Well, this is a fine howdy-do.

[Rienzi]

Just when I am starting to make some progress with my riding....
Last night I was coming home after a doctor's appointment and a little horse-stuff shopping, going to pick up some groceries (driving my mother, in my mother's car), and then to go off to my riding lesson, when BOOM!! the car behind us slams into us at 35 mph.:eek:

We were stopped so the guy ahead of us could make a turn, minding our own business...the girl says she never saw the brake light. :o (It was at night). So she slammed into us and we slid into the truck ahead. Thank God everybody had their seatbelts on and nobody was seriously hurt. The police found my mother's eyeglasses in the back seat...she had been sitting in the passenger's seat.

This has been disruptive, to say the least. The car is a mess, and is worth a lot more to my mother than what the insurance company will give. It was one h ll of a jolt, and my back is sore and my neck is stiff, so I can't ride, and who knows for how long. I am really bummed out! Just when I was starting to get somewhere! My OTTB and I have been see-sawing back and forth for months -- we make progress, then he has a problem, or I have a problem... now I am actually getting to ride him and this happens. And I've got so much to do before winter, build fence, etc.

My beer is wearing off, so I'm having a little pity party. I know it could have been SOOO much worse, but...it still feels rotten. Phooey. Life is sticking its tongue out at me.:p

[fivehorses]

take a hot bath or shower. Apply sore no more or something like it, arnica, etc. Ask the doc for some flexerol or something to keep the muscles relaxed.

I was in a serious head on years ago, and it put an abrupt and lengthy halt to my riding for a very long time.

I hope you recover quickly.

[Paige777]

I was in a bad car accident at the beginning of the summer (hit by drunk driver) - I know how scary, and what a pain, those things can be. Glad no one was hurt, and I hope insurance does give you what the car is worth (though it never seems like they do). Hope you feel better soon!

[fourmares]

Advil and Traumeel... I've found that I feel better if I ride when I am sore.

[TikiSoo]

Wow! Glad no one was really hurt badly! I know what you mean about seniors and their cars - they can't afford to pay for "collision" coverage, but get into mishaps all too often.
And, just as me & greenie were making progress, I apparently pushed her too far & she bucked me off, making me sore in numerous places. I'm going to take this opportunity to reinforce better ground manners, refining teeny step commands and longer lunge lessons for a week while I recover.
And I agree, it helps the soreness to ride, even just walking. And taking your lessons "down" might be a good break from schooling.

[ellemayo]

The exact same thing happened to me last summer, even down to the glasses. Well, I was the one driving, and I was wearing sunglasses, which I later found in the backseat.
I actually got a nice shot of muscle relaxer in the butt and some heavy duty pain killers, which I found I didn't even need after the second day.
I hope you feel 100% soon so you're able to start riding again!

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

Argh. I know how you feel - years ago, just as I found the perfect instructor and perfect lesson horse and had progressed past those adult novice nerves? Yep, exact same kind of accident as yours.:(

I didn't really realize I was hurt all that badly and had my lesson the next week, whereupon things kind of seized up in my back and I just couldn't ride very well. So you are smart to plan on taking a little time off.:)

I had no permanent damage and I hope you won't either.

[equusus]

Funny, everyone seems to have been rear ended at some time, but you never hear stories from people doing the rear ending!

Hope you feel better.....

april

[rooroo8]

wow, that stinks, hope you feel better soon, I did something to my back in June and could not ride all July. I found a wonderful Chiropractor who really helped.

[Nikki^]

wow, that stinks, hope you feel better soon, I did something to my back in June and could not ride all July. I found a wonderful Chiropractor who really helped.

My Chiropractor is a God send! I was in an accident where I was stopped at a red light and some guy slams into my rear at 35 mph. I just paid off my car too :eek: . My glasses were found in the back seat he hit me so hard. I did get some muscle relaxers but my Chrio told me not to take them since they mask the pain. When you mask the pain you feel good and use those muscles that are sore and you can further the damage.

I'd say relax this weekend and use cold compression on your neck and back, 20 minues on, 40 minutes off. You might have a bit of whip lash too. Just take it easy for the first month and not push yourself.

I would suggest getting a lawyer to get a fair price on your car, get all your medicals bills paid and any work you will be missing.

Get well soon.

[Rienzi]

Thanks for all the support and ideas, guys. I appreciate it. I wonder if I rub in Leg Down...?

For the record, the person that hit us was a young person, probably 18 or so. (I saw her put something down immediately after the accident, so I suspect she was on the cell phone or something) The only senior involved was my poor mother, who was in the pasenger's seat. She is sore too but feeling better today.

The two things that I need to work on most with my riding right now are keeping my head up and relaxing my back...hmm, that's not going to work. And if he broke into a trot my head might pop off, :eek: so riding is out for now. I'll have to give it a little time. My back does feel better today.

It seems like a lot of you guys have been in exactly the same situation... there must be some cosmic reason.

Thanks for thinking of me.

[lizathenag]

please consult an attorney to make the insurance company(ies) do their jobs.

and feel better soon.

[2 tbs]

Been there. Done that. :(

I was a block from my house, sitting at a red light that was seconds from turning green. I was in an '88 honda civic and was behind a Chevy S10. I was sorta in a daze as I was almost home, had spent a long night at the farm getting ready for a show the next day, when all of a sudden a Ford F150 slammed into my non moving back end at 40-45 mph :(

I have a long horror story about what happened after the accident and I got royally screwed on the deal so definitely get someone to speak on your behalf or at least guide you to the right decisions!

Glad everyone is mostly ok :). You will be stiff, sore, bruised by your seatbelt for a few days and no doubt find you have a pretty good case of whiplash. Take some time off, use cold for the first 24 hrs then use heat to promote healing for every day after that. I would sit around for maybe 2 days at most but then do light activity--as much as you feel comfortable doing. You will loosen up faster if you keep yourself slightly active.

I also suggest seeing a chiro initially-maybe not long term but call one and talk to them about when to be seen. Now, about 10 years later, I find myself starting my 4th year of regular chiropractic work. Granted, all the years riding and doing farm chores are a big cause for some of my issues but I get migraines now and they come from my neck because my neck "healed crooked" from my whiplash. If I had known then what I know now...I woulda been seen as soon as I was cleared to be seen so I could have helped my body heal correctly!

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

Funny, everyone seems to have been rear ended at some time, but you never hear stories from people doing the rear ending!

:lol: OK, I'll admit it. Years ago, when I was a clueless teenager (but before we had cell phones!) I rear-ended somebody. :eek: You know how sometimes the person ahead of you will stop at the end of an exit ramp, when you are looking back to see if there's a space in traffic you can merge into? :uhoh:

But I wasn't going very fast, and it was a bunch of boys in an old beater. They begged me not to report it, so I got off pretty lucky.:D