It's been so long since Ive been on here I almost forgot I had a blog!
2009 was quite a year for me as I'm sure it has been for a lot of folks. Where I left off last year I was on my way to Washington to ride some colts for some people and do some lessons for the winter. Everything went well but the weather was some of the worst they had seen in years. I thought I had left the cold and snow in Montana but it followed me there and made work very difficult. One of the barn roofs where I was working collapsed from the weight of all the snow. Needless to say Lisa Schilling at Jackson Valley Ranch was very good to me and her place proved to be a great place to work out of. While I was at Jackson Valley Ranch I was offered a job at the Starwind ranch in Livingston Montana, it's only a short distance form where I live and I thought it would be good to be home with my son. After a brief negotiation I was on my way home to help manage a horse and cattle ranch east of Bozeman.
Starwind is a 4000 acre ranch located on the pass between Bozeman and Livingston. It is a mountainous ranch with very beautiful terrain at an elevation of around 7000 feet. Things can be tough at times at an elevation like this. As soon as I made it home winter decided to hit, it seemed to be the largest winter that I can remember. We had snow clear into June.
Kade graduated high school at the end of may, it was a great day but a little emotional. I can't believe my little boy just graduated. We worked so hard for this day but it was sad for me knowing my little buddy was growing up and getting ready to do his own thing.
I'm glad I came home for the last four months of Kade's school. He high school rodeo'd this year and did very well. He made it to state in the Saddle Bronc riding which was held in Bozeman this year. He did very well at state winning a nice buckle and qualifing for Sliver State in Fallon Nevada. In July we loaded up with some friends and headed to Nevada, both boys were so overwelmed at the size of the rodeo that their nerves got to them and didn't ride to their potential. Needless to say it was a long quite drive home.
On July 12 I was catching a mule and recieved the biggest surprise of the year. I was tying my halter when the mule reached up past his jaw with a hind leg and kicked me in the joint on the outside of my left leg. I dropped like a ton of bricks. I didn't even see him flinch. When i hit the ground he tried to kick me again, thank goodness Kade was there and he was able to protect me until he was able to get me out of the corral. Thinking I was tougher than I tried to get right up, YEAH RIGHT! I collapsed right away, thats when I looked down and saw my knee cap on the left side of my leg, DANG IT, I can't spend time being hurt I thought so I told Kade to grab it and try to straighten it out. That's what they do in the movies so it must work for me! Not so much, he grabbed it and twisted it at the same time. Probably not one of the smarter things we have done. After I got done crying like a little baby he loaded me up and took me to the hospital. You would be amazed on how rough our roads are when you can feel every little piece of gravel that you are driveing on. Once at the hospital and finaly getting checked in I got enough pain medication in me to make it bearable they got it reset and moved me into a room for the night so they could keep an I on me, the following day I went in to Alpine orthopedics in Bozeman to find out how much damage I have done. To make make a long story short I tore in half my ACL,MCL,PTL and hamstring ligaments. After three surgeries and donor ligaments I am on the road to a long recovery.
Josh Greene at Lone Peaks Physical Therapy is the only reason that I am walking today. If anyone needs physical therapy for any reason I highly recomend him and his facility in Belgrade Montana.
The injury slowed me down as I was in bed for almost three months but the owner of Starwind was gracious enough to let me keep my job. Thanks to Kade he was able to finish some colts that we had started and did a darn good job on them. After the horses went home he came to work with me at Starwind.
Since my injury I had to cancel some clinics and the Mane Event Horse Expo British Columbia, I am sure dissapointed for that but I thought healing properly was a better idea for now. I have been cleared by the doctor to start riding but it's still pretty pain full to put weight on so I'm taking my time.
I sure look forward for 2010 and hope it proves to be a better year. I have new clinic dates for the spring and they are posted on my website. Looking forward to getting back to what I love. Thanks for every one's support in 2009.
Jon
