A rider who was told he might never walk again and found himself at rock bottom after a serious injury has created a new career with dogs and horses – and said the injury is the best thing that has ever happened to him.
Adam Watson grew up with horses and ranch work in the US but the spinal cord injury he sustained in 2018 meant he lost the use of his right arm. But he said the adaptations he has made to be able to work with horses again, with his increased knowledge of psychology and his own tendency for horse-first training principles, have helped change his life.
“Ten years ago, I was a monster of a man, a mean biker,” Adam told H&H. “It took me getting hurt to realise I spent the first 38 years of my life trying to hide insecurities. Now, I’m peaceful, I don’t have to prove anything.
“My accident and injury cured a lifetime of insecurity – and the horses were everything to do with it.”
Adam grew up working on his father’s ranch, and backing and selling mustangs, but then spent over 20 years working in areas including emergency services, international field operations and working-dog training. Then he sustained the work-related brachial plexus injury, damage to the nerves to his right arm, and everything changed.
“They were telling me I had high potential of being a quadriplegic the rest of my life,” he said. “It was a pretty terrifying experience.”
Adam started to recover, and decided to build a dog-training facility.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Adam Watson: rebuilding
“I would say I was ambulatory but not functioning,” he said. “I spent more than several days where I would just sit out in the yard and cry. I remember trying to build a little obstacle, and all I needed to do was drive one nail.
“There were a lot of days like that, but that day in particular. I remember I had a full meltdown in the yard. I cried. I threw things.
“It was the whole deal that day, but that really needed to happen. I needed to go through that bad spot, because I’m the type of person who needs the challenge to drive me. Then I needed to find a way to make things work; it was me against it.”
Adam cites the support he had from Ben Radar, US army veteran and former kennel master, who he would speak to for hours on the phone.
“Ben’s psychology knowledge base is insane,” he said. “He gave me a master’s education in applied psychology, in a format I really understood. He allowed me to apply the correct terminology and the psychology to an entire childhood of watching my daddy work horses.
“Once I understood what I’d been seeing my whole life, I had something to move on.”
Adam said he “reconnected” with horses after his accident, partly after going back to rodeos with his brother and nephew, and realised he had missed having them as part of his life.
He explained that as he is limited physically, he has had to develop different methods for working, which benefits the horses and his relationship with them.
“Adaptation is the mother of change,” he said, giving the example of putting a bridle on to show that having a better relationship with a horse.
“That’s not the easiest thing without two hands; I challenge anyone to go and bridle a horse with one hand,” he said. “Unless that horse is a willing participant, you can’t do it.”
(Image credit: None)
Adam now works in search and rescue – and has taught horses to scent-track missing people – and with disaster response organisation Mission Mules.
“Horsemanship, injury adaptation, search-and-rescue thinking, working dogs and field capability all came together after the loss of use of my right arm,” he said. “This is not a pity story, it’s about rebuilding real capability and showing how clearer systems can make horses, riders, handlers and field teams safer.
“Adaptation acts as a stress test for horse-handling systems and can reveal safer, cleaner methods that benefit other riders, grooms and yard staff too.”
Adam said he still suffers from severe pain from his injury, but that he still considers it a blessing.
“I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world,” he said. “This injury absolutely is the greatest thing that ever happened to me, the greatest gift God ever gave me.”
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
