stopped breathing.  I was primed
to go to the C in ABC, meaning start CPR.  (Lifesaving, when the
subject may have serious permanent injuries, is such a delicate
judgement call!)  She came to when I remembered something I had
read about how even unconscious people can respond to strong
emotional stimuli.  So I declared if she did not wake up *right
now* I was going to call her boss (a very alpha person) to come
kick her ass!  That roused her.  Ahem.

My instructor made a complete recovery within a few months, I am
glad to report.  She got lucky.

I don't always wear my helmet, but I do wear it more often than
not.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico