The Pitfalls of Falls

[Imzadi83]

So this is how it, or rather I, went down.

I rode a different horse. Mind you this is still not me randomally picking, my RI suggested this one. I knew her to be a little stubborn but had otherwise no reason to be concerned. She stood still while I mounted.

I had trouble turning her and getting her to trot but it wasn't until I got her trotting that it happened. They say, and it seems pretty true, that hindsight is twenty twenty. The first time around the arena she suddenly (to me anyway) picked up speed and trotted really fast! Not like the big leapy feeling of Stumpy going "I'm trotting I'm trotting" like the little engine that could but quick and fast like those trotting horses go around the track. I obvioius don't know how really fast it was but felt a lot faster then I'm used to in trot and I couldn't post quick enough to it.

Perhaps that was my first mistake. Not slowing her down when she picked up speed. My brain told me to try a half halt but I was just so unsure on her back and I thought she'd just slow down when she got close to the end of the line.

BIG MISTAKE, HUGE!

Second time around I was half was when my RI said if I wanted give her a kick and tell her to canter. I told her I wasn't ready to canter yet on her. Then the super fast trotting started. I tried to match her pace posting but could not. Then she started to canter. My RI said I must have been squeezing my legs which told her to speed up. Maybe she's right but I don't feel it. Maybe because I'm so un-fit it's all I can do just to post at all.

I felt out of control on her and I got into that fetal position again and tried to cling to her mane. Only I couldn't get ahold of her man and lost my balance and started tipping over to the outside. I even tried hugging her neck but just could not hold on. I remember I just wanted someone to stop the horse!

I kept going to the left and was actually clinging to her side! I could see her face and her chest and her legs that just kept going ang going. She looked panicky but was still not half as terrified as I! OMG I was so afraid! She'd hit my foot against the rail before and I knew the rail was behind me and her in front. I thought I was going to get slammed into it. Then I realized I had to let going because I couldn't keep holding on and I was so afraid of how much it would hurt if the horse ran me over!

I let go and fell and she, thank GOD, went the other way. It all happened so slowly to me but I guess it was probably pretty quick. My mom said one second she heard me scream and the next she didn't see me on the horse then she saw me fall. My RI rushed over and talked to me.

Physically I seem not too worse for ware though psychologically I'm still shaking. And I am still crying. I can't get over the terror of it. The horse is fine she looked kinda upset that I didn't get back on or take her back. The RI put her away, I was sitting on the sidlines trying to get myself together. Which I never did.

I would really appericiate some comradire now. If anyone else can share their falling off stories I'd appericiate it. And how do you know enough is enough? How do you know if you should quit? I am so scared of getting hurt. I know it's a risk with everything and don't want to be a wus but...

[SpringySpring]

I don't think you should quit, maybe just find another RS where they put their riders on more suitable horses and teach at a pace that suits you :)

Is this your first fall? Or is it just your worst so far. Don't let it put you off

[Imzadi83]

This was my very first fall and the worse anyone in my class has done. (when I do something I do it big apperantly) My RI was telling my mother that the others in the class have been there for a year! But this is supposed to be a begining riding class for adults but apperantly I'm the only real "beginnger" in there. I had already wanted to try another school in the fall so I'm trying to decide wether or not to finish out the summer with this one since I've already paid.

[Gruntfuttock]

Sorry to hear about your fall, I hope you are feeling a bit better now. I'm a bit worried that you are still crying and shaking over falling off a horse, at trot, in an arena, with your instructor present. There is no such thing as a safe fall, but i would suggest that what you experienced came close. Its better than falling off from a flat-out gallop, alone, in a field far from home !Horse riding is a dangerous sport, and for 99.9% of riders, falls are sadly inevitable. I suspect that your instructor made an error of judgement in putting you on a horse that you were unable to control, but it is hardly the end of the world. Presumably in your next lesson you will be allowed to ride one of the other horses that you are more comfortable on, to help regain your confidence.

Going from barn to barn to find one where you will never fall off, is ultimately a worthless task. The first fall is always the worst, I assure you, and I think this is one place where people who start to ride as children have a HUGE advantage over those who start to ride as adults - they generally cant remember their first fall !

I'm one of the lucky ones, in that i can't remember my first fall, but I've had some stunners over the years. I fell off my share horse TWICE at New Year, once when trying to pull her up from a full gallop (that hurt a LOT), and once would you believe, at walk, when she spooked at a deer. I also got bucked off an evil hairy little riding school pony last year, when it decided that it simply didn't want to work any more. That was fun - i sat three bucks, and then ended up face down in the arena, with a very anxious instructor catching the pony for me. I got back on, because I was NOT amused at it bucking me off, and asked it to trot on...at which point, it did an impressive rodeo display down the long side of the school, and i got off !

