Training to fall off....?

[OlavS]

Hi,

I've just started riding and come off once after a 6 hour trek. (Lordy got spooked by some clever golfer who seemed to aim for us. )
Now I fell off while walking, and no damage done. (Not even a bruised ego, as it was my first time on a horse, i.e. no ego built up yet :p )

I was cantering at my third lesson, on a beautiful mare who would go at the instructor's call, and it was great. But if things go pear-shaped during fast trot or canter I sure would have liked to know

1) how to stay on (Not by pulling the reins as I did the first time, unsuccessfully. Poor horse, but to my defence I knew nothing about horses and their sensitive mouths...) :o

2) How to fall off in a way that's safe and least likely to cause a broken arm, hoof marks etc.

I read something on the net
http://www.galadriel.shaftnet.org/physics_of_the_horse/emergency_dismount.html
about falling off, which sounded just perfect, but my questions are

1 Is it common to practice this?
2 If so when do you start?

I've read somewhere that japanese motor cycle race academies start from the age of 12, and the first thing they learn is how to fall off, even at high speed. I guess it's a bit different as their future jobs will be to push fearlessly to the max in every corner, which you can't do if you're afraid. And they must relax when they fall, just like downhill skiers. Oh, and being younger their broken bones probaby heal quicker :p

Ramble ramble.. oops, sorry....

Olav

[FreedomStar]

First off, don't try to stay on unless you won't hurt yourself or the horse by staying on! No matter what, it's very dangerous to try and stay on if you're already half off. And second, the emergency dismount is a good thing to know how to do. Practice it however much you want, but at least 2 or 3 times. I try doing an emergency dismount off at the walk every few weeks after my lesson. And yes, you should NOT tighten up when you fall off, as you could seriously break bones from landing so stiff.

[galadriel]

You ask if this is common; well, I teach it to all *my* students. I don't usually teach it in the first few lessons, though I probably should; I typically wait until I need to introduce a bit of variety into the lessons somewhere down the road.

I myself have practiced quite a bit. It won't help if you end up falling off towards the back, or if somehow the horse ends up not underneath you--I've seen it happen. My husband's first fall was his dog's fault: the little cocker was trotting happily along trailing my husband's horse, and he coughed. The cough startled the horse, she stopped paying attention to what she was doing, and tripped. My husband was airborn before either of us knew what was happening :) In such cases, you just have to hope you remember to NOT put out your arms to break your fall.

Aside from the few instances where you can't reach a convenient handle to help you break your fall, the Emergency Dismount can be awfully handy--if you can do it in your distracted, lost-your-balance state. That's why I recommend practicing it.

As for staying on, that's a whole different matter. Yes, the horse's mouth is sensitive and reins are not for grabbing :) glad you know that already. But the MANE, on the other hand, can make a nice handle if you need some equilibrium. You can grab the saddle. You can also use a grab strap on your saddle, or a neck strap on your horse.

For the grab strap, you can just thread something through the D-rings at the front of the saddle. I find a discarded flash works well. A flash is an attachement to the front of the noseband of a bridle:
http://www.equine-megastore.com/images/1001.jpg
When I get a bridle that has a flash, the first thing I do is take it off--so I have a lot of those lying around. So, you take your strap (whatever kind), thread it through the D-rings of the bridle, wind it around itself, and buckle it. Viola! You have a handle right on the front of your saddle, and it's much easier to reach than the saddle itself.

A neck strap is just a strap going around the horse's neck. They're often used for helping learn to place your hands when jumping, but they can be useful just for grabbing onto if you want a handle. An old stirrup leather buckled to itself makes a fine neck strap.

So, if you lose your balance but would rather try to stay on, you can grab onto lots of stuff in your general vicinity to help you get your balance back.

[Retty]

Hi, I printed off the emergency dismount the other day thinking "hmm could be handy one day", well the day came sooner than I anticipated... I was attempting to canter and my mare kinda took off with me (posted under Brakes on the mature riders section), well anyway to cut a long story short I tried to slow her with my reins but seeing as I was already leaning forwards and she was picking up more and more speed I tried to steer her into a hedge slipped my feet out of the stirrups and literally jumped onto the ground... the only problem was that I didn't land on my feet but feel onto my knees, luckily we were on grass by then and all I had was lost pride, two grass stains on my jodphurs and a bit shaken up! So I can vouch that it comes in very handy but I will need to practise some more!

