Will Gracie Ride Again?

Gracie is still in the hospital in Kansas City. She broke her pelvis in what we now know to be 4 places. 3 of the fractures are lateral and anterior compression fractures. The 4th, and most troublesome is a zone 2 sacral fracture that goes through the neural foramen. That's troublesome because some very important nerves are in that space.

Often times they do surgery on this type of injury to avoid devastating nerve damage, but they feel that Gracie's SI joint ligaments are strong enough to hold the pelvis in place while she heals. Unfortunately there can be absolutely no weight bearing on her left side so she will be in a wheelchair for 3-4 months.  The best news is that Gracie's growth plates reveal she has more growing to do and they expect her to heal well and have a full recovery.

Gracie explained to me that she had just remounted during the game and had kicked him on before she had her feet in the stirrups and her reins gathered up. So with a ball in one hand, no stirrups and a long rein, she just wasn't positioned to handle the buck. We think he bucked her 2 or 3 times before she went off and finally landed just wrong on her right side. Interestingly, the troublesome break is on her left side. 

Magic is not new to the games. This behavior was completely uncharacteristic of this horse as we have NEVER seen him buck her before. The whole thing is a complete shock to us.  Gracie thinks he just got really excited, but I believe he was irritated and over-stimulated from the noise, the new environment, being stalled, etc.. (Here is a link to a YouTube video of Pony Club games. Keep in mind this is an international competition. Things don't move quite as fast at our level, but it gives you a great sense of what was going on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPc5KVHRfeI)

Gracie's first comments after receiving the news that she'd be in a wheelchair for so long:

"Who is going to ride my horse? He'll get so FAT if he's not ridden!"

"Now I won't be able to rate up this fall!"

But then after things settled in a bit she said, "You know, with all that time on my hands, I could rate up several levels in Horse Management (the knowledge portion of a Pony Club rating)!!"  She is a Pony Clubber through to her very core.

I have had several "non-horse" friends and family members ask me questions like "Will you "let" her ride again?" and "Will you "let" your other children continue in horses after this?".  And many others who aren't asking, I know, are thinking it or asking it behind my back.  These are the same questions I received after our horrible trailering accident 3 years ago.  They are fair questions and that is why at times like this I am so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our Pony Club family.  Their understanding of my situation means the world to me and helps sustain us. They understand why I cannot, and will not, pull all my kids off horses.

Gracie posted a video on my Facebook wall just yesterday and said I could share it with anyone who asks the question, "Will Gracie ride again?".  I wanted you to see it because it reveals what is in her heart.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVI4fyXo9cY

Thanks again to all of you and please continue to pray for Gracie over these next few months.  Feel free to friend me on Facebook if you're interested in following our updates.

Praising God and knowing He will use this for good,

Danna Seevers

Joint District Comissioner, Cornhusker Pony Club