Kylie was relieved to have her Adventurer Rescue Swag strapped to the back of her saddle when her horse, which she was leading, got spooked and jumped onto her during a Hope Reins and Outback Futures fundraiser ride from Gympie to Longreach.
Kylie specifically purchased the swag for the trip knowing she would be riding her three horses, Yasha, Indi and Chauvel, for nine and a half weeks to complete the 1329km journey.
“I knew I wanted a Rescue Swag because I saw that it could be attached to the back of my saddle and I just transferred it from one horse to the other each day,” Kylie said.
“I could have put a first aid kit in my saddle bag, but I wanted to have something which was quick and easy to grab in emergencies.
“The Rescue Swag was the perfect size and contained a Minor Injuries, Major Injuries and a Snake Bite Kit – which was everything I needed.”
Kylie has been horse riding since she was just three years old and was aware of the risks involved when horse riding along a highway.
Heat stroke, snake bites or falling off her horse were some of the scenarios she had planned for, but she never expected what happened next.
“When we arrived at Muckadilla there was a rifle competition on which was really loud and upsetting for my horse,” Kylie said.
“The highway was also really busy at the time, so I decided to get off my horse and walk across the road because he was very skittish about the guns.
“As I was leading him a dog ran out to us and spooked him and he jumped on me, knocking me onto the road, onto my knees.
“I ended up with ripped jeans and a large injury to my knee.”
Thankfully Kylie was able to apply first aid to her knees using the Minor Injuries Kit.
“It could have been so much worse,” Kylie said.
“I was so relieved to have a first aid kit on hand to clean the wound and cover it up because if it had stopped the ride it would have been devastating.
“Having the Rescue Swag meant I could keep going.”