[Gemma16]

Hi, I am quite the proffessional faller off, I have only ever hurt myself badly once, and that was off a horse I'm not to keen on we have clash of persionalities.:mad: Any way, I had to work out a way of falling that prevented me from damaging myself, so if i think im going to hit the deck i do a franky dettori, well maybe not quite that dramatic but i jump off. This has proven a useful thing its stopped me from crashing into jumps etc.
I suppose you just need to find a way that suits you. Good luck with this.
**Gemma**

[Debby Riley]

Why do riding schools not teach you to use the emergency dismount ?

I feel that i would like to be taught this and i am going to suggest this to my instructor at my next lesson.

I have fallen off once since re learning to ride, and that happened so quick i knew nothing about it , but ther have been times when i have slipped off to one side and it would have been easier to dismount that attempt to stay on.

[DITZ]

Galadriel I was never taught this but its something I have taught myself through the years. Its the first time I have ever seen it in black and white though! I did an emergency dismount last week when my horse spooked at a pheasant a canter and stopped dead. I landed on my feet but pulled a muscle in my calf (or tore a ligament not sure which). Still it could have been worse. Horse just stopped and looked at me like I was a fool!

I think its really important to know how to get off quickly in a bad situation, you know your coming off so you may as well do it with minimum risk to injury.

[entreat]

Three days after reading Galadriel's page I fell off, and I'm so glad I took the time to read it. If I hadn't I'd have been a nervous sobbing wreck, but after I realised I was falling, I had the presence of mind to take my foot out the the remaining stirrup, and do my version of the emergency dismount. Ok, so I didn't remain standing, but for my first ever fall (at canter), I think I did swimmingly!!

Thanks Galadriel, you're a life saver (or atleast a pride & bone saver!!)

And as I hit the ground, Cody was kind enough to stop immediately - maybe he likes me after all...:p

-entreat

[galadriel]

You know, it really is awfully nice to know that I've been helpful :)

And I'm soooo glad people I know are falling off without getting hurt ;)

[lamprellsarah]

i was taught on a 16.2 horse by a friend in a field, when i was 11, she wanted to get me to practise falling off, but i we both came to our senses form that height and onto ground, i was more likely to break something practising!!!

well i have had many falls now, and have to say i really have learnt how to fall, all my falls have been a bit dramatic, i couldn't have possibly have done the emergency dismount, all those types of stops, i have hung on and kept my balance.

on all my falls, i have been very relaxed not particually bothered to be falling lol!! i have tried to get some distance from me and the horse, and tried to land on the back of my shoulder and roll, as much as poss!!! right into some stinging nettles once!! ouch!!!!

[TNT]

I have a question about the emergency dismount on a western saddle. Should you grab around the neck or would it be better to use the saddle horn or the pommel? I'm thinking that the horn might hurt you if you go for the neck.

[ridehorses]

at our barn, during our lessons, the instructor may say suddenly "emergency dismount" and we all have to practice it! they taught us to "hug" your horse and slide off, and quickly back away.

[entreat]

TNT - Not thet I use a western saddle, but I'm sure the answer would be the pommel or horn if you can. Otherwise the horn might get snagged in clothing... a nasty fall awaits if that happens...

[galadriel]

Originally posted by TNT
I have a question about the emergency dismount on a western saddle. Should you grab around the neck or would it be better to use the saddle horn or the pommel? I'm thinking that the horn might hurt you if you go for the neck.

Riding English, you grab the horse's neck so that you have a "handle" to hang onto--I would think with a Western saddle, you could just use the handle you've already got: the horn :)

[TNT]

I almost had to use the emergency dismount this evening. I was riding at the local arena and all of a sudden Jasmine spooked and started in a bucking I lost one stirrup and was about to try the dismount which probably would have been sloppy slide off when she stopped. I don't know some times I don't know if it's worth riding a cranky mare in heat. She's just a totally different horse when she's in heat. My neighbor says I just need to keep riding her when she's in heat but I'll tell you what it's not a pleasant experience! She's constantly fighting the bit and being nappy it's alot of hard work . When she's not in heat she's a totally sweet animal. Oh well just needed to vent a little.