speaker-0: Hi guys, this is another episode of Horse Show Bestie. I'm your co-host, Scott Cooper. And that's it today. I'm actually just your host. Let the rumors start flying. No, Krista and I are fine. Do not worry. ⁓ We are very busy adults with complete eight hour time difference between us and things going on. So fun fact, we decided to give this a little try where sometimes she'll host something, sometimes I'll host something, we'll come back together. whatever, we're flexible, like we're our own bosses. hopefully you appreciate this episode, but we are having a guest on today. So we'll get to that in a minute, but ⁓ I'm alive. I'm alive. Y'all, oof, it's been an interesting couple of weeks. ⁓ Can I just say how happy I am that we have a new lunar new year, year of the horse. whatever just flipped over in the calendar, please, please let it be better than what happened in 2025 at the beginning of 26. Holy cow. Yeah, so if you listened to last week's episode or if you follow me on social media, you will know that I was in a big ski accident two weeks ago. So I was up in Mammoth, actually chaperoning a ski trip with 14 students and one of the chaperone. You guys, and I wasn't doing anything crazy and I am a good skier. I've been skiing since I was four years old. I wouldn't say Olympic level, you know, I'm very good. But yeah, I was just, I skied on that Friday, had a great time, just like a great, great day out on the mountain and had fun with the students and it was just, it was great. And then Saturday morning, caught first share. ⁓ I was going to get a few runs in before all the students got up and met up with them. And I... Did a few runs, went over to like the front side of mountain, tried an area that I hadn't gone to on Friday, and I went up the chairlift, and I got off the chairlift, and I took a left, because I was like, oh, I'm to go down this run. This is just like a double black diamond. I got to the top of it, I looked down, and I was like, you know what, that looks a little scarier than it did off the chairlift. And also I'm chaperoning, let's not be stupid. I turned around, I literally had to hike back up a little bit, so I could go back around the other way and go down this groomer blue, which just like. standard average and I was going down like immaculate form, cute outfit, everything like it was just good. was like thinking to myself, I'm like wow Scott, I'm like such a good skier. I'm so glad that like I have this hobby in my life and just as I was thinking that my crappy rental skis because I've not replaced my good skis since the fire, take a shot. The rental skis, I don't know, I'm gonna blame it on them because I just lost my edge. as I'm carving and I started slipping and as I'm slipping I look over and I see this clump of trees and in front of the clump of trees is this like one foot wide solid stump of a tree and I was like ⁓ we can't hit that we definitely can't hit that I was trying to like get my skis like popped right in and like just like trying to divert myself away from that and I did not divert myself away from that stump so I crashed into it back and arm first and immediately knew something wrong. It's like when you know that like your bones are broken. That was definitely a situation there. anywho, I ski patrol came, went to the ER, was in the ICU, had surgery. I, for you medical nerds, I broke my ulna and my radius and also my transverse processes. This is back. I actually, I should look this up, but Basically, my lumbar L1 through L4, all four of them, those little spiky things that come out, those are all broken and I had a raging internal hematoma. yeah, spent four days in the hospital and had surgery and now I'm in a cast and guys, I don't know what recovery really looks like. I'm marginally getting better. I'm walking and... just like slowly easing back into work and trying to be patient, but I'm not patient or am I a good patient? So ⁓ I don't know what the rest of 2026 looks like. I said a few months ago, like, I want to show more this year. Well, that's not happening, unfortunately. So it'll look different. So, and I don't know what that is yet, but I'm okay. ⁓ And today's guest we have on also went through a horrible incident. ⁓ It's very unfortunate that Oftentimes, I feel like there's about one a year where we hear someone, usually a trainer, involved in some horse accident that is horrible and totally messes them up physically. That is the nature of riding animals and putting that risk out there. So today's guest has gone through that process of having a really, really bad accident on a horse and coming back. So really excited to share that with you and let's get into it. This episode is brought to you by NAC Equine Services. For years, Naomi Clayton of NAC Equine Services has helped paint and quarter owners, breeders, and trainers streamline the often overwhelming process of marketing and placing horses into great homes. She has a proven background as a paint and pinto breeder and amateur show exhibitor, as well as nearly a decade of experience as an equine sales agent. NAC Equine Services doesn't just post ads. For each listing, she also creates a detailed marketing plan, organizes photos, creates sale videos, and manages communication so you don't get bogged down in the details. Her commitment to professionalism and finding the right home shows in the countless clients who rave about their friendly, efficient, and smooth experience, from first contact to the final sale or purchase. Whether you're looking to sell or find your next partner, trust a service with real industry knowledge and reviews that speak for themselves. NAC Equine Services has competitive and transparent pricing, $50 listing fee, signed contract, and 5 % commission. Find her on Facebook under NAC Equine or check out her website, nac-equine-services.com. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Miss Jessie Luth coming from Norwood, Young America, Minnesota, my home state. Well, kind of. I mean, where I come home.

speaker-1: Midwest all the way.

speaker-0: ⁓ Midwest all the way. Jesse, how are you?

speaker-1: I'm good. How are you, Scott? Well, you're not very good.

speaker-0: good. I mean, I've been better. Yeah, let's let's be real. I've I've been better. But for those of you who don't know, Jesse is a professional trainer in Minnesota does paint and quarter horse has one of my favorite horses in the world. Mr. Sheldon. And he is a very good boy. He's the stepdaddy, right? That's what I

speaker-1: Sheldon is the best. ⁓ He ponies all the baby shit and we say he's really living up to his name. Yeah, he's the stepdaddy. ⁓

speaker-0: Yeah, he's such a good boy. I love him. Owner. Loves owner. I've known known her since like 2010. Back in the day, when we were both like with this psycho trainer up in northern Minnesota. He shall not be named on this podcast. um, Jesse, I I love your work. I love you as a human. I miss seeing you around the Midwest. I got to know Jesse when I was ring stewarding a bunch in Minnesota and Iowa. And it was just like always a dream. And so now I least get to see you at like the majors at the World Show. So that part's really nice. But thanks for coming on today. You know, we wanted to talk about injuries in general. I was telling the folks in the intro before a little bit about my injuries with my arm and my transverse processes, which is like a new phrase, although I should have paid more attention in anatomy. And yeah, I don't know what I'm going to write again. And yeah, I just don't know what the rest of this year looks like, but we'll figure it out. But you, you've had a probably way worse situation and feel free to tell us all how that happened. And if there's something you don't want to share, feel free not to.

