About a month ago I went into surgery to repair a root tear in my meniscus, a medial tear in my meniscus, clean up an old lateral tear and repair a grade 3 MCL tear. I got kicked in the knee, rushed to the hospital, coded on the table and faced a long road of recovery. If I have heard one thing repeatedly it was to not rush the healing process. Anyone who knows three day event riders know that when a doctor gives you a recovery time usually you cut it in half. Unfortunately I was explained that my injury heals with scaring and if I wanted to avoid further surgery and have a functioning knee I had to follow protocol. So you can imagine my disappointment when my surgeon said 4 to 6 months of recovery. (Still shooting for three months!) Now let me also get this out there, I know I am extremely lucky to have an end in site to my injury. This besides a few concussions is my first major injury to put me on the sidelines and it’s been a learning process for me. I have had to learn to not do anything. My usually busy day starting with Crossfit and ending with riding a half dozen plus horses turned into sitting on a machine for six hours a day. Relying on other people to ride my horses, take care of them, check their legs etc. I never realized how much I check my horses legs until I couldn’t check their legs anymore.
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- Dayna riding Rockefeller
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- Kaitlin riding Kedrah
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- Phillip Dutton riding Condi
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- Phillip Dutton jumping Rockefeller
Woodside horse trials was hard. I wanted so badly to be competing. But it was fun to watch everyone in my barn, something I usually don’t have time for. I cried when Kaitlin Veltkamp came galloping through the finish lines in a flawless advanced cross country round. I cheered as loudly as I could when Cathy Rich had a clean show jump round and I offered Ainsliegh my drink tickets after she fell off in show jumping. Being on the sidelines was new for me but not as terrible as I thought it would be. Fast forward to present day and I am now able to teach lessons, walk without crutches and I spend ALOT of time grooming my horses. I also had the opportunity to trailer my horses down to the Fresno County Horse Park for the Phillip Dutton clinic. It was awesome being able to watch him jump Condi and Rockefeller and get his input!
This injury has also made me realize that our barn is a pretty special place. After I got injured the support I felt from everyone was unreal. My mom took on the daily riding of Condi and Rockefeller and Kaitlin took baby Kedrah on as her own. Brynn has helped with the riding as has Shannon and Katie and I really can’t thank them all enough. Along with the riders my owners have been so understanding. I know they are as competitive as I am and sitting on the sidelines is probably just as hard for them. But their support has motivated me to get better as quickly possible. I can’t imagine where my life would be without them. My sponsors have been understanding and supportive as well and I really can’t ask for much more.
I am lucky enough to have a physical therapist who rides horses. He feels pretty confident that I will be able to compete by the August Woodside. It’s all I think about now! I am still on my machine throughout the day, and I still have a long way to go as my leg is still not too mobile. The bend I am getting is only about 95 degrees and they want it at 120. But the good news is it is healing and like I said I am incredibly lucky to have an end in sight!
