Ribbon

Below is an email from Alesia Kata. I think her theory makes the most sense of what happened with Ribbon. We will have to see about having a horse chiropractor come check her out once she is brought back from Middle Grove.

Hi Judy
I just watched the vaulting disaster video and read your blog about it. I have a theory about what might have happened. I don't think that Ribbon freaked because of the music. The music was stuck for quite a while before the incident and I can't see evidence from my perspective that she was even phased by the noise. I replayed it several times and what I noticed was Ribbon's posture and facial expressions. She was a little short strided in the back end and actually "hitched" (a little hop one takes to relieve a sudden sharp pain from a pinched nerve) right before her back legs appeared to just give out. She actually tried to catch herself by pedaling backward with the front legs (her eyes wide with the surprise of sudden sharp pain and lack of control of her own legs.) She just sat there for a second or two like she COULDN'T get up. Her back left leg gave a little quiver like she was afraid to push off on it to get back up. When she did get up, the lunge line was behind her front leg and whenever she took a step, it tugged on her mouth and she got the "back up" signal. I honestly believe she just got a sharp pain (possibly from her back to her leg) and then got a bit panicked/confused trying to avoid the pain along with the inadvertent back-up cue; a combination which set her repeatedly on her rump (the poor thing.) If you look closely at the footfall of her back legs at the end of the video, you can see her reaching with one leg and very short strided on the other.

My verdict: bad timing of a pinched nerve!

Tell Ribbon I know what it feels like! I get a little "hitch" in my git-along every once in a while myself ! LOL! Hopefully she gave herself a free chiropractic adjustment with that last thump on the bumm!
It appeared as though the kids knew something was wrong with her and that she wasn't intentionally trying to hurt anyone. I'm glad everyone is alright.

Next is Joan and her family's idea All the way from Haiti: We just think that Ribbon decided vaulting wasn't her thing and she wanted to try out for a circus elephant...at least that's what it looked like.