The in-between

June 30, 2022 was a beautiful summer afternoon in Bozeman. The sky was blue, the grass was tall and Montana like no other green, and the air was warm. I caught and saddled my two best horses to take one of my riding lesson kids for a short ride down a dusty road to the Gallatin River. It was my first ride post miscarriage. My heart was broken and my body felt empty, but being back in the saddle was exactly what my heavy heart needed after weeks of sitting alone with my grief and loss. I posted a story on Instagram that captured the moment -- me smiling and ponying a happy 10 year old boy down to the river. Five minutes after that story posted, my horse Gus had a sudden spinal seizure. He flipped over and landed on top of me. This freak accident was caused by a neurological disease called EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis). Gus was diagnosed with this disease 4 years earlier and he received treatment and supplements for the condition. In all that time, he had not shown any signs of worsening EPM symptoms.