If I was in your shoes, I would finish out the summer at this school, simply because it sounds as if otherwise you wouldn't ride at all, and it is a bit of a waste if you've already paid.

[Sierra7]

It's a shame you couldn't get straight back on, as that often helps after a fall just to realise that getting back up there isn't as scary as it seems. My advice is to get back on something as soon as you can, as the longer you leave it the bigger the event will become in your mind. Don't give up, you are still learning and will unfortunately have a few bad experiences but the good will totally outweigh the bad. Just think of all the fun you've had, compared to one fall!

I'm speaking from experience here, I recently had a bad fall off my new horse and couldn't get back on for a month because I was so scared he would do it again! I finally realised that I just had to get on with it, and we are getting the trust back slowly. Good luck and keep riding! :)

[cwb]

Falling off is no big deal - it is going to happen sooner or later. I think we should actually be taught how to fall - deliberately as part of learning to ride. Keeping your arms in and rolling with the motion is important to avoid breaking bones - think about how a parachutist lands.

My first fall was from an 18 hand horse at full gallop and happened in an instant when he stopped suddenly, one second I was on the horse, the next I was on the ground, still holding the reins. My latest fall was off my own 17 hand horse at canter in the school when she got very unbalanced - that was much slower and I made several attempts to get back in the saddle but when the inevitable arrived I just rolled off and ended sitting on the sand, mind you as it was raining I had plenty of sand all over me! - everytime I fall, I get straight back on again and just carry on.

I hope you can get over your fall - try to look at it as part of life's rich tapestry - get back on that horse and make it do what YOU want, you know you can survive what it does to you!

[horse_crazy]

My very first fall was the exact same way you fell. Your first fall is allways the most scariest. I'm allways worryed of falling off,but you can't let it take over you or you will never enjoy it . I have been folowing all your threds and to be onnist,I think you should look for another RS. Somewhere with a instructor that will be more incuriging ,and that will recconnise when your not ready to do something. Because to me,it sounds like your not ready to canter at all. My instructor allways said, if it scares you to deth,then your not ready.

Your instructor might of been right about you gripping on with your legs corsing your horse to trot faster, I do the same thing,all though it's my heals. Alot of people dig their heals in or grip when they get nervice.

Don't worry everyone falls off! and please don't quit! I think you will find if you find another RS you will enjoy it alot more :)

[spamchops]

Don't quit! In my 20 years of riding I have fallen off dozens of times, spooked off, bucked off, fallen off jumping mostly though! Most times you are on the floor before you realise what has happened and rarely will you really hurt yourself. I have had bruises, headaches, been winded but only once hurt myself (cracked a rib). With us adults, I think it is the THOUGHT of falling off rather than the actual reality of it.
Sounds like you are pretty stressed about it though, you could try various things to hep with the nerves. NLP, hypno, rescue remedy etc. Wrth a try!

[horseygal90]

I can tell you exactly why you fell off - Nothing to do with the horse (well, mainly), but trying to grab the mane/hold the neck rarely works, if ever. Leaning forwards will just have pushed you more out of balance, especially if she was trotting too fast for you! Sit up and on your bum like your life depends on it :p falling off is unfortunatly somewhat inevitable in our sport, likewise with skating and snowboarding - Take a lead from them, they relish falling off and show their scars off all day! (Though maybe stick to just a few bruises and no actual scars...)

I've come off a few times, never with serious injury. I've been bucked off a naughty school pony (who I was put on to try and get to work, after a while she went nicely and then threw a few nasty rodeo displays when I wasn't watching), been thrown off jumping twice in 10 minutes :p, gone over a horses head and landed on my feet alongside the horse a few times too. The only time I've not got back on was with the first one I described (naughty school pony) because I was a bit spacey and the pony was so het up about something (think it was her friends leaving the yard earlier on) that she would've just done it again and although I'm not afraid of falling I don't go looking for it either ;)

When should you quit? IMHO, never! But in seriousness, I would only not get on a horse that I'd fallen off when I'm either seriously injured (talking air ambulance needed, that kind of thing - Not just bruised or winded) or when it's plain to see that the horse is fed up/worked up about something and riding them again isn't going to be beneficial for anyone. When do you quit riding? Again, never.