speaker-1: I I sure I probably over share most things about especially about my yeah. Yeah.

speaker-0: Great, me too. Yeah, so tell me the story.

speaker-1: Yeah, so first of all, I really haven't.

speaker-0: you don't have to name the horse i know everyone's like really weird about that

speaker-1: It was just the- was- it's a horse- I don't even have the horse anymore. The- the lady who- the lady who owns it, like, never paid me. So, yeah. Yeah. No. And then she also didn't pay the trainer that I sent the horse to when I was hurt. So, blacklisted. Yeah. It was terrible.

speaker-0: Stop ⁓ my god. Well, we hate you, person.

speaker-1: Yes, exactly. The horse was not a bad horse. We were at a horse show. So like, it's not like a secret. Everyone saw me riding. So whatever, was the three year old kind of green horse, but like nothing. The horse was not bad. We just were in a tricky situation, I guess. And I think most of the time when you do get hurt for me, I haven't been hurt super badly before this. But the times that I have been hurt, you know, it's never a situation where you expected something bad to happen. I've been hurt by like really broke horses more than young stock just because you're ready for those. So this one was going around really good and he like spooked at a lunger and jumped sideways and like tripped over his own feet and just fell right on top of me. God. Yeah. So the back of the saddle went across my pelvis, broke that in five, five-ish places. Yep. And then the horn hit me in the chest. and broke all of my ribs on the left side except for I think two, something like that. Punctured my lung, collapsed it, ⁓ injured my spleen. And I remember like, when you were hurt, were you like, my arm is broken? Like, did you know?

speaker-0: 100. Well, not right at first, but within like two or three minutes, like once I think the initial general wore off, I was like, ⁓ that looks deformed. That's broken. And also like it hurts real, real, real bad. Yeah. But at first I was like, ⁓ maybe I'll be okay. It's really hurts right now, but maybe I will be okay later. I'll just go like lay around my hotel room later. No, within like five minutes. I was like, this is this is a problem. Yeah.

speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. And I think I immediately, I I couldn't move, but I, I remember, and this is going to sound, this is like the delusion that you go through when you like get hurt like that. We were between like the paint world and NSBA. And I had just come off a paint world where I won the junior Western riding with Sheldon, with the stepdaddy. And I was like, I was so pumped about it. And, and then we had had

speaker-0: I remember that.

speaker-1: A pretty good show, but a tough show with Caitlin's horse that we don't have him anymore. So like I wanted like redemption at NSBA. And so I'm like laying in the dirt and like, like dying in the dirt. my, but I, know, my body's filling with blood and I can't breathe. And, ⁓ the horse was on my leg and he was like, they got him up and it was fine. Like I couldn't get him off my leg on my own. And I remember like screaming for help.

speaker-0: I remember.

speaker-1: And then Rick Klaus like was sitting by me and I think I was just telling him like, I'm not gonna get to go to NSBA am I? And he's like, just try to breathe.

speaker-0: he's like shut the hell up

speaker-1: my gosh, I'm about the show. I yeah, but You know when you're when you love this stuff, that's what you're thinking about right? Like I'm sure you immediately were like, ⁓ no my show season my I've got stuff I want to do

speaker-0: I was supposed to to Salt Lake. I was supposed to ski in Salt Lake last weekend. Like the following weekend, I was like, shit, am I not going to go to Salt Lake? like, I'm supposed to be on the East Coast right now for work. And I'm like, ⁓ I don't know if I'm going able to do that. And then I was like, ⁓ shit, my riding. That was like, was like, my back hurts real bad. But I will say the delulu in me, I was like, ⁓ my right arm really, really hurts.

speaker-1: Not happening.

speaker-0: And as I'm like riding on the ground waiting for ski patrol to come, I'm like, well, my left arm feels OK. I I ride with my left arm. So that should be fine.

speaker-1: Yes, yes, I think by the time I think by the time the paramedics got to me I was telling them like my ribs are broken my pelvis is broken and I was holding my arm like this because I couldn't like breathe because all of these ribs are broken so was holding them and they were like what's wrong with your wrist and I was like literally nothing nothing's wrong with my wrist my wrist is fine like I this is not my ribs are all broken they feel like they're in my throat and They were like, how do you know that? And I was like, I can feel it. Like, I don't know what you're asking me. Like, ⁓ and then he was trying to figure out if they should be with me or not. They definitely should. They definitely should have. I know I've been Winona.

speaker-0: Yeah. ⁓ Was this in Iowa? What? okay. Yeah.

speaker-1: Just off the camera too. So like you like you can't there's no video of it. I would have loved I mean sounds like weird and morbid but I would have loved to see.

speaker-0: Yeah, well what's funny is like I was tracking my Strava when mine happened and I can see the moment of my Strava

speaker-1: Yes, yes. Yeah. Yeah. And I remember thinking too, like in my I was like, when do you pass out from the pain? Because like, I would like to at this point, like,

speaker-0: my God, same. I've never been in that much pain. Screaming. So it's interesting to me that I think you and I are similar in this in that we must know our bodies really well. Because I was the same way. like, I know exactly what's wrong. I know my arm is messed up and I know something is really screwed up in my back and in my right side flank. And sure enough, it was my arm, my right side flank and my back.

speaker-1: What's funny is some people don't know that. Some people aren't. I don't understand it. I've always been that way where I can tell. So it is actually new to me to know that people don't feel that way after this injury. Like, they wouldn't know that they broke something or exactly.

speaker-0: smile to me Yeah, I mean, I have this weird thing where I know when I'm getting strapped before major symptoms come in. I get this weird like twinge between my shoulder blades and I will go to the doctor. I'm like, I got my twinge. I'm gonna get strapped. And they're like, you don't have strapped. And I was like, go ahead, test me. And they test me and I'm positive. And they're like, how do you do know that? like, I know my body. Yeah.

