Completely New Rider: Revisited

[n4cer2002]

Well...

Been riding for 18 months now but today was another first.

Today, I fell off.

I'd been dreading this for quite a while but now its done, i feel slightly better (if not a little shaken and battered).

Merlyn (the horse) was wandering round the arena and kept on getting a bit spooked by some birds sat in a hedge. He was getting a bit jumpy and not behaving.

After many attempts to sort him out, my teacher came over with the "big stick" which i don't like and evidently, Merlyn doesn't like either.

One tap with the "Big Stick" and he turned so fast i lost my balance, and then he galloped (or so it seemed) down the "safe" end of the arena, bucking as he went. The combination of the quick, tight turn to through off my balance and the speedy bucking was a ercipe for disaster, so the inevitable happened and i came flying / rolling off.

So there it is.... My First Fall. 17 March 2005

On the plus side, i've now seen Merlyn trotting from some rather more "unusual" angles, i.e. his stomach hurtling past me.

Anyway... Its Over.

n4cer2002

P.s. This whole riding lark doesn't half hurt at times. lol.

[Sallinello]

Oh dear!!! Not to worry, it happens to us all!!! :rolleyes: Just curious as to why your instructor thought it might be a good idea to hit Merlin with "the big stick" when he was already nervous and jumpy??! :eek:

[winterbalto]

I've also gotta ask why your instructor decided to spook the horse further. But happy you finally got the hard part over with! :)

~Nicole

[NoviceNic]

Gosh well done you for getting that first fall over and done with. I still haven't experienced that yet (fingers,toes crossed. Touching wood etc). Good question though, why did your instructor smack him with a big stick???? Don't think that helped the situation. :(

[n4cer2002]

i think it was because merlyn was just generally misbehaving and being mega awkward.

he's only 4 so the slitest thing will distract him which can be a pain at times, but its merlyn no the less.

n4cer

[kedwards]

Ah, I must be a prodigy, I fell multiple times in my first 18 months of lessons ;)

Nice to get that "first fall" over with though, isn't it? They're usually not nearly as bad as we imagine them.

[Bay Mare]

Hitting him with a big stick? A four year old? :mad: I'd have hit the bloody instructor with the big stick. How irresponsible :mad: and completely NOT the right approach for a spooky horse.

Anyway ... rant over!

I hope that you're ok and, as they say, one down six to go :)

[n4cer2002]

well. in all fairness, merlyn can be a bit boysterious anyway, and the only way you can sort him out is to just show him the big stick. and that sorts him out.

It was just merlyn's reaction that threw off my balance and took me by suprise. He's done that quite a bit, but that was something altogether different.

[dancing-horse]

:D It happens. Now you are an *official rider*. I remember when I started riding, 3 years ago, I went for about rwo years with no blunders or no falls. I was pretty proud of myself, because everyone awed over you because they thought you must have had amazing balance. Then, one day while I was cantering, my horse unexpectedly took a leap in the air, thinking that there was a jump set up. I tumbled off, and after that I did it a few more times, one of them at a just jumpers while doing a small course. So, now that your kind of used to it, incidents like that won't seem scary to you or anything. Well, good luck with your ridng. :))

[n4cer2002]

yeah, i'm just glad that its over now and that i've done it.

i also know what to expect next time i fall of.

[soulburyrider]

mmm have to say that I wouldn't be too pleased if my instructor came over and wacked the horse I was riding with a big stick if she was pratting about the instructor should have known that the outcome would only make things worse - My instructor would have probably got hold of it's bridle and given it a stern talking to.

Talking about falling off well yes, I have done a couple of times over the years the most stupidist was a couple of years ago I'd just mounted and adjusted stirrups when the great big welsh cob decided to put his head down to eat the grass .....rather than yank his head up I followed the route down with my hands on the reins and then gravity took over ..........I couldn't get up for laughing and my instructor was wetting herself we hadn't even moved an inch towards the school !!!

[n4cer2002]

Well, First lesson back after the fall, and was still a little shaken, but the whole "now or never" thing took over and if i didn't get back on, chances are that it could have been quite a while before i did.

Lesson was ok, my instructor could see that i was still a bit shaken, so i had a bit of an easier lesson than usual. Merlyn was still a bit freaked out by the hedge a few times, but this time, one smack from me and he was over it.

Still hurt a bit from last week, but i'll be fine.