b'Running the RaceHindsight is 20/20By Betsy Nunnhowfastdouwannab@gmail.com, facebook.com/Willnunnp3, youtube.com/user/howfastdouwannabL ets talk about traveling withAlways have leg protection - shipping boots to protect a truck and trailer. A lot of ustheir legs. Also, fly nets on them to protect their eyes ifolder folks have been pullinga rock flips up.a trailer most of our lives. I have a friend by the name of MelindaGive yourself plenty of room between you and the next Trujillo that got in a wreck recently on 1-10. She was drivingvehicle. Drive defensively as my dad used to tell me- there in the high-speed lane behind a line of passenger cars andare lots of idiots out there. Always leave enough room had a semi next to her as well going 70 mph. A drunk driverbetween you and the next car, for instance, if you are going way ahead of her was driving crazy. A dump truck driver70 mph you should leave seven car lengths or in our case rolled his rig behind that guy killing the truck driver. Allseven rig lengths to get your rig stopped. The weight of your this was happening ahead of her but she had no idea. Thetruck and trailer pushes your truck so when you stomp on passenger cars screeched to a stop in front of her. She hadthe brake it takes time to get it stopped.three head in her smaller aluminum gooseneck trailer. She knew she couldnt move over to her right and she also knewHave some ropes/halters and horse meds in your truck- she was not going to get her rig stopped even though sheAce, Banamine, Bute, etc. Remember her trailer flipped had plenty of space between her and the passenger cars. Sheon the head side of the horses so it also shut her off from made a split decision to save her life as well as her daughterher tack room with all her pertinent things for this type of who was on the passenger side. She defensively moved tosituation. They resorted to using a dog blanket and a cell her left into the bar ditch but mustve moved right becausephone charger cord as a tourniquet because their gelding she clipped the truck on her right causing her gooseneckhad severed an artery on a hind leg.chains to break and the trailer to flip off the truck. Her friend Shyann Seng got a call that the phone itselfShe is 100% sure that if she or her daughter had beenShe had to make a splitincapacitated that DPS at the scene would have shot the dialed while the wreck was actually happening. She said ittwo horses that were still alive as they had wanted to flipdecision that may have saved was horrific and she could actually hear Melindas daughterthe trailer over with them still in it to get it off the highway. screaming and the metal screeching. She then got onThey werent jerks; they just had no training for that type ofher and her daughters lives. Facebook and asked for prayers for her friend even thoughsituation. An officer cut his head and broke his hand trying she didnt know what happened. to help. She adamantly said, No these are rodeo horses andHindsight is 20/20 so what did they are injured and they wont go anywhere once you get The horses head side of the trailer was still on the asphaltthem out. He had thought it was going to be a big wreckshe learn from all of this and while the truck with Melinda and her daughter in it endedif they got them out of the trailer. Melinda assured them it up in the median. Their bay mare in the first hole was killedwould hurt them worse flipping the trailer over while theywhat can we all learn from this? instantly. The other two horses traded stalls and were headingwere still in there. She said you have to be an advocate for in the opposite direction. Those two horses survived. Melindayour animals in a deal like that.and her daughter were banged up a bit but basically andwas who Melinda and I had just been talking about earlier. miraculously were in pretty decent condition consideringHave insurance on your horses and your trailer.Will said Dr. Meyers is a stand-up guy, was a lot of help and what had happened. She had to make a split decision thatSometimes we dont think of having a second type ofeven canceled his other clients to be there. Melinda called may have saved her and her daughters lives. I think she didinsurance on a trailer. Dr. McCormick and he sent his tech Molly. She drove her an awesome job of navigating the situation as well as shepersonal truck with the clinics trailer for the horses. He could. Hindsight is 20/20 so what did she learn from all ofThink about the first stall that we all often put things in likealso sent a second vet and another tech guy to help. All the this and what can we all learn from this?generators, bales of hay, etc. all these things could be a bigvets from both clinics worked together. McCormicks crew detriment to your horses if you get in a wreck.took them to Phoenix. Melinda also called her brother and She has pondered these things. She did have her horseshe was on the scene and a huge help. She also had a relative, tied to the bungee quick-release ties. They did just that andListen to that still small voice that the Lord has givenfrom back east that saw a picture of the wreck on Facebook, released. She believes this kept the two surviving horses alive. you. Sometimes He is trying to tell us something if werecognized her rig, and called her brother and sister-in-law. will quiet ourselves and listen. His word says He directsThey just happened to live up the road from the accident. Always have a huge hammer in your truck, not yourour path. They were headed to the vet that MondayI came and met them at the gas station to pick up Melinda trailer. She had one to bang on the pin that kept themorning after being at a high school rodeo all weekend.and her daughter. Her family then took her truck and fixed collapsible back tack together making it easier to get thatMy daughter rode home with them that night from thethe tail-lights while we headed to Phoenix to check in on opened up to get those horses out. No one else had arodeo. Strangely she had had a dream that morning beforethe horses at the vet hospital. When we came back through hammer at the scene. waking and saw their trailer on its side in the middle ofthat night we picked up the truck and she was able to drive the freeway and Melinda was standing there looking at it.it home with me following. So isnt it so interesting how our She had a water tank in the back of that rear tackThe only difference is it was nighttime.steps seemed orchestrated from Will being up the road to compartment. She would say to put your tank on topbe able to stop and help, to dialing Dr. Meyers, to the family of your trailer or in the front tack as it made it nearlyAlso, her mother had told her that maybe she shouldhelp, etc. It is all pretty amazing. We are all so grateful and impossible to get into that tack to get those horses out. reschedule her vet appointment. Its a lot to go to the rodeoMelinda is so thankful.and then back to Phoenix again the next morning. Melinda My thoughts are that when traveling always have your drop- had called me maybe 15 minutes before the wreck. I guess there are so many takeaways from this deal. Never down doors shut so if a trailer flips on the head side as thistake anything or anyone for granted. Listen to that still small one did so you dont break a neck, etc. (I am not sure whatWe hung up and then my husband Will called who was invoice. Maybe slow down a bit on the road, as folks seem to their situation was as far as this was concerned). I have alsoroute from Marana to Phoenix. Will called information asbe driving crazier on the highway in my humble opinion, heard of horses breaking their necks when a semi got toohe was driving towards the wreck to get a list of vets to calland think about the things we threw out there from this close and they had their heads hanging out. and randomly picked Dr. Meyers number not knowing itsituation. I thank God that they are both still here. 38 February 2021'