First Fall - Broken Shoulder!!

[KarenMcD]

Well after 16 months of riding 3-4 hours per week I had my first fall on Thursday night and I've broken my shoulder :eek: Talk about bad luck!! Was having my usual lesson on a lovely but spooky horse, he had a flip at a cone in the school whilst I was trotting without stirrups, bolted to the left and I came off to the right! Ouch - it hurt! So here I am, arm in sling and no riding for at least next 2 months - I'm gutted!! Has anybody else had bad first fall and how did you feel when you eventually got back on??

[MadMumInKent]

Oooo poor you! :o Hope its not too painful.

[horsey1]

Oh dear , what a shame, hope you feel better soon :D
My first fall was off a welshxtb he tanked off and bucked full pelt :eek: I thought I had broke my back, but luckily did'nt, I got back on a few days later and found I could not trust him anymore so had to give him up,he was on part share.
I have got my own horse now but that still comes back to haunt me, still think they are going to tank off, but gettingt lessons and its getting better :D

[lindz]

How awful!

Get well soon!

[coverblown]

Oh you poor poor thing. My first fall was so similar - after quite a long time _ probably around 18 months, again in trot w/o stirrups on a known bouncy forward going horse (who was my favourite!), off I came, Jake went one way, I went another, and onto my shoulder.

But I only hurt my pride. The shoulder sounds dreadful, please don't let it put you off...... Now I can't count the number of times I have fallen off. I have learned to expect it, anticipate it, and, dare I say, try to avoid it. (Fingers crossed on that one, for next time),

Take great care
Anne

[momofsix]

I haven't fallen off at all since I started again-so I know I am up for it soon. But my husband took a bad fall off our lease horse and broke a rib. Then a few weeks ago, he came off Sauvy riding her bareback and broke several ribs on the other side. He says it's extremely painful and the doctor said it will take 6 weeks to heal. I think it really knocked his confidence, too.
Ouch, a shoulder sounds even worse than ribs. So sorry, I hope you will heal sooner than expected. Take it easy! I am impressed you can still type!

[KarenMcD]

Thank you all - feel better just reading your posts :)
Karen

[ANN H]

I'd just got on my friend's Irish cob. Was plodding round adjusting my stirrups and he spooked at a bird flying out of the tree! He went one way and I went the other. Couldn't walk or drive for first day and then my leg went black from thigh to ankle. Apparently I'd twisted the muscle.

Hope you're back to riding soon!

[Drummers mum]

I can really sympathise! First fall after coming back to riding as an adult and I smashed my elbow!! :( (never put your hand out!!!) Plate and 9 screws later, I wasn't allowed to ride for 6 months!

I have to say I was pretty nervous when I got back on, (I love riding so much I was more scared of being scared than I was actually scared, lol!) I wouldn't canter for ages or go on hacks but 3 years down the line, I have had Drummer 18 months and we have had our first gallop and are learning to jump together! :D

[Wobblydeb]

Oh that is a shame it was your first fall! :( I had a few practices at falling off before I got seriously injured, and wasn't a nervous rider until I had hurt myself (broken collar-bone).

Since then as an adult I've fallen off a few times, and each time it happens and I'm okay, I feel a bit better again about the whole idea of coming off :p

[Stella2]

Thats a shame :( Your first fall is supposed to be the gentle tumble onto a soft school surface that shows you that falling off isn't so bad :rolleyes:

I hope you are feeling better soon.

[amandal]

My first fall upon returning to riding was from a lovely cob called Pasha, as I was getting on my instructor told me he was for sale. 15 minutes later as I'm lying flat on my back having knocked my left hand side very badly I stopped fantasising about buying him.

Since then, apart from the time I cracked my ribs earlier this year EVERY fall I've had - I've landed on the same bit of my back/bum.

Fell off again on Sunday, jump filler went bang in the school as it fell down in the wind and then I went bang onto the floor, landing on the same bit of my back again. Am now stinking the office out with a combination of Deep Heat and Arnica - I smell luvverly. Why don't we roll anymore, as a child I distinctly remember rolling when I hit the ground, now I go splat.

The thing about getting back on really depends on how you react to things. You will be shaky and nervous but some people go better forcing themselves to do things to get over the fear and others need to go really slowly, one pace at a time. Me I'm a mixture of this, after I cracked my ribs I had to take things slowly, but as long as I can lift my left leg up enough to get on tomorrow night I'm getting back on and forcing myself through the fear barrier - I'm booked on a trip to Camber Sands on Monday morning and I'm so excited about actually riding on a beach nothing is going to make me miss this.

[StephA]

Ooof gosh you poor thing!!

I broke a collar bone when I was younger...all my fault though. Trying to do circus acts at a gallop...no hat/stirrups/reins = bad fall and banned from riding alone for a year!! :o

Hope you get better soon...it will go fast dont worry

x

[Trewsers]

Oh, you poor thing :eek: hope you feel better soon - bloomin annoyin not being able to ride either :mad: hope its not too sore!!! We'll keep cheering you up on here - just keep coming on here - it always cheers me up anyhow. :D

[Lindsayanne]

You poor thing! Will you at least visit the stable while you're healing? I can't imaging going that long without even being around horses!

