Josh Ward Recovering After Horse Riding Accident

Texas country artist Josh Ward is currently recovering at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Texas after he was involved in a horse riding accident that resulted in serious abdominal injuries and internal bleeding. Ward required surgery to stop the bleeding, and the surgery was a success. Though Ward is expected to make a full recovery, he continues to deal with lingering issues from the accident, and remains in the hospital.

After playing a KOKEfest just north of Austin last weekend, Josh Ward was horseback riding on Sunday, August 8th when the accident occurred. At first Ward reportedly tried to “walk it off,” but suffering massive internal bleeding, eventually emergency help was called.

“Josh’s horse, Tiny, is a great horse. He’s 14,” Josh’s wife Heather Mauney Ward explained on Friday. “He came from a ranch near the Palo Duro Canyon, we’ve had him about a month now. Josh had been riding him pretty frequently during the week, keeping him busy, but then of course he got back on the road, so he had a few days off of him. He had a new saddle, wanted to see how it fit the horse and fit him. He went to step in the saddle and the horse bowed up on him, got a little boogered out and spooked, and down he went. Happened so quick, he tried to get out of it and when it was over, Tiny had stepped on the lower right side of his abdomen. Tiny is not Tiny, he’s over 16 hands and currently weighs prob 1200 lbs.”

After the accident, Ward was very stubborn, not allowing his wife to call for medical help, but eventually gave in, which ended up being a good thing.

“Ultrasound showed a large amount of blood in the abdominal cavity and they transported him to a trauma facility with a surgeon immediately available,” Heather Ward says. “He underwent a 3 hour surgery where they removed almost 2 liters of blood from the abdominal cavity then found that the blood supply to his bowels had been ripped away, removed about a foot of intestines, then reattached the blood supply. He has an incision on his belly from his lower sternum all the way down, probably 18 inches total. They basically gutted him, fixed the problem and put him back together.”

Due to COVID precautions, Ward is not able to take visitors, and starting on Wednesday, even family wasn’t be able to visit him. They were hoping he might be discharged today (Friday 8-13) and continue his recovery from home, but he continues to remain in the hospital. However, Ward was able to start taking simple foods again on Thursday such as beef broth, apple juice, and jello after not being able to eat since the accident.

“Everyday we appreciate your thoughts, prayers, encouraging words. Please keep them coming and send him all the good vibes!!” says Heather Mauney Ward.

Due to the accident, all of Josh Ward’s tour dates for August have been postponed, including El Paso, TX, Christoval, TX, Fayetteville, AR, Texarkana, Springfield, MO, Bossier City, LA, Lebanon, TN, and St. Louis, MO.

A true Texas country artist known for his traditionalist style, Josh Ward worked in the rodeo business and in the Texas oil fields before giving music a try. A mainstay on Texas country radio with multiple #1’s, he’s built a deep fan base in Texas and beyond by sticking to his roots and living out the songs he sings.