It was an early start on Qld's Southhampton Station in 2014, when Kylie Savidge and her small team of helpers saddled up their horses. Drought was a difficult daily reality for the family station and this muster was about early weaning some of the young calves, to ease the pressure on their mothers and the dry pastures. Which meant the cows were cranky and the calves were slow to move. So one of Kylie's contract stockman, Tom (known by all as TJ) took his horse Whisky out wide to move the mob along. As the pair gathered speed, Whisky's front feet slipped on the hard packed ground and both horse and rider hit the dirt.
In Episode #106 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, TJ - who ten years on is now Kylie's life partner and right-hand man - recalls hearing a 'crack' as his shoulder hit the ground. Whisky the horse quickly got back on his feet. But TJ was struggling to even move. But with confused cattle and worried crew heading in all directions, he got back on his feet - using his belt as a makeshift sling, for an arm that was quickly going numb. Once the cattle were finally all yarded and the adrenalin started to wear off, TJ quickly realised he could barely stand with the pain he was experiencing.
With a well-maintained airstrip at the historic, family station and a nearby RFDS plane hearing the triple zero call, help was quickly on the way. But thanks to poor telecommunications, a long drive down a dirt road and a few crossed wires on the bush telegraph, TJ ended up with more emergency assistance than he ever dreamed of. Photo Credit: Kylie Addy