Yes, it's a risk but surely it's a risk worth taking? I bet you if you run a poll on here and any other horse forum asking people how many times they've been seriously injured falling from a horse you'll find a handful of people and a lot telling you about how they came off in awful circumstances but were just bruised. I'd definatly finish at this school (don't want your confidence dented any more, and you've already paid so you might as well) and then find a new one later on. Not because a new RS will stop you from falling, but because it doesn't seem like they've really built any foundations for you there.

[molly34]

fell off my share horse TWICE at New Year, once when trying to pull her up from a full gallop (that hurt a LOT), and once would you believe, at walk, when she spooked at a deer.
I can beat that - my first (and so far only - touch wood) fall from Willow was off a spook from a standstill!!! :o

Like Grunty, I don't remember falls as a child. Re-starting as an adult after over 20 years was a different matter though, and my first bad fall off an RS horse was horrendous and left me crying too (I managed to bounce off my shoulder and hip before landing on my back) and like you I didn't get back on. I was a wreck the next time I went for a lesson but I told the school how I felt and they gave me a private lesson on a horse I'd ridden loads of times to get my confidence back up before I went back into the group.

Falls are shocking, and some people never really get used to it, so don't beat yourself up about it. The relative safety of the school is the best place to get a few under your belt, and tbh I don't think there's anything wrong with your current school - maybe just don't ride that particular horse again for a little while.
Try to learn from it, share your fear with your RI (and give her a chance to look after you), and ride again as soon as you can. :)

[Gina789]

Hello

Please don't worry if you sore frm my recent posts I hadn't fallen for years and years (mainly cause i didn't ride for many but shhh no one needs to know that) so as you can imagine the anticipation of falling off the longer it took the harder it got.

Well i bought me a horse and soon got over that. 3 times in 2 months!

Fall 1: Opening a gate not something ever attempted on horseback before. I opened it. Wasn't wide enough so leant forward to swing wider must have squeezed to grip when i did. Horse walked on, leg got caught between gate and horse and gracefully pushed me out of the saddle to land elegantly beside my horse.. and yes the one livery i particularly hate was watching at the time.

Well my horse must have learnt that riders doo come off :D

Fall 2: (3 days later) still sore from the last one we have canter issues I asked for canter in lesson i got buck bunny hop and gradually ascending till i go flying over the shoulder do a somersault and have a lie down in the sand!

Fall 3: Asked for a trot we slammed head in the air supersonic trotted (my horse was a cart horse pre me so we can trot REALLLLYYYY fast Ive kept up with horses in canter in her trot)! decided to do huge buck i ended up perched over than a 180 spin depositing me on the floor whilst she ran off back to field in full tack to graze with her boyfriend!

2 hours later I caught her then she decided to pull me on the floor just to make sure :P

Thatw was two weeks ago i was terrified at the time of all of these falls now I can see the funny side of most of them :D

Untacked and off to A&E i went :D nothing broken

[spicegirl]

my first fall was at the walk off a rolly polly quarterhorse mare. My friend and I were riding in a "make-shift" arena we had "made" in her dad's backyard on rainy day. It had been raining everyday for about a week so we decided, we would ride anyway. Like I said, this quarterhorse is quite round. We saddled up and rode for a while...I tightened the girth after a couple times around because this mare likes to blow out her belly when you tighten it up. Well, my daughter was also riding a pony at the time. She was behind me as we went around a corner and before I knew it, the saddle and I went off the side of the horse! I landed in a HUGE thick, oozy mud puddle and the saddle ended up under her belly. She didn't panic at all! She looked at me as if to say, "Get up you idiot! What are you doing down there? AND fix my saddle while you are at it!" Needless to say, I was a bit shocked to be on the ground...I think maybe I had an 'unbalanced' seat?!:o

[Imzadi83]

I think this is one place where people who start to ride as children have a HUGE advantage over those who start to ride as adults - they generally cant remember their first fall !
I agree with you there. I've fallen in other ways doing other things esp as a child and not thought it a big a deal. But as an adult I've had a chronic headache for seven years so being so isolated and unable to do so many things has obviously taken a toll on my confidence in general. But I think to as an adult we know more about just how dangerous and complicated injuries can be too. And as a sidenote I do believe you fell off in walk as I just read in an old Horse & Rider magazine that that is the gait at which most falls occur. I found that interesting as I didn't know that.