speaker-1: Yep. Yeah, for sure. But do you think that comes with like being an athletic person too, because I have been my whole life athletic. ⁓

speaker-0: Yeah, I think so. And like being in enough training rooms from athletics. So, we were talking a little bit about this earlier about how fitness has incorporated in both our injuries and like our recovery. you tell me a little bit about like how your fitness plays in your day to day life and what that looks like now.

speaker-1: Yeah, I mean, like so before I was like probably in the best shape of my life before my accident. Like my kid was two, so I had worked really hard at like coming back from having a baby. I was like fit. was nutritionally doing the things I was supposed to do, which that's the hard one for me is like, love food. all food. I love all food. And I don't like I don't torture myself about it. Like I eat what I want. But I also, my, you balance of that is to work out more. And so I worked on like every morning and not every morning, but like most mornings I get up and work out. And I did before my accident as well. And I think after my accident, like one of the things that made me sad and depressed was not being able to do that. Like it was really, really hard to not be able to, so I figured out ways to work out and. small little bits ⁓ that I got in a lot of trouble for. ⁓ But it was really hard not to. Yeah, yeah. So I was going to say that is going to be you because like ⁓ my pelvic surgeon, shout out to Dr. Cross for putting me back together so beautifully. I think I'm better than I was before. He told me to stop, like just.

speaker-0: Yeah. That's good.

speaker-1: You have to stop doing the things that you're doing and let your bones heal. Like I know you're feeling good. This is weeks out from my surgeries and everything. My pelvic surgery was eight hour surgery. Um, he was like, you are weak. That's true. But like you have to let the bones heal before you can be where you can work on that. You will have plenty of time to do that. And I was like, my husband was like, you. It's like, Brian. Thanks for telling me.

speaker-0: I know that's that's gonna be my issue too like and I'm already like I'm already walking the dogs and such like I'm sure I'm already pushing the envelope like I just see I already ordered like workout bands so that I could have some like bands at home and bought a used Peloton so that will be ready hopefully

speaker-1: and an incumbent bike because I was non weight bearing on the left leg. Someone went and picked it up for me and brought it and sat on my back and I used it every morning. I just needed to do something. I had to have like a schedule of things because I've never been laid up that long. ⁓ You know, when I was pregnant, I rode the day before I had my kid. Like I did not stop ⁓ the things that I was doing, right? So, psycho. ⁓ But the being let go from this injury was the worst because I was like, okay, so when is my ride date? Like, when do I get to ride? And they were like, no, you might never ride. And I was like, no, okay, but what is the date? ⁓ they told me I might never walk again when I was in the hospital. Caitlin made them put it on the chart. ⁓ Do not tell her that right now because it will crush her. Do not mention that she might walk again.

speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ my god. Yeah, that would that would absolutely devastated.

speaker-1: But, ⁓ so just to like quickly go through, they took me in the first hospital. They were like, wow, this is crazy. We're sending you to mail. So they sent me to mail. found out. ⁓ we, we were like, ⁓ man, if you would have been in like Tulsa or something like, ⁓ worse and really anywhere else, honestly, like Winona was like the perfect place to be because it was so close to mail. And so they sent me there. ⁓

speaker-0: You sure are close to male, thank god.

speaker-1: They had to quickly go in and do like a surgery on my spleen to stop it from bleeding. That was intubated after that, I think. I don't remember. And then they wanted to do the pelvic surgery because that was more life threatening, but they could not do that because they had to put me on my chest to do that one. But all my ribs were broken, so they had to do the rib surgery first. So they cut me from like here all the way around and like healed my arm back over my head and like the doctor, the surgeon told my husband, was like putting a jigsaw puzzle back together. And so I have like all the screws and what looks like a bicycle chain in there. that was like a nine hour surgery. Yeah, that was like a nine hour surgery. So that was a big one. And then one of my ribs was in my lung. So they had to like take that out, put it where it's supposed to be. then

speaker-0: ⁓ my god. God.

speaker-1: So then I had to do all the lung stuff too. So I had like three different sets of doctors that would come in and check with me like every day. And like, you whether it was the lung people or the, and I had to something x-rays and it was so painful and like, ⁓ my gosh, everything was wild, but long story short, I was in the ICU for like eight days and then I was out in the trauma floor until I could learn how to like walk on one leg and ⁓ get around. And then they, cause I was like, how do I get out of here? I want to, and, ⁓ soon as they told me like, well, you have to be off all your, like the meds, your painkillers, your, all of this stuff and your, I think my blood stuff had to be correct, which I was like, all right, let's start, let's start taking me off this stuff. Cause I want to get out of here. And then they were like, and you need to see. the OT and figure out how if you're gonna be able to get around your house and not go to rehab. And I was like, we don't want to go to rehab. My kid was only two so we had like made the decision. He wasn't with me. He was with my parents. God bless them. They kept him while I was in the hospital and did not I was like, don't bring him here. He's just gonna see me and be trauma.

speaker-0: And like a two-year-old doesn't yeah, a two-year-old doesn't know what's going on

speaker-1: So, like for me, there was a point where I was like, should I tell my mom I need to like see my kid in case I die? Because there was like, at a time there were like, might, like they were like, you're in the ICU, like you could die at any moment. ⁓ Caitlin and Brian were there like every day, like they drove down and sat with me and I was, could, you I knew that they were there, but ⁓ before I had the rib surgery, I was intubated. So I like. couldn't do anything. Yeah, so then they, we got all of that done. They told me this is what had to happen to get out. And I was like, let's make it happen. And started working on that, got home, realized pretty quickly I had left too soon. Like I was, I had some miserable, miserable nights and you know, we, made it through it, but it was terrible. Then it hits you that like, wow. I don't know what this looks like and I won't know for a while, right? Like, I don't know what I'm going to be able to do. Yeah. Yeah. Which I'm sure is a little bit where you are right now of like, okay, how do I get full range of motion back? Even though those are things you can't really even think about right now. I mean, you just have to heal for a little while.

