We had neighbors in Tucumcari who raised Appaloosas. Times were tough for them and they talked me into buying 3 horses, one gelding and 2 colts not yet castrated. Now these horses had grown up with people, so they had a different perspective than the 3 wild ones, but they had their own issues as well. They had not received the best of nutrition, but they had been handled a lot. I seemed to be doing things in 3's! Goldie was a lovely 4 year old gelding with only halter training (!) who took to the longe like a gentleman and I was riding him after 3 weeks. Punkin was only 8 months old, Sam was 2 years and cryptorchid (he only had one testicle descended), so I knew I was looking at a more complex surgery to geld him. Punkin was a solid palomino (who later got some mottling and spots) and Sam was huge, totally the look of an old Nez Perce Appy - mostly white/gray with lots of spots and mottling on the face, sclera showing on the eyes and very striped hooves. His tail and mane were sparse, his bone dense and hooves properly large.
Sam became my project because I just really liked his personality, strength and energy. He seemed so focused and kind. I had a veterinarian friend come out and we set up for the surgery in the aisle of the barn. Against my better judgement, the Vet immediately removed the testicle that had dropped (I made major notes on everything which side had been done - how would we know later if the retained one wasn't found?) It must have been my worrying because he could not find the other testicle. Sam had been under long enough, so we sutured him (actually, I did, my hands were so agile back then) and set up a clean stall while he came to.
I don't remember how long we waited, but I took Sam to the clinic of another friend who was a Veterinarian. We worked for an hour and he found the retained one, removed it and I had a gelding. We started Sam's schooling right away as he needed light, supervised exercise.
A few months later, he was wearing a jumping saddle and longeing well. We put the western saddle on him a couple of times (bigger and heavier, preparing for the feel of a rider, too). One afternoon he was in the cross ties groomed and ready; Leon put a different western saddle on him - this one had a rear cinch attached - so Leon just buckled it without thinking. My brother was standing in the aisle 2 stalls down from the cross ties in front of Sam. I had just stepped out of the tackroom with the longe cavesson. Sam took a deep breath. Then came the explosion! Poor Sam reacted as most horses would - he took off to escape the unfamiliar thing grabbing his midsection/flanks. The 6X6 wooden posts that were the cross ties broke right at the ground. Safety snaps failed, no one of us could have grabbed a quick release in the storm that was horse, legs, ropes and posts flying in all directions. Out the aisle door he went onto 40 acres! As he passed my brother, a kicking hindleg punched through the stall door not 12 inches from his waist.
We ran out to see the not tightened up saddle now slide around and rest underneath poor Sam's belly. Still galloping, now bucking, still dragging the wooden posts, one on each side that were crashing against his legs at each stride - Sam looked like a horse doomed for sure. Sweating, gasping with his head now wrenched to the left as he finally stopped, Sam seemed to be ready for help. I caught up with him half way to the back fence. I was sure I would see broken legs, blood, horror. But Sam was standing there. I talked him into calming and allowing me to get close. The first task was to release the damn saddle. The rear cinch had broken (thank goodness, it was probably why he stopped). I got to the main cinch of the upside down saddle and, it being loose, was able to release the buckle on the latigo. The saddle fell to the ground. Sam jumped to the side. Then he stretched up, leaned toward me and let me disconnect the ropes at his halter. There were no wounds. I could tell he was really bruised, but no broken bones... he didn't even limp as we walked him back to the barn! That was one tough horse! And, with no rear cinch, he was fine for the next saddling a week later after lots of cold water therapy. I had to work hard to keep his accident out of my mind when I mounted him for the first time! He was an angel. I had him going well and sold him as a green prospect for a combined training rider in Santa Fe! Sam was a really great horse, bet he made a super eventer!
