By Abby Stilwell 

Over the past six years, my immediate family and I have experienced three separate incidents resulting in serious horse-related injuries of varying degrees. 

Writing about those experiences has not been easy. It’s painful to revisit those moments, and I feel a deep responsibility to be thoughtful in what I share, especially when it involves the stories of others. Still, I hope that by sharing these stories, I can offer encouragement to those facing their own challenges. Even in the darkest moments, the bond with a horse can still lead you back to the light. 

My Accident 

In the summer of 2019, while riding my three-year-old across a nearby quarter-section of land on a brisk morning, everything changed in a split second. The last thing I remember is travelling along the tree line at an extended trot and looking up to see some crows circling above, and I vaguely recall my horse spooking and my body rotating from its perch 16.3 hands in the air. When I came to, I was lying in the damp hay field, and my horse was nowhere to be seen. It took a few dizzying tries to get my body upright, and as I began looking around, I desperately tried to focus my eyes and point myself in the right direction to begin walking back to my parents’ farm. I frantically scanned the highway, praying I wouldn’t discover my horse lying there, struck by oncoming traffic. Thankfully, there was no evidence of him there — or anywhere, for that matter. 

The walk home felt like a nauseating eternity. I wasn’t sure where my body was hurt, or how badly, but I knew I needed to get home. Eventually, I found my way to the driveway, where my six-year-old son was running towards me yelling, “Mom! There you are!” Up at the barn, I could see my nine-year-old son holding my horse, which had fortunately run home. When I got to the barn, I crawled back on (because you always get back on…) but within seconds I realized how ridiculously stupid that was. I was dizzy and in shock, so I got back down. 

A screenshot of me in a social media post following my 2019 accident.  

After some tests and x-rays at the hospital, it was determined that I had a concussion, a broken middle finger, and some nasty bruises. That didn’t seem so bad. I remember thinking how lucky I was, and that I would probably be back in the saddle in a week or so. 

My Mom’s Accident  

In the summer of 2020, my parents were on a pack trip in the mountains with some friends and family members. They were set to be gone for a little over a week, which was a normal part of every summer for as long as I can remember. 

The day of my mom’s accident, I was in the process of dealing with a veterinary situation after discovering that my yearling had ripped his side open while I was away camping. When my sister came roaring into the yard on her side-by-side, I assumed she was coming to check on me and my horse. Instead, she said something to the effect of: “There was an accident. Mom has been picked up by STARS [Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service].” My sister and I jumped in my dad’s truck and drove as quickly as we could to the hospital our mom was being taken to. At the hospital we frantically explained to the security team at the door that our mom had been in a bad accident… but they wouldn’t let us through because this was in the COVID-19 summer of 2020. While standing there arguing with the security team, time seemed to suddenly stand still when a nearly lifeless-looking, beat-up version of my mom was wheeled by on a stretcher, followed closely by a filthy, campfire-smokey, mountain man version of my dad. The next moments are a blur, but my sister was mercifully allowed to go with my mom, and my dad came outside with me. He needed to drive home to shower and grab a change of clothes before making the five-hour drive to Edmonton where my mom was being taken by emergency medical evacuation. My dad could not go on the plane with her. 

During the drive, my dad hauntingly recounted to me what had happened just hours earlier. 

While riding a rocky trail in the Willmore Wilderness, my mom’s horse reared, lost balance and fell backward, crushing her beneath it. My dad helplessly saw it happen before jumping off his own horse and running to her motionless body. After covering her with his jacket, he made the agonizing decision to leave her there and run for help on foot — all the horses had run off by this point. Miraculously, thanks to the efforts of everyone on the trails that day, they stabilized her and called for help using a satellite phone, prompting a rescue by STARS and other emergency responders. 

That tragic day, my mom suffered multiple breaks to her neck and back, a shattered pelvis, lacerated bladder, and severe head trauma. In the months of healing and rehabilitation that followed this terrible day, the last thing on any of our minds was if or when she would ride again. 

My Sister’s Accident 

In December 2024 my sister and I were enjoying a training ride at the local indoor arena. I had been helping her start her three-year-old filly and we always went together for these training sessions. This day wasn’t much different than many of the others. We rode our horses and were happily visiting while we untacked and packed up. Then suddenly, I heard a commotion and a hard thump, along with a painful cry from my sister. As I spun and ran toward her, her body now lying in the dirt below my big warmblood’s head, she simply looked down at her leg and said: “Call 911.”  