speaker-0: Yeah, but like it's natural to think that far ahead. I'm like, will I run again? Like, I love running. I don't know if I will be a runner ever again. And that's really sad to think about. I'm, you know, I'm hopeful that riding is going to come soon, but I don't know. And like, I don't I don't know what that looks like. And so that's that freaks me out a little bit. Did you so I'm like. First off, I'm so sorry you went through that. This is like horrible and like it makes honestly makes my injuries seem like nothing. Like mine's a cakewalk compared to that. Like that's crazy. From like being a horse trainer standpoint, like I have many questions. So first one, were you insured? Do you have health insurance?

speaker-1: Yeah, so Minnesota is lovely. They have great medical assistance and I have been on their their Minnesota care, which is different than like, just buying a program. It's a government assisted program that I've been on since ⁓ since I really started even before I started for training. I feel like I was on it. And it is like income based. But sometimes if I make more money, I have to pay something for it. And sometimes if I make less money, like as soon as my income was gone from this injury, they covered it.

speaker-0: Great. Yeah, I was on it.

speaker-1: Minnesota is amazing. Yeah, they really have some programs that way that are there like because that would have killed me if I would have not had good insurance because I'm talking this was

speaker-0: I imagine there's trainers who don't have insurance.

speaker-1: ⁓ I'm sure. Right. And I can't imagine like, I can't imagine that kind of burden on top of trying to heal and like get your mind around your life being forever different. Something like that. Yeah. Yeah. And trying to like immediately we didn't know what that would look like. And so Caitlin really went to work on figuring out how to handle like, do we need to do a go fund me or some sort of anything for this or can we ⁓ or will they cover it and there were a couple things that didn't cover but like most of it was ⁓ really generously covered by my insurance. So thank God. Yeah. Awesome.

speaker-0: Yeah. Weird logistical question. How did the horses get home from that show? What happened after you went to that? Do you know what happened after that?

speaker-1: So I had, I remember I have like my phone in my waistband. I immediately, when all of that happened, I was on the ground. I like took my rings off. like, I think I still have my earrings then when I got to the hospital, but like everything else, I like started. And then I was like, my keys are here and Diane, can you drive the trailer? And like, like here's where the, this is what I didn't take back. Oh yeah, no. I a crisis situation. I don't know. There's something about.

speaker-0: Hates to see you coming because you're you're on it.

speaker-1: Yeah. So, ultimately like, yeah, the horses all got home. Someone else, you know, drove my truck and trailer back. Um, and, and, you know, they got through it all, but, um, yeah, I do remember being like, real like here's where everything is. And then I normally don't bring a dog to the horse show. I had my carrier with, so I just felt so bad for him. One of my clients took him and kept him. until i got home everyone just sort of pitched in and tried to help i actually felt really bad because that happened like the friday of a horse show and all i could think was like those poor people that are trying to show their horses right now and this big tragedy like happens in this person like i it just seemed like so hard to it would be tough to like well

speaker-0: Right. And as an example, I'd be like, this feels trivial and stupid. We should not be doing this.

speaker-1: And I was like, hope that that's not, I hope I didn't ruin the horror show. Like again, another like, okay.

speaker-0: There's always going to be another horse show. I know. ⁓

speaker-1: that you sort of think of when you're in that, I don't know, adrenaline, I'm dying.

speaker-0: Yeah. It was I, you know, 20. I had the kind of same thing like it literally as soon as I hit that stump luckily I had my AirPods in and so I was able to make phone calls right away and then once keep it real came I was like my phone is in my left pocket. I need you to call this person and this person because I was I was chaperoning kids. I was like my first house.

speaker-1: You gotta take care of that. Yeah.

speaker-0: Right. And I was like, I'm the driver. So I called our other chaperone. I'm like, I'm not going to die. like, you need to call someone back at school and figure out, they going to send people up? She's like, don't worry about it. Like, I got it. I got it. And then I'm on the phone with my husband being like, hey, this is bad. I'm not dead. But like, this is bad. You should think about coming up here. ⁓ And then they didn't know whether they were going to airlift me to Reno or not either. So ⁓ We were kind of in a holding pattern there because he was going to drive up. I was like, I don't know if I'm going to be in Mammoth or four hours further in Reno. So stay put for a little bit. anyway.

speaker-1: It's funny how that works. Yeah, because my husband and Caitlin beat me to male. And I mean, it was ours, you know, like, think I did. I don't know when they had to do the blood transfusions. But like, I mean, I'm like bleeding. So it's crazy how long they can keep you in a broken state and still like keep you alive.

speaker-0: Isn't anesthesia so weird?

speaker-1: It's so weird. So weird. have like, I have a moment to right must have come to you in a surgery. ⁓ Or a memory of it. It's so weird. And it was definitely I think it must have been the pelvic surgery because I remember being upside down. And, you know, they put you they like, they do crazy. So they like, what you up in the air and

speaker-0: here. What do mean upside down? Face down or up?

speaker-1: ⁓

speaker-0: ⁓ my God.

speaker-1: Yeah, so and especially so I broke my left leg like off of my body. So they have to like put it in traction. So they like take it away from your body and then slowly bring it like let it go back to its spot. If that makes sense. And so they have to suspend you in the air to do like some of these things. I mean, I've watched them like that is why I'm obsessed with surgeries now because I'm like, really, that's what they do. That's what was happening to me. It's like...

speaker-0: ⁓ my god.

speaker-1: Yeah, so anesthesia is very odd because, don't know. Where do you go? Where do you even go when you're under anesthesia? Like, where are you? Yeah, yeah, it's a little-

speaker-0: Yeah I know I was expecting to like dream or something and I wasn't I don't know it was just the weirdest thing I remember getting taken in the room and they'd even do like the like ⁓ you know count to ten or whatever they were just like talking all of a boom like I was gone and you just wake up and like a clock it was like six hours later which that surgery was supposed to be an hour and it lasted like four yeah just for my arm ⁓

speaker-1: Cool.

speaker-0: But yeah, was just the weirdest thing. was like, didn't I dream or anything? Also the day before, they couldn't do surgery on Saturday because I had my internal bleeding. But my arm was real, real broken. And I was like, I am in so much pain. You have to do something. So they decided they would set it to hold it over till Sunday. And so they put me under with like propofol or something, I think. And even that was weird. That was much shorter. But I just remember them counting and then... All of I'm like, ⁓ I have a new cast in my arm. That's interesting. Yeah. It's just so weird. So how long were you in the hospital total?