Sierra7 I wish I had gotten back on to. Not on the same horse as I'm obvoiusly not ready for her but on good old Stumpy. I couldn't get myself to stop crying though and when I cry my nose runs and I was just a sobbing mess.

cwb I think being taught how to fall is a brilliant idea! Maybe in a nice padded room try "falling" of the standing horse into a pile of padding (the good stuff gymnasts use) just so when the inevetable comes you know what the "sensation" of falling off feels like. I once went to an ice skating party and they gave us a mini lesson that included practice falling. At least some advice is warranted before hand. After my fall I asked my RI what should you do when you know you're gonna fall. She told me to look for a nice spot to land. :confused: I don't think there's any nice spot to land when your falling off a cantering horse in a gravel arena imho. But I do remember thinking I had to fall off before she ran me into the fence. I was sooo afraid I was gonna get trampled though.

horse_crazy Thanks horse_crazy, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who fell that way. I'm def going to look for another school. But the idea of a new horse is so scary and money is so tight I might stick out the summer with this one if I can stick with my good old ploddy Stumpy. The week before this I did a much better canter on her and had lots of fun so at least once more I want to ride her as she just gave me a safe feeling and it just would be good for my confidence to get back on her. I'm sure my RI was right about me gripping with my legs but as it takes all my strength and concentration just to post in trot I had no clue I was doing it and no clue how to stop doing it.

spamchops I think your right about us adults being scared at the THOUGHT of falling. I don't mind being on the ground I just wanna skip the middle part where it happened lol

horseygal90 Looking back I know holding on wasn't what I should have done but I was just trying to hold on thinking in only a few more steps we'd be at the end of the line and she'd slow down and stop. Obviously she didn't and that was the real terriffing part. I do remember though the first time I cantered (on a different horse tho) my RI told me to "grab some mane and ask her to canter" which I did but fell forward. She would always stop when I did that though so I was shocked and frightened when even falling off this horse didn't stop. And ya know I was so fighting to hold on and go with it than in the begining I never did try to slow her down by pulling the reins. It's just too much to remember at once!

molly34 I'll def let my RI know I'm skittish but don't think I will get too much sympathy at my RS. But I'm a stubbern Taurus and will not allow myself to be pushed father than I want to go. She suggested that there was a class on the other day with actual beginners but since it's not an adult class I figure they will probably be little kids and they will be given prioity and the safest horses. Where at least in the class I'm in no body wants the safe horse cause she's so slow and ploddy. And I swear I will never complian about her AGAIN if she will only forgive me and let me sit on her next week.

spicegirl My RI got at me for having the girth too loose too and did a demo of pulling the saddle down. I know she was right to reprimend me for forgetting to check it but darn do some teachers have a way of making you feel like a first class idiot with just the tone of their voice. But it wasn't a saddle problem as the saddle remained perfectally on the horse. So at least there wasn't an oppertunity to say 'I told you so' The mare I was riding had no idea what in the world was happening even when I was clinging to her side for dear life. She looked really embrassed for the rest of the lesson. And I know she knew something was wrong when not only did I not get back on but I also didn't put her back in her stall. She got pulled around the arena by the RI. (It's like after a car wreck, I don't blame the car but I can't look at it for a while) I think I must have and unbalanced seat too and really loud legs (as opposed to reading comments about horses needing riders with "quiet" legs) Sadly, I don't know how to fix either.

[bexj]

I think the most important thing you can do right now is go and get a lesson booked on Stumpy. Speak to your RI and explain that you are feeling nervous, ask to be kept on a lead rein for a few minutes if necessary. Confidence is such a fragile thing, and takes a long time to build again, but with a little sympathetic handling from your RI, and a bit of determination from you, then you'll be back in the saddle again in no time.

My OH had a similar fall to yours when he just started out, and it was all down to him creeping into the foetal postion as soon as things get hairy. He landed on his fist and broke a rib or two as well. But he managed to get back on there and then, only for a few minutes, and the next week he was gingerly back in the saddle again. It's the hardest thing to do is to sit up and relax when things are going literally belly up, but believe you me, it's the one thing that'll help you from falling off again.

As others have said, you have to expect to fall off every so often, its part and parcel of the sport, just like at some point you'll get your feet stood on, you'll get kicked, and you'll get bitten. But you have to take as many precautions as possible to stop these things happening.

I'd also suggest asking for a private lunge lesson, to help you strengthen and deepen your seat. Don't just change Riding Schools, because this WILL happen again, guaranteed, and it's not the fault of the teacher or the horse.

Good luck!

[Imzadi83]

I would love to have a private lesson on Stumpy and esp on a lead but I seriously doubt that will happen. My RS doesn't not do indivadule lessons and even if you lease a horse its not a guarantee you'll have it for your lesson. Not to mention they don't do leasing in summer. If I'm feeling skittish I'll ask my RI to lead her when we trot though I'm not sure how that'll go over either. I will speak to my RI though and only do what I am comfortable with. I mean as long as I'm not in the way IE: putting other riders/horses at risk I think I deserve a little slack.