It turned out that she had startled her young horse as she was walking up to loosen the saddle and had been kicked in the leg. I am not a medical professional, but it was very apparent that she was badly hurt. In the hour that followed, we did everything we could to keep her comfortable and get her help in the arena. We moved horse trailers out of the way and loaded horses. We frantically waved Emergency Medical Service workers in and then waited for what felt like an eternity for my sister to be loaded in the ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital. The x-rays revealed catastrophic damage to her leg and knee. Her tibia was shattered, her fibula broken, knee dislocated, both menisci torn as well as her medial collateral ligament. She was booked for immediate surgery and transferred to a larger hospital capable of dealing with this type of injury.  

My sister being attended to by EMS (2024). Photo: Abby Stilwell  

My sister spent a month in the hospital and another month at home confined to a wheelchair. Did I mention she has two very young children? Her recovery has been a long and difficult journey requiring the support of many people. Her plans to spend the summer riding, which she had been eagerly anticipating since purchasing that filly as a weanling, were destroyed. In those first few months, her hope of even walking normally again seemed uncertain. As for riding, we had no idea what that might look like or if it would be possible. To make matters worse, she was left with a traumatic and deeply unsettling new fear of horses. 

My Journey Back to Riding  

After my accident, many things were hard. I had headaches, noise sensitivity, and significant confusion and brain fog. I attempted to return to work in August, but it was beyond overwhelming, and my brain couldn’t keep up with the demands of my job (I was an assistant principal at the time). It was embarrassing and frustrating.  

Oddly enough, one thing that felt almost normal in the first few weeks after my fall was riding my horse. But when my doctor found out that I was riding against his orders, he gave me a firm lecture, and so I took some time away to heal.  

From that point on, my healing felt tedious and slow. My head injury altered my personality, dulling my enthusiasm for things I once loved and changing my outgoing nature. I found myself choosing to be alone instead of seeing friends or going to events, and worst of all, I felt increasingly afraid of riding my horse. Riding outside of an arena and jumping were particularly crippling. Attempting to mask my nerves, I am embarrassed to share that on some occasions I even medicated myself before riding. 

Luckily, I am stubborn and don’t give up easily. I listened to podcasts on fear and sports psychology and even flew to Vancouver for neurotherapy. I continued to push through my fears, and often I just rode scared. This is not something I would recommend to others, but over about two or three years my confidence in the saddle returned enough that I could relax and feel joy while riding and not be overwhelmed when I loaded my horse in the trailer.  

My Mom’s Journey Back to Riding  

Six months almost to the day of my mom’s horrible accident, with the help of my dad, she stepped up on a mounting block and carefully perched herself on an old well-broke horse in our local indoor riding arena. I think she did it to prove to herself that she could, and to take that first step toward regaining a part of herself we were all worried she would lose forever. Her balance wasn’t good, and she required assistance. Her body didn’t move in the ways it used to, and the saddle now created pain instead of comfort. Her confidence was severely shaken — but she was horseback again.  

My mom and my sons once again enjoying a day riding in the mountains in 2025. 

Over the next several years she would continue riding and trying to rebuild her confidence. There would be points where she would be super committed and ride almost daily, and then there would be a setback (which she was usually reluctant to talk about), and she would take a break. I don’t believe that riding is the same for her as it was before and although it may never be the same, I am very proud that she has found the courage to carry on with her lifelong love of horses and riding. She has even returned to the mountain trails, sharing the serenity of that special place with her children and grandchildren. My boys have been fortunate to enjoy mountain rides with my parents each summer and it still feels surreal to see her out there with them. Her courage and determination are inspiring.  

My Sister’s Journey Back to Riding  

My sister’s accident happened at the end of December, and on April 6, her birthday, my dad pulled the oldest horse from the field and my sister got back in the saddle. Apparently, she has ridden a horse on her birthday every year since she was born, so she was not about to break the 36-year streak! She has ridden a couple more times since that day, pushing through the discomfort, but since the accident her biggest fear hasn’t been the act of riding, it is actually the unpredictable nature of being in the presence of horses. 

To let my sister focus on healing, this is me riding and training her filly in 2025. 

With the help of her caring husband-to-be, she has been able to groom her filly and enjoys spending time with her. Her sweet horse is always happy to see her and smells her injured leg as if she understands. They have a special bond, a bond which my sister is working hard to rebuild since her trust was destroyed on that awful day. She does her physio exercises faithfully and remains committed to getting back into jumping and competing. 

While she focuses on healing, I have brought my sister’s filly to my place to put 30 days of training on her, doing the work my sister was planning to do herself. This young horse is a pleasure to train. She is smart and willing, calm and respectful. We believe that the day she hurt my sister she was genuinely afraid. We watched the surveillance footage, which clearly confirms that the horse kicked out because of fear. Although this does not excuse what happened, it helps us find forgiveness and acceptance. My sister’s journey back to riding is still a work in progress but seeing her face light up when she watches me ride her filly strengthens my belief that she will be back on top in no time. 

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Main Photo: Abby Stilwell