speaker-1: ⁓ want to say it was like a little over two weeks, which is ridiculously short. Well, and to your point too, with the, when you have broken bone, they fixed my ribs, but then they were waiting for like a surgery team to come in. And so I had to wait like several days to get my pelvis. So like, it's just broken there. Like I, so I know it's like a weird feeling of like just helplessness, but also like, can someone fix this? I, yeah. ⁓ so I was in the ICU for eight days and then about a week on the trauma floor until they got me and they never did get my blood quite right. Like my platelets, they told me would maybe stay high all the time because of the injury to my spleen and that's where you make those. so anyway, but he was like, I don't want to tell you, like, I'm telling you this now cause you're leaving and you're going to be fine. But like, when we heard the call of you coming in, we got so excited. Yes, exactly. But I was also like that those are the people you want working on you, right? they're though I like the ones that get excited about that. So I mean, right? I get it

speaker-0: Thank God you're a male.

speaker-1: Oh my gosh, thank God. mean, absolutely. For how many bad things happened, a lot of good things happened too. I could like, that close to Mayo and I will never wear mismatched socks ever again.

speaker-0: Where you mismatch socks that day?

speaker-1: So I never wear mismatched socks. like have a like, I was a little, was like one of my tits is like the socks have to match and they gotta be like, I like colorful socks, but matching, right? I'm a stock, I wear stock version. And I had these like ⁓ Adidas, the Adidas symbol on them was colored and I grabbed up here. It was early in the morning, right? In my backpack, went to the horse show, got all set up.

speaker-0: Okay, love this.

speaker-1: went to change into my clothes to go ride, pull my socks out and I've got like a blue and a green. They're like really closely color. And so I was like in the dark in the morning, I was like, okay, I'm being silly about this. Like this is the silly thing to like be weird about. I should, I can just wear these. I don't need to go out to the truck and get like a new pair of So I put this pair of socks on and I am like, never again, never again, always match socks. Yeah.

speaker-0: ⁓ my god. Always. You know what? Ticks mean something. I'm just gonna say it. ⁓ So how long was it from accident to the first time you were on a horse again?

speaker-1: So it was July 21st to the first of the year. It was fast.

speaker-0: And like what did that process look like getting back? Was there specific PT to get riding again or is it just like let it heal?

speaker-1: So most of it was they were telling me to let it heal. And I was like, I need to keep my like strength up. I told my husband, I was like, if I just sit here, like, I hope you're ready to be married to like an orange on a toothpick because I'm gonna be browned if I just sit around all the time and eat. And he was like, laughed and was like, yeah, okay, you're, you're a psycho. So it'll be fine. But yeah, so I figured out how to basically, as soon as I could, I started, I was like a weird researcher about like, found these recovery shoes because of course I'm a horse person. So I was like, well, if I have to be non weight bearing on one leg, like what's it going to do to the other leg? We need to make sure that that leg is like good. So I found these cool shoes that are called UFOs that are for athletes recovery. And I like bought those and I love them and I continue to wear them. And then I started figuring out like, little workouts I could do that were that wouldn't put too much pressure. The problem is like all my ribs were broken. So like you can't do anything. can't you can't like right. You can't even like lift weights over your head with broken ribs and you can't do anything to the side and you can't. It was so frustrating. So I ended up trying to do ⁓ like just mobility routines like some yoga and then I slowly got to where I could start to do stuff mostly on like laying on the ground doing things and trying to stay like stretched out with all that. I know my body, this is just going back to like just being body aware. I knew, you know, you didn't want to push it. I didn't want to end up, you know, hurting myself and having to relapse on anything. So I figured out how to push myself like a little bit every day. And that was like the incumbent bike. As soon as I could, got to a horse show. We have our halter horses with Brian Ellsworth. Our horse that year did not make it. She got a little groovy and so we brought her home. But we had planned on going to both the Breeders Halter Fraternity and the Halter Million. So we still went to those and I did it on Cratchit. walked around and I mean, I'm telling you, felt so good to be at a horror show. maybe it kept me from really like getting depressed because I knew you hadn't really given me a time when I could necessarily, I think maybe by the whole termillion, they had, I had like pushed them down on like, have to give me a date. And they were like, you have to wait until the first of the year. And I was like, okay, that that's all I need. I just need someone to tell me what the date is. And Amy, Darnell who owns the farm that I work out of and she's a really good friend and she has great hunt horses. She has broken her pelvis before with a horse going over on her. And she was like, Jess, don't worry. They aren't going to let you get on it. Like, cause I was like, the first of the year seems pretty close too, right? Like that's great. But also like, will I be ready? And she was like, they won't let you do anything. until you're way past ready. By the time you get to that time, you're going to be like, thank God. And she was really helpful and like, just making me feel not quite so alone because she'd been through some of what I'd gone through. And then, and she had funny stories too about like, you know, you're like dying in the dirt and she's like, my boots, those are really important to me. Like, you know, just like.

speaker-0: I won't cut them.

speaker-1: Yes, which I also was like, will not cut my boots off. And they were like, well, we can't pull them off. And I was like, well, then I'm going to get them off. And somehow I got my boots off in the ambulance. Like I buy myself. I don't know. And then they were like, wow, what your jeans? And I was like, fuck, cut them off. not get these suckers. Yup. Yup.

speaker-0: my new you know that was my ski jacket i was like please don't cut this it's brand new

speaker-1: Yeah, it was sad. It was sad for me, but such a funny thing in the moment. and Holla sent me a new pair of jeans. So I was like, all right, well, that was good. I was sad about it, but you know what I got? Yeah, they were great. ⁓ but yeah. And then by the time I got to the first, ⁓ I was beyond ready. I didn't go to the barn for a while because I was emotionally and like just mentally, it would have been hard. Whereas like going to those horse shows wasn't seeing like my horses. And then I also had to like place horses with other trainers. And I had some people that just laughed. And that happens. I get it. Like they, that's, they have to decide what to do for themselves.

