Friday May 13 2011 Had my first fall off of Cooper today, rider error. It was pouring rain as we rode in the indoor arena. A black cat ran by, I don't know if there was another noise, it all happened so fast.

I was trying to do shoulder over at 9 o'clock position and pulled too hard at the same time that he spooked. He went one way, I went the other way off his right side. I held onto the reins too, green rider thing, and almost pulled him right down on top of me by doing so.

I had the Abetta Escape Breakaway Stirrups on and it's a good thing as the right foot, my real foot, got stuck and it broke away when I fell. I also broke my glasses as I think Cooper sidestepped to miss me and hit the left side of my helmet and then my glasses on that side.

Good thing I was using the stirrups and wearing a helmet!!

I landed on my back and slightly to the right and it knocked my shoulder.

My rotator cuff injury felt a lot better after this but had a sharp pain in the shoulder blade. I never went to the hospital, probably should have because still today I get pains in my shoulder blade at the back when I breathe deeply.

But I always said that I thought if someone would give me a good whack in that shoulder that it would make it feel better, just didn't want to do it this way.

The fear came back and I didn't get back in the saddle for several weeks.