"Bee"ware of Bees - a war story

[saungier@mindspring.com]

I can second Heidi's warning about ground bees - but from another aspect.
Please watch out on the trails when you are riding as well.  I have been so
careful this year, but
on Sunday, my little mare, Lella and I were the ones in our group who took
the brunt of making some yellow jackets very angry.  One friend described my
mare as doing handstands with her forehead on the ground - I hung on for a
few minor bucks- but you know how these little arabs are - they are fast and
athletic.
I came to and found myself lying in an old cutover hayfield, full of briars,
with my buddy Lynn (the nurse practioner) hoving over me...doing a through
check for injuries....  Really major pain in the hip, slight dent in the old
Troxel.  I'll get my wind back in a minute... wrong..... pain continues to
be bad.... where's my horse??? .... Lynn wonders why I am mumbling about
"Goofy" being lost in Canada  (only a Ridecamper could understand that I was
really coherent, right?).  Lynn says she took off, they think she is in the
cornfield across the road (talk about a needle in the haystack)....no...
she's in the alfalfa field further down..... finally caught she was standing
in the middle of a back road (probably trying to thumb a ride back home).
She's scared but ok. Tack is intact.  She gets an impromptu lesson in being
ponied (they said she was great).
Me.. ..I'm in shock and babbling... some part of me knows I have to stay
conscious so I have to keep talking ....I'm still thinking  I'll get back on
when they find her.  No way.... thank God for cell phones and good neighbors
when you really need one.  Lynn makes a call and in comes the calvary to
take me back to the house..decided I didn't have a back injury so probably
didn't need to go the ambulance route....Oh, standing is really hard.... the
world is really spinning.... I have always gotten back on after a fall and
finished the ride, but not this time.  My hip hurts so bad I have trouble
not passing out again... I've really done it this time... thank God we're
not up in the mountains.
Friends sort things out.  Lynn digs out some analgesics and starts dosing me
before taking me to the ER, Nan takes Lella home, another takes Lynn's horse
home.  They were performing like a well rehearsed drill team.
ER said no broken bones, just deep muscle trauma from falling on the point
of my hip and twisting my neck/shoulder funny when I fell.  Bedrest for a
few days......Everything still hurts and its Friday.
Lella is fine - no major irritations from stings or injuries from her solo
jaunt.  My instuctor rode her Monday and said her confidence was really
shaken.  She is ususally the bravest little mare but there were demons
everywhere that night. She and I will work on rebuilding our confidence...
it shouldn't take long.... we're a good team, she and I.

The moral of the story - watch out for those dang ground bees this time of
year.  Carry your bee sting kit if you are allergic....Ride in small groups
of 2 or 3 when you can, as you stand less of a chance of disturbing the bees
before you've cleared the nest area.... and when the bucking starts... sit
back, push forward and get their heads up.... sometimes it works.. and well,
sometimes it doesn't.... but then again I got her far enough away from the
nest that I didn't land near the bees.... It was the Lella's handstand act
that got me:)

 - If I ever have the misfortune to crash again - let it be with these
fantastic ladies (Lynn, Nan, Pam & Judy) who took such good care of Lella
and I.

Sally "Black & Blue" Aungier
Va.



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