speaker-0: Yeah. ⁓ was give me one of questions is like, what do you do then if you're out as a trainer? Like, what do those horses do that in training? Like, what do your clients do?

speaker-1: Yeah. I had several other trainers that are friends of mine that offered to take courses, which was really wonderful. They were like, you know, pay the board, but like, that's it. Like, we'll take care of the rest. And they were like, really good about things. And then there was, ⁓ you know, I had some people, have like folks that lunch for me and stuff. And we just like turned some horses out and lunch some, sent some to other trainers. ⁓ some left. ⁓ I kind of, had my horse there and I was like, pull her shoes off and, know, do whatever you need to do with her. Like she'll be fine. ⁓ all of that was really hard though. It was really hard cause it felt like losing to me. Yeah. That's the hard.

speaker-0: ⁓ Yeah, and like that's income loss too. mean, you guys, like, what do do in that situation? Like when your income can't come in?

speaker-1: Yeah, I mean, it was hard in the sense that like, I didn't know for sure what medical stuff would be covered. You know, I didn't know what that looked like either. have I luckily I have a great family like my parents are lovely. They they're they're lovely. Yes, they're lovely. And they were here for every moment. So I knew like we would be okay that way. They weren't going to let anything

speaker-0: Yes, they are.

speaker-1: terrible happen. And then like my husband, my in-laws are wonderful as well. I mean, my all of my in-laws came and like built me a new deck because they knew I wouldn't be able to like leave the house. like, yeah, I know. I mean, I like the best family. I have like the best life too. All I could think too was like, I loved my life before this. I love my life now. I'm doing everything that I love to do. I, I like truly

speaker-0: ⁓ Yeah.

speaker-1: appreciate and grateful for the life I get to live. And it's not like fancy, but it is exactly what I want to be doing. And there's like a lot of love. So all of that being said, I have to say that like the money part of it, there were times where I was like, like, shit, I don't know if we're going to be able to like, what do we have to sell or like, whatever, but my husband was so sweet. He was like, don't worry about it right now. We'll figure it out. Like, don't don't worry about that. And I was like, are you sure? And he was like, we'll take care of it. It'll be fine.

speaker-0: Yeah.

speaker-1: So I think in that situation, that's one of those where like, just have to have like good people around you. mean, I did, I was lucky.

speaker-0: I just think about that. Like, thank God. I I love that you did and I'm so happy. And like, I don't think that's the case for a lot of trainers out there. Like, I think if some of these like up and coming assistant trainers, like if something happened to them, if they don't have like family to fall back on, like, what do do when you don't have health insurance and you don't have a way to make money and like your body is your way to make money? And all of sudden that's gone. Like that's has to be terrifying.

speaker-1: And I think too, as a horse trainer, like my whole life, I have used my body up. ⁓

speaker-0: Yeah, every chair does.

speaker-1: Yeah, I don't and like taking care of it. I've learned to take care of it in a lot of ways after this that are You know, I listened to your podcast with dr. Carey like all sorts of really good things there about Yeah, you know taking care of ourselves as the rider to a Trent strong came and taught my husband how to do like acupuncture on me So that if I was in a lot of pain and the whole killers weren't doing it like he could do it And then he called me and he said, Jess, got when you can, like, you've got to go to this lady. ⁓ she's a roll for, and I was like, I have no idea what that is, but like, if you're telling me to do it, like I'm in his tent is amazing. Yeah. Like he's the great. Yep. and he sent me to this lady, Cindy Jameson who Rolfer it's like golfer with an R and they realign your connective tissue. And I still see her, I see her on Monday. She's an amazing lady. ⁓ It's a little voodoo doctory in some ways, ⁓ but like she's worked on Olympic athletes. And she like, I remember going there and she kind of knew cause Trent had been to see her. he like kind of filled her in on things. And I went and she like looked at me, looked at me standing, watched me walk. By then I could walk. ⁓ Cause of course I couldn't really go to her until I was healed up some. And I left our first session going like, ⁓ my God, like I feel so much better. And she's like one of these people that'll look at you and go like, does your left hip hurt? We're going to work on your right shoulder. And I'm like, yes. Okay. ⁓ so she, and it's all about.

speaker-0: Like Carrie said.

speaker-1: So it's so when I heard that I was like, yep, I know exactly what she's talking about because it is this is these connective tissues that run across your body and pull things and for someone like me who's been where like, honestly, we worked on my breathing so much because that was like the biggest thing was like, my body had learned to compensate where that lung was collapsed and all those ribs were broken. had learned to twist in a way that would just protect everything. And, ⁓ I mean, amazing to go to her. did acupuncture, all sorts of things. And I still do that stuff now. And like, I would say I am like, my pelvis does not hurt. Like it is healed and I have full barn, you know, screws in it, but it's great. It's like, it works better than it did before. Like, but the ribs like.

speaker-0: That's amazing.

speaker-1: zero stars on breaking your ribs. Like do not recommend. It is the worst thing. It is so terrible because they just, they flex everything in their moves all the time. And so like every time you breathe, they move and that continues forever. If you're alive, your ribs are moving.

speaker-0: Yeah, that's what I'm feeling right now in my like diaphragm because this ⁓ this hematoma is like right below my diaphragm. So to like take deep breaths is really really difficult and I'm like this can stop anytime now and the doctors have said like that's going to be the thing that lasts the longest as far as pain and like dealing with pain management. So

speaker-1: Yes. I feel that way too, actually Scott. so this lady too, she had told me like, you have to think about your diaphragm is like, you get it. It goes up and it comes back down and like it touches all other parts of your body as it opens up and closes. it's, it is like pretty, pretty much like pretty important thing. and working on breathing exercises. mean, I think that might've helped me with my ribs. One of the major things that helped me with my ribs was being able to breathe right. And I don't know, I think it's helped me with all sorts of things, honestly, not just injuries. So yeah.

speaker-0: That's good. Yeah. I when we were talking about like, kind of rushing back into, you know, trying to quote unquote workout for like whatever working out looks like post injury. I like yeah, we're probably a little bit psychos in that way. But honestly, I feel like that's the better alternative to just becoming a vegetable. Like I had this conversation with the doctors before. or when I was in the hospital of like, you're in good shape. This is gonna be a lot easier in the long run and like, you're gonna wanna go back faster. And I think it's just like another reminder for people like, it's like preventative care in a way. Like this actually could have been so much worse if I was not in the shape I'm in.