[molly34]

She suggested that there was a class on the other day with actual beginners but since it's not an adult class I figure they will probably be little kids and they will be given prioity and the safest horses.
If you can get past being the only grown up, its actually not a bad idea!
A couple of years summers ago I had a choice between joining a kids group for a few weeks or having shorter (and more expensive) private lessons as all the other adults at my standard had b*ggered off for the summer. I was dreading feeling old/fat/stupid/cr*p next to all these skinny fearless girls, but actually I had a ball!

In the adult group there was a lot of (mostly friendly) competition between us: to be ride leader, manage the fizziest horse, jump better, canter further etc etc, but with the kids there was none of that. I got to choose whatever horse I wanted because they were all on ponies, I always got to go last because I was the worst rider on the biggest ned, and there was no pressure because noone expected me to be as good as the kids. I got a lot out of those lessons, including my first go at jumping, and in a way I was sorry to go back to the adult group.

[Imzadi83]

Hmmm I forgot about the ponies. I'll ask my RI who's there and if anyone usually rides Stumpy. So far all the horses even though many are deemed for beginers I've had trouble with. Other than not wanting to end up with a horse I can't handle I wouldn't mind being in with the kids. Kids aren't as judgemental. Thanks for telling me your story, I'll def give this another thought. The horses might be in better moods then too since they haven't had a day of camp/lessons.

[horseygal90]

TBH I'd say change riding schools not because you've had a fall, or because I think another school would stop you falling off more (it's inevitable, I'm afraid) but because I think your RI sounds like someone who has very little experience or aptitude to teaching beginners, if she really is like you say. Someone who's learning something from scratch needs a teacher who's not condescending or rude, which is what she sounds to me. Nobody should belittle you, whether they're an 'expert' or not. My RI pushes me - Pushing is good, but she knows when to stop. She asks me to do something; say, canter without stirrups, and I'll protest, so she tells me to do it. If I protest further, she asks why or adjusts what she wants me to do (risng trot without stirrups) so that I'm ok with it then we go back to it. Plus I don't think any of the horses they have there sound like true beginners horses (though I could be wrong, I've never met any of them!) and that another school will be able to offer you better horses to learn on and better coaching. Though, again, I could be wrong, since I've never met your RI or the horses!

[hannah:)]

Sorry to hear you fell off!

Sorry if others have suggested this, only skimmed this thread... could you have a lesson on the lunge? Preferably on a fat, half asleep, donkey cob?

I lost confidence after a couple of falls, lessons like that are part of what helped me to get it back again:o

[oinkmoooink]

''Its better than falling off from a flat-out gallop, alone, in a field far from home''

Yup i can agree with that.

When i first started riding as a cocky little 7 year old, i had a lot of falls, mainly because i went along with my legs flapping, and the saying 'you gotta have 7 falls before your a good rider' is what kept my confidence/ego up.
I did after an 'awful' fall there i was cantering on a 'huge' pony and basically slipped off him cause my legs to miles away from the saddle, and he cantered around the arena a few times before coming for food, have private lessons for a while, on a sweet little grey, but obviously thats not an option at uour riding school.

The important thing is that you dont dwell on it and blow things out of proportion, for example, your used to riding a lazy pony, this one wasnt, the trot probably wasnt really fast (the harness horses who trot round the tracks cover a mile in two minutes- thats probably slightly faster than you went!:) )
just a good working trot, so well done for getting the horse going!
The canter probably wasnt that fast, but you shouldnt have been pushed to do what you dont want to. Falls always seem to happen in slow motion, the very bad one i had a few weeks ago, where by rights i should have broken my neck and/ or shoulder, seemed to take hours, then sped up as soon as i hit the ground.
Theres nothing wrong with taking lessons with kids, as long as you dont start thinking that as their kids, you've gotta be better than them, and be resentful if they do better than them, at the end of the day, they might be able to pick it up faster, and have probably been riding longer.

And are you light enough to ride one of the ponies? I dont know if theres any differences with peoples experiances on learning on horses or ponies, but horses are built different to the ponies, who are generally natives, and i always ride welshes of some sort, and when i ride friends horses or go to try them, i feel like a complete novice again.
Just think that at least you got the first fall over, and next time, unless you have broken bones, or the horse is away in the hills, get straight back on the horse you fell off, if only for a few minutes