Proof that all that training is working...

As Bundi goes through all kinds of ground work, under saddle work in the arena, trail work, obstacle work and sensory stimulation she progressively gets more confident and more "bombproof" - just what we want in a MSAR horse.  Yesterday, my 9 year old niece and my 6 year old nephew came to the ranch to visit Bundi.

With Grandma and Grandpa watching and after I finished doing some arena exercises, we first started with me putting one kid up on Bundi's back and leading her around.  I knew Bundi would be good as I've already done this with my own kids (ages 4 and 5).  We then switched kids and my niece asked if she could lead Bundi.  Sure!  Why not?  So my 9 year old niece led Bundi around with my 6 year old nephew on her back - both with big smiles on their faces and Bundi with her head down and plodding along completely relaxed and almost asleep.

But then the big change!  The 9 year old mounted and the 6 year old led.  Bundi wasn't quite as sure what to do with that and tried to follow me at first, but when I instructed her to walk and pointed in the direction the little boy was going, she went along and accepted the fact that she's even lower on the totem pole than a 6 year old human and better do as she was told.

What was even more impressive was when my niece decided she wanted to try a trot - never done that before.  Bundi has one of the smoothest western jogs and I figured with me at the head leading her, I could stop her immediately if anything went wrong so we decided to give it a try.  I jogged with Bundi in hand and she followed me with her smooth jog.  My niece was bouncing all over in the saddle and giggling hysterically, but this didn't phaze Bundi at all - what a good horse to tolerate all of that on her back and for a child's entertainment!

I posted one of these photos on my Facebook page and Bundi's previous owner (who is now one of my "friends" on Facebook) made the following comment:

Holly cow! I never thought I would see the day a beginner rider, let alone a kid would be on her back! Nice job. She looks GREAT!!

And so we have proof that all that desensitizing work I've done on her back (slapping my legs on her sides, patting her behind and all over her body while mounted) has paid off and made her a quiet, safe mount for beginners and even kids - at least in a place she's familiar with.  Now maybe someday I'll blog about the walk I did with her today out in the flower fields...with the wind howling...among the eucalyptus trees creaking...down a very claustrophobic, narrow trail bordered by high, dead brush that rattled in the wind!  Glad I wasn't on her back then!  But with a little more time, experience and training...  No problem!

Cal Star Ride Along

 

Cal Star helicopter at our last 16 hour horse training
(Bundi is the second horse from the right and very light colored)

Helicopter Heroes!!

As part of our 16 hour MSAR horse certification class, we have a helicopter (usually CHP or Cal Star) fly in to teach us hot and cold loading and to also help desensitize the horses to the noise and wind. Bundi's been exposed to the helicopter twice and has done pretty well (a little spin the first time, but more relaxed the second year).  The video to the left is not of Bundi's ears, but shot from the back of another horse as the helicopter hovers and spins in front of us and gives you an idea just how close it is to the horses and how well they tolerate it with a little exposure.

Cal Star helicopter hovering in front of a line of horses

But this blog isn't about desensitizing the horses to the helicopter, it's about a fantastic opportunity I was given to ride along with the nurses and pilots that fly these machines to the scene of terrible accidents to try to save the worst of the badly injured.

Triple Duece Helicopter (the largest they have) ready to go

 

Preflight and getting ready for the day

When I first became a nurse 20 years ago, I really wanted to be a flight nurse, but my life path took me in a different direction.  So on October 1st, I actually got a chance to see what might have been and I met the Cal Star crew I would be flying with for the day (I had eagerly anticipated this ride along for about 3 months).

We started the day around 10 AM with a quick phone call to the other Cal Star crews to get report and then headed out to the helicopter (via the "Bat Mobile" - a golf cart!) to check on supplies, do a pre-flight and orient me to where I would be sitting, use of the seatbelts, etc.   During this orientation, we were called out for our first flight and all we were told was that it was a "deputy down".  Hmmmm...as a volunteer for the Sheriff's office, that hit a little close to home, but half way to the site we were cancelled on route and had to turn around to go home - DARN!  But if that's all that happened for the day, at least I got one flight in and I was grateful for the experience!  The video below is of a take off from the base as we head out.

My view from the back seat looking forward

Upon returning home, I was full of questions.  I asked the crew (consisting of two nurses and one pilot) everything I could about their training and what types of missions they flew.  About an hour in to my interrogation, we got another call. Yippee!  I get to go out again!  

This time, it was a bicyclist down in a local county park and the short video above shows our landing on scene (note the emergency vehicles and the crowd of people around the injured).  We landed in a large field on top of a ridge and tended to an adult male that had flown over the handle bars of his bike and hit his head.  Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet and his injuries didn't seem too bad, but we transported him to Valley Medical Trauma Center for a thorough check anyway.  Once there, we landed on the roof of the hospital and rolled him in to the ER. 

Transporting bicyclist (I'm now sitting in the front seat looking back)

It was 3 PM when we got back to base after this transport and finally got time to eat lunch!  We were lucky to get two hours of rest before our next callout - a 5 year old child struck by a car!  Oh no!  Having a 5 and 6 year old myself, that hit WAYYY too close to home and I worried about how I was going to react to seeing that kind of a trauma on a child the same age as one of my own.  We got to the site and circled the area several times.  On the ground, I could see emergency vehicles and lights, but after our third circle, they canceled us.  Phew!  Didn't have to go through that trauma after all and the assumption was made that the child was either OK or the injuries were minor enough to tolerate a standard ride to the hospital by ambulance or car.  The video below is of us landing back at base.

We returned to base, shut down the helicopter, got in the golf cart "Bat Mobile" to go back to the house and no sooner had we backed out of the driveway and turned onto the road when we got ANOTHER callout!  This time it was for a 3 YEAR OLD CHILD hit by a car.  UGH!  Apparently, I was not going to get out of a pediatric trauma!

Nurses working on the pedi trauma (see the little foot?)

We flew to Monterey airport where we met the ambulance with the child and his mother.  Fortunately, it was a very low impact collision and the child did not appear to be too badly hurt.  We transported him to Valley Medical Trauma Center for a check and even before we left the hospital, he was already sitting up and coloring with crayons.  The rumor was that he would probably be discharged home later that day - good news.

Proof that I really did fly with them!  I sat in the back when we flew out to a mission, but then moved to the front seat next to the pilot for the trip to the hospital.  The patient's empty gurney is on the right.

Roof top of Valley Med Trauma Center

For the second time that day, we left the rooftop of the hospital and headed for home.  The sun was starting to set and I figured this would be my last ride because of their "no ride alongs after dark" policy.  We landed at base, shut down the helicopter and didn't even make it to the golf cart before another callout came in - a transport from one hospital to another.  As badly as I wanted to go with them, I had to stay behind and wave goodbye.  All told, I flew out with them 4 times that day (comprised of 8 take offs and 8 landings) and found out later that they had a very busy night, too - not the usual kind of day for them.

Sunset and off again! The crew uses night vision goggles to assist with the night missions.

My hat's off to these hard working nurses.  Their medical skill and ability to perform in stressful situations and within the confines of a helicopter is truly amazing.  My career may have taken me on a path different from the one I originally wanted, but for one day, I got to live and experience my dream.  Should I (or anyone in my family) ever have to ride along with them as a patient, I know I'll be in very good hands.  After all, these nurses have wings.....just like angels.