speaker-1: Yeah, no, 100%. I was told like several times, like, you're a perfect candidate for surgery. And I remember in the moment thinking like, great, cool. But ultimately, like looking back at it, I'm like, thank God I was because there's no way I would have healed as quickly. There's no way my body would have been able to do what it does now had it not been in that kind of shape. I mean, I think you're right.

speaker-0: And if you have the urge to kind of get back to it right after, like, that's a good thing too. you should want to. I mean, they talked about like, you know, your baseline pre-injury and then like what it knocks you down to when you get injured. And like, so many people can just keep going down the opposite way. So, yeah, I think it's just like a good reminder to push through, like be preventative and push.

speaker-1: Yeah, and I find to know like, I'll be like, am I hurting because so I still have I still have some ribs. And I, I re broke them a little bit. But I got fucked off a horse. Yeah, last last spring I did right before like beginning of May right before their premiere. And I was giving a lesson in the outdoor arena. I was riding a horse and

speaker-0: ⁓ my god, Jesse.

speaker-1: I didn't even see this happen, but the horses in the pasture like went running and bucking. I was going away from them. I think it's just loping. I mean, the horse I was on bucked me off. And that horse had never bucked ever. And all of a sudden I was on the ground and I was like, no, I think I just broke the ribs. Like, this is bad. And I went to the hospital and And they were, they did a CT scan and they were like, it doesn't look like anything's broken. Like everything looks like it's still good. All I could think of the emergency room was like, if I have to have surgery on my ribs again, I will die. Like I will just die. Like I was thinking, is the hardware, I hope the hardware is all where it's supposed to be.

speaker-0: Right

speaker-1: And so when they told me like, yeah, it's not broke because I'm like, I'm sitting in the hospital bed, my mother-in-law is there with me because my husband was delivering hay in Southern Minnesota. So he gets the call and he's like, are you kidding me right now, Jess? Like what? Well, what is happening? And so my mother-in-law came and sat with me and they came back and they said like, it doesn't look like there's any breaks. I was like, oh my gosh, thank God. Well, then like a week later, I was like, there's... Like I was riding and I was trying to get ready. were doing pictures and so like, and we were, and I'm sitting in the hospital going like, I have some horses I need to ride at the premiere. Like I have a really good hunt horse. I've got like, I cannot miss this premiere. Right? Same thing. thing. we, anyway, I was just thrilled to not have broken ribs. Well then I'm riding and like it had been about, about a week later and I was like, I can't even, I can't, like I could not trot. Katelyn's course around. And I was like, this is bad. So we went back in like the following like Tuesday or something and saw my regular doctor and she was like, let's get some x-rays. And I was like, all right. And we did. you could, of course, like I had bone growth by then because it had been two weeks since the incident and ribs four through seven were broken in multiple places. And I was like, how did they miss that? And she was like,

speaker-0: Yeah. right down.

speaker-1: They should have done x-rays, like not just a CT scan, like because they weren't displaced. They probably couldn't see the new breaks. There's probably a lot of inflammation. Like, you know, you were sitting in the emergency room for a couple of hours, like whatever. And honestly, I'm kind of glad it went that way. My mom was so mad. She was like, how did they not know they were broken? And I was like, I'm kind of glad I didn't know they were broken because I just kind of went on with things. And then By the time I knew they were broken, they were already healing. So I was like, you know what? I can do this. I'll be fine. And you

speaker-0: Right. You already like passed the worst of it. Well, and like ribs are hard because you can't really... Unless you're going to surgically do something.

speaker-1: Yeah, exactly. nothing for that and they don't do like I understand why they don't do surgery on ribs if they don't have to because it is terrible like I still can't feel where they cut me open I still can't feel this armpit I still can't feel like most of my body over here because of the nerve damage of cutting you open right and and I get a lot I have a lot of nerve pain like those things are I I don't know if I'll have to live with that forever Um, they also don't know, you know, they're like, nerve pain is one of the toughest things to say, what it's going to do. So unfortunately that part is like, I'll go through stages where I get a lot of nerve pain and it's pretty intense sometimes, but I can pretty much do everything else. So I can live with that.

speaker-0: I don't have feeling in my right thumb right now and it is driving me up a wall. Like I'm hoping it comes back soon, like it feels like it's asleep. Is the best way to describe it because it like it feels weird when I touch it. Like there's some type of nerve ending there, but anyway.

speaker-1: Yeah, my husband first broke his face when we first started dating. Yeah, he broke his eye sockets, his nose, his upper jaw. And so they had to go in through his upper lip and put plates and screws and stuff back in. And it took him like two years to get the feeling back in his upper lip. I mean, yeah.

speaker-0: That would drive me crazy. That's like having Novocaine

speaker-1: It was like the weirdest thing to not be able to feel, but it did come back.

speaker-0: Yeah, ⁓ Jesse ⁓

speaker-1: It's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. And it's amazing too to me. Like you can get like a little cut and you're, know, two days later, you're like, your, your skin is healed back together. So yeah, I mean, you'll heal. And also I'm sure that you'll be on like a good workout plan where you'll be back to it. You'll be, I always, kept telling myself like, I'll just be better. I'm just going to make my body better. And

speaker-0: Yeah, I'll try. Although I was I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty good before. I mean, I'll try. I'll try my best. But it is giving me like a different perspective of like my non invincibility. ⁓ Like my husband pointed out, like this is the first time I've been like incapacitated. And it's weird for me. Like I'm I'm seeing my

speaker-1: Yeah.

