Second fall but qite pleased!!

[Sue]

I know that sounds bizarre but I hope someone can understand what I mean!

As lots of you know my first fall was very serious and although I've been back riding for about 7 months now the fear of falling again has never been far away.

Well yesterday it happened!! I took a tumble when the horse I was riding stumbled quite badly - fortunately he didn't fall but I did!! It was onto nice soft ground and apart from a sore ankle where he caught me and being a bit stiff - I'm fine!! My point is this - now I've had another fall from which I got up and got straight back on, I'm hoping that I can now realise that falling doesn't always end up as bad as it did the first time and that I can gain some confidence from it.

Strange I know but does anyone know what I mean??!!

[random2]

I do. it IS LIKE THE SAYING, until yo ufall 7 times you are not a good rider. I once really fell off and was kinda scared. THen I fell off when i rode without stirrups at the canter, and it felt like falling was nothing! I was just facing my fears.! Yeah, I think that I do understand what you mean.

[Rebecca]

I know what you mean, I felt *exactly* the same way after my first fall after starting riding again. Now I'm an adult rider I feel really good about knowing I can cope with the odd problem, whereas when I was younger I tended just to ignore the possibility. The idea of falling off gets built up in your head, just like if you are going to have an injection the dread is worse than the real thing; in actual fact I think most falls cause nothing much worse than bruising.

Anyway, well done, I'm glad you're feeling more confident, because the way you took up riding again after your first really bad fall is very impressive, and I would go so far as to say inspirational!

Rebecca

[Sue]

Rebecca, Thank you for your message - I wouldn't go so far as to say inspirational more like foolhardy!! But it's nice to know anyway!!

[Nancy]

Sue, good for you! I know how hard it must have been to get back on. I'm glad you did. The worst is now over. I'm still waiting for "the second shoe to fall" as they say. It's not a good feeling.
Usually I trail ride with a few people, but this morning no one was around to go with me,(that's one drawback of my accident, I no longer go out by myself). So I decided to ride in the ring for a little while. I didn't know that the man had calves in pens behind the fence. My normally calm mount spooked and guess what....no big deal. I rode him well, he calmed down and the rest of the ride went fine. Every little problem that we overcome will bring us one step closer to having the old carefree spirit back. It will come back, it's just taking longer than 10 years ago, but I will enjoy each little victory.

[Celtic_babe]

I know what u mean Sue! I had been riding for about 2 years on-off and had seen many people falling off badly injured, to just a little dazed but I never thought i would fall off!
When I did I got such a shock-it didn't hurt!!! I was perfectly OK! :) I've been planted off many young/scared and inexperienced ponies since then and its nothing once it happen'end twice. I'm often the one dared to try out the new pony @ my stables! I fall off a lot less now or i try not 2 but I think when it happens it really wakes u up and widens ** experience as a rider learning how not to make it happen or not let it come 2 a point when it might,
excuse my blabbing on!

~*Aoife*~

[Judith]

Totally the same with me. My first fall was bad - bruised ribs, trip to casualty etc and I really lost my confidence and never wanted to fall again. Then I fell and it was fine. Soft grass and I got straight back on again so relieved. I've fallen off about six times since then and grazed myself and pulled a muscle or two (you rarely seem to quite get away scot free!But often it's not till the next day you realise!)

Of course I still dread falling but it's lost some of the horrors. The other thing I do now is cling on like grim death till I have to fall! I used to bail out. I hope it's not bad for the horse but now I do all I can to stay on on the principle that you don't get hurt if you stay on! And if you do fall the fact that you've clung for a bit can make the fall gentler!

Anyway, like all of us I hate to fall and dread it. But I think out fears are often worse than the reality...

[Jeremy]

Sue - glad to hear you are doing so well. As Sue knows (but no-one else: this is my first post), I also had a bad fall almost 2 years ago and had the same back injury as she did. I stopped riding for about 4 months but it was back to square one when I got back on and for ages I thought I was never going to get back to where I was before my fall. It finally clicked when I got back from a trip to Ireland in June. I only rode twice - and this was on hillsides so we never went faster than trot. But somehow the nice Irish horses did wonders for my confidence and even now I am back on our mad Hong Kong ex-racehorses, I am riding so much better. Jeremy

PS I have fallen off 3 or 4 times since my accident but never too seriously.

[Sue]

Hi Jeremy

Glad to hear that everyting is going well for you too. You may have seen on another section of the board that I've just got back from one of Heather's seminars which has boosted my confidence no end. Hopefully one day I'll get over that awful fear when I get on a new horse for the first time. For the time being though I console myself with the knowledge that it was a freak accident and that I now know that you can fall off, laugh and get back on again!!

[LoobyLoo]

I have been riding for 2 years and had my first fall the day before Christmas Eve last year. Got bucked off on to concrete and managed to break my left elbow. This Easter I had a jumping lesson and my horse refused at the first fence and I flew out of the front door (cleared the jump though!). This time I broke my right elbow in two places. I am a bit scared about falling again but I've come to the conclusion that there's no point worrying about it, if it happens so be it. Riding has too many plus points and falling is just one of the few bad points.