My first fall after returning to riding was a double whammy- to my body and confidence. My horse spooked huge and dumped me off the back, I landed on my hip. Got back on, spooked again, fell off and landed on that same hip. I turned black and blue toe to hip (though landing on my butt cheek seemed to cushion the blow :D ) but my riding suffered the worse damage. I think I would have been fine had I just fallen once, but that double summersault messed me up for awhile. But I was determined not to chicken out, and it took about 9-12 private lessons (on the same horse, mine!) before I really felt comfortable in the saddle again (I think it was just time in the saddle more than anything)

[mayS]

You have my sympathies! How long did the doc say will it take for recovery? Will it discourge you from more riding?

My first fall was off a University lesson horse while I was talking college-level Horsemanship. I don't even think we were going that fast. Guess he stumbled or something. I went to the ground and badly bruised my ribs. Between not being able to right right after that and a really pushy lesson-barn instructor, I drifted away from riding for about a decade.

I'm now 33 and I'm back to riding. Wish I hadn't waited so long! :) I really hope this doesn't make you not want to ride.

[elise]

Oo my first fall was this past November. Broke my thumb! You can read about it in one of my previous posts. I was back on 2 weeks later, cast and all. Though I've just gotten back into the swing of things on the canter particularily with the horse I came off of.

[KarenMcD]

Thank you all for your messages - they've helped a lot. Have been signed off work for 6 weeks, then will have to have regular sessions of physio. I'd like to think that, when the time comes, I'll be able to get back on a horse and push myself through any nerves but, never having been in this situation before, I don't know if I am being unrealistic. However, one thing is for certain, I can't be without horses in my life...I'm having withdrawal symptoms already! Thanks again folks :)

[horsey1]

Im sure you will get back on no problems :D

[kianjoseph]

Sorry about your shoulder, and your confidence I certainly know how that feels!

Am impressed you went 16 months without falling though, I fall at least once a fortnight! OK I'm a useless rider so that doesn't count! :D

My confidence has come on in leaps and bounds recently, but I think that is partly beCause I do fall so often, and have been lucky enough to have only bruises (and big holes in the bum of my jods! :o ).

I'm sure you will get your confidence back soon after you get back on! ;)

[VickiGG]

Hi Karen
My first fall after returning to riding as an adult (fell off a couple of times as a teen but never learnt how to ride then)....I broke my arm - right up by my shoulder - they couldn't set it - so I feel your pain!

I kept analysing what I could have done to stay on for 6 weeks - reading dozens of books, kept going out to visit the horse I fell off....really couldn't stay away. My physio and other males kept saying how dangerous riding was - but I didn't let that deter me. My husband the exception was very supportive.

I fell off after a jump (horse stopped) because my weight was not in my heels - and I have spent the last 2 years since then trying to get it right. I have fallen off twice more (off another horse bolting) but didn't break anything, and twice more after that when trialling horses to buy - still didn't break anything - so it was just bad luck I think. And like the others say - you get better at falling! :) Having the weight in my heels helps - you don't get catapulted over their necks! :rolleyes:

Hope you can sleep ok - that was my biggest problem - couldn't lie down as it was too painful.

[coverblown]

I see it has just happened to Madonna - so we are all in good company!

Seriously though, I wish her all the best for a speedy recovery and return to riding.

[ChristinaB]

Ow! I hope you have a quick recovery, Karen!
I had owned my gelding Smokey for all of two weeks when he bucked me off and broke my pelvis in three places. This was quite a blow to my middle-aged ego as well as my poor bones! Was on crutches for a month and no riding for two months. When the time came to get back on for the first time I was quite frankly terrified. I got on shaking like a sapling in a hurricane, rode a circuit around the ring a very sedate walk and got off again feeling extremely proud of myself!
Today I've had Smokey for two and half years. We've jumped, shown, trail ridden and generally had a great time together. I've fallen off twice since "crunch day" with nothing more than some bruises to show for it. Regular riding helps confidence more than anything else (for me, anyways).
While you're out of action, could I recommend you read Jane Savoie's "That Winning Feeling"? Jane is an Olympic level dressage rider and this book is about training your mind for peak performance. There are several exercises in the book that helped my build my confidence and lessen my fears.

[horsey_woman]

My 1st fall was on a bolting pony, I had 5 broken ribs and another 3 suspected, punctured lung and I knocked myself out. Took 8 weeks to get over physically, but much longer mentally.... I am only doing some light hacking now.

Hope you feel better soon.

[MI Horsey]

Oh , do I know how you feel , I fell off last december for the first time after returning to horses and broke my right arm right under my shoulder,no cast, no setting ,ALOT of pain and physical therapy .Been eight months and it's still not the same and unfortunatly neither am I .I still ride but switched to western in the hopes that the horn will save me :rolleyes: and I freak out at any little twitch(working on that).Upside I guess is that I pay more attention to horses body language now and I really do enjoy working on the ground :)
Well,good luck and I hope you'll feel better soon.And I'm sure you wont be as chicken as I am now .