speaker-0: mortality and I don't like it. And I hope I can overcome the fears of like, hydrill and stuff because right now I'm like, I don't know if I'll ski again. And like, I've been wanting to play a little bit more with the cows and doing like cow her stuff. And I'm like, chasing a cow down the fence right now sounds terrifying because like, what if I crash? Like, I don't want to go through that again. So I also don't want to live my life in with that fear either. So

speaker-1: I was happy to be able to give you that, you know, the mind fuck situation of like, okay, the interview is over, you're going to heal. But now like the mind fuck happens. This is what Amy told me. Yeah. Because she had, you know, she had broken her pelvis too. And she's like, that's the part that's really tough. And I remember thinking the same thing you're thinking of like, am I going to be afraid? Like my first show back was in Winona. And I was like driving there and I was like, Oh my God. I going to be able to? Yeah. was like, am I going be all right? Like, I don't know. And even like my first ride back on like New Year's day, I made Brian and Caitlin come out and I was like, I don't know, you might be leading me around like a, like a walk, like you're like a lead liner, you know, I might need someone to like, just babysit me because I don't know what, how this is going to feel.

speaker-0: Who did you write first?

speaker-1: I rode totally coding first. She was lovely. That was my horse at the time, so I rode her. And then I rode Sheldon. Because why not? And I rode somebody else too. I rode three horses that day. Oh my god. Yeah, because I was like, this is amazing. I'm just so happy to be... It was probably Lily. It was probably Caitlin's horse. don't know. No, it wasn't. couldn't have been Lily because we didn't have Lily yet. While I was injured, we sold her horse and then we bought that one. So it was down with Shannon Watters. But ⁓ yeah, so it was, I remember it being like scary, but also like the best day ever. was like, I thank God I'm back. I can do this. Like it'll be fine. And I had been going to a barn and like giving lessons, ⁓ but that was like torture.

speaker-0: Mm-hmm.

speaker-1: If I never have to another lesson again, I would not be unhappy about it.

speaker-0: And we're so after the first time we arrived were you just like bam out of the gate like back like day two was just like okay We're back or did it did you have a bit of an on-ramp?

speaker-1: Yeah. So I've rehabbed enough horses to know that that's probably not a good idea to do, ⁓ to just go like back at it. I limited myself. I, ⁓ I made sure that I was doing not doing anything that was going to set me back. That was my biggest fear, honestly. And so many people ask me, but did you actually wait to like, when was your actual first ride? And I was like, no, no, no, I did what the doctors told me to do. I followed direction precisely because. I have seen what happens when you re-enter something. Like it is horrible. then I went ahead and re-entered anyway. ⁓ like it is that, that's the setback, right? But if you can keep going and just do a little bit at a time, you can always add more. You can't take it back. So, and I feel that way when I'm training horses too, like you do a little bit, there's always tomorrow. Like it's the same thing when you're taking care of yourself as the horses. You, you, you can't take it back once you've done it. like do a little bit at a time and you can always do more tomorrow. And, ⁓ that's how you get better too is little bits, right? Little bits on your body, little bits on the horses. That's what makes them really good. Yeah.

speaker-0: I'm gonna have to keep that in mind. ⁓ Jesse, is there anything you would tell your colleagues and your peers to prep or like, prep may be the wrong word, hopefully the situation doesn't happen to them. But what are some ways that if it does, what should they have ready? Or should they be doing to prepare for it?

speaker-1: Mm-hmm. I know. else got that's like really tough like what would I have done differently or what would I what am I glad I don't think I

speaker-0: Yeah, like what would you have done? healthcare. I mean, number one, have healthcare.

speaker-1: Health care, health care, number one is super because I will say like once we did know like and people sent me, you know money as well, which really did help with like buying groceries like things like that that otherwise would have had to go like would have been a burden on the rest of my family to try and do you know to try and make sure we and so many people brought us food and stuff. I would say I think When you can, like pay it. I mean, my farrier, he came and did all our horses here, like the brood mares everything and like wouldn't take any money from me. And he was like, when you get better, if you get a chance, do something nice for somebody else and help somebody else when they're in that situation. And I think ⁓ that's the biggest thing is like, you know, I don't know. ⁓ people have to know their own limits with their bodies and what they're doing and with their horses. And like, would I have not brought that horse as a ride along to get to a horse show? No, I would have. I would do the same thing now. ⁓ I think. After my accident, I'm like, well, I'm not going to drink any shitty booze anymore. I'm only going to drink like high end stuff. I'm going to eat the things that I want to eat. I'm going to spend the time with the people that I want to spend time with. ⁓ But ultimately, like I was pretty happy with my life before. I don't think it really changed a lot. ⁓ The healthcare, the pain it forward. I mean, let's try to do. ⁓ The next best thing is kind of where I sit with all of it always. Yeah. I don't know. I like being physically fit. So like, I'm glad that I was for going into like these major surgeries and getting through all of this, but I know that's not really the case for everyone either. And there are lots of like personal situations that don't let you do some of that stuff. ⁓ yeah, yeah, exactly. I think for you though, you be careful. Like don't push it.

speaker-0: Yeah. its nuance.

speaker-1: Don't do more than your body can handle or you're gonna get set back, right? Whereas if you get, if you do what the doctors tell you and you're kind to yourself and you take care of yourself, you'll be back riding sooner than you think. And you'll have confidence in yourself in a way that hopefully you won't be terrified to get on some skis again.

speaker-0: exactly. Well, thank you. Jesse, this was so much fun. hopefully I say fun and like reliving your trauma is type of fun situation. i don't you are It's so funny when I had this idea I was like, I should talk to somebody and obviously thought about Monty who declined

speaker-1: Yes, who was also in the hospital when I was.

speaker-0: Yeah, it's... I know. What's with our Minnesota trainers? You guys be careful out there.

speaker-1: He had it worse than me, honestly.

speaker-0: ⁓ god, this is terrifying.

speaker-1: Yeah, I was really lucky I didn't hit my head. I didn't hurt my spine I didn't injured a lot of organs only a couple so Yeah

speaker-0: Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing your story. And I only know you as like one of my favorite people in the world. So that's how I think of you and the world does too. So you guys you can see Jesse Luth at any of the upcoming horse shows in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, wherever you're you're everywhere. Yeah. ⁓

speaker-1: We can't wait. We just love being at horse shows.

speaker-0: I know we'd love to see it. hopefully this episode helps someone somewhere, whether you're overcoming injury or word about injuries. ⁓ Thanks for tuning in. And guys, we will see you next week on Horse Show Bestie. Have a good one.