"My horse-riding friend had a fall from her horse. We are the same age, so we get along well and are very compatible.
It seems she went to a riding club in Chiba and had the fall there.
The wind was strong that day, which might have startled the horse, leading to its unexpected behavior.
She is a senior, just like me, so I am worried about her current condition.I received an email yesterday saying she was scheduled for surgery.
I will ask her for more details once she recovers.
It seems she will be hospitalized for surgery for a month over the New Year period, which must be tough for her family and those involved.
I offered to visit her, but the hospital prefers that people other than family refrain from visiting.
In hindsight, I recommended an air jacket. This motorcycle-style air jacket is truly impressive.
I also once fell from a horse at my local riding club. The horse I was riding was startled by a large delivery truck.
I remember the scene vividly. I was enjoying a fast canter, feeling the wind.
Suddenly, the horse’s head, which was in my line of sight, disappeared as it noticed a large vehicle to its right and lowered its head
changing its stance.
'Ah, I’m going to fall. If I’m going to fall, let’s do it slowly, easing the speed,' I thought in those few seconds.
I slid off the horse, and the air jacket inflated.
I fell onto the inflated air cushion, landing on my back like a snowman.
Cautiously, I stood up. There was no pain anywhere in my body, even though I had been cantering.
The instructor was relieved to see me stand up quickly and then caught the excited horse.
The next day and the day after, I checked for any changes in my body, but there were none.
Just to be safe, I had an MRI of my head, but there were no abnormalities.
Now, I am certain that an air jacket is a 'lifeline' for us, senior horse-riding enthusiasts."