Farewell Gally

Almost a month ago we had a terrible storm. In our area it was quoted as a one in 500 year event. Wind, lightening and rain, rain and more rain. Sometime in that storm, somehow, Gally broke a leg and had to be put down. My more personal recollection of this event is recorded here and here.

Since the incident, friends have asked me how it happened? Well, the short answer is, I don't know. What I do know, is that it is not uncommon. Soon after I started riding, I got to know a girl who was into equestrian competition. She already had a mare for showing, and she had just bought a horse for jumping. It was a lovely horse in every way. Not flighty, nice to handle, nice to ride. The girl's property had good fencing, and was fairly flat. Three weeks later, the horse broke a leg and had to be put down.

I was very sad to hear this, and asked why it happened. The answer from the general equestrian community around me at the time, was that it was freak accident. No one saw it happen, so they don't know what happened. But, "it does happen", I was told.

A few years later I heard of another similar story. Quiet horse, flattish, safe paddock.

So, ever since I have owned horses, I have lived with the reality that one day it might happen to me. But I have also lived with the stories of how other riders, lost their horses and moved on. Got new horses, and rode on to bigger and better things.

Life, and "the show", goes on.