Shortest ride ever?

[vince42]

Went for usual Saturday ride today and got thrown off while mounting! :eek:

Was given a horse I haven't ridden for a while, but who I remember being really nice and quite forward going and so was looking forward to lesson. Anyhow had just swung my leg over and was starting to settle in saddle when he spooked, turned quickly right and reared... result me flat on my back on the tarmac yard with the wind knocked out of me. After I got my breath back I check and happily everything still works but will be stiff and sore. Horse seems fine too :o

We decided on a short rest and then a short walk on another horse just to ease back into things and move the muscles a bit, then I spent a few minutes with my nemesis telling him I forgave him as he was still looking guilty in his stall.

Don't really have a clear idea of what might have prompted this, though the yard was quite busy with a lot of people and ponies milling about, I was just wondering if anyone can recall a shorter ride than this?

I'm off for a long bath now

Vince

[russell43]

Make sure you have plenty of ralgex on standby.
One of the girls on my midweek lesson had a similar fall a couple of weeks ago.She was waiting to go into the indoor school when pony spooked dropped her into the wall and then the floor!!!!
Pony then took off down the yard followed by the rest of us.
I wonder if the horses get excited prior to being ridden ??
Hope your all O.K

[bexj]

Ouch, get the Radox out! :D

But at least you managed to get on! First time I fell off my horse, I was (stupidly) getitng on from a slippery plastic chair, which blew over in the wind, I slipped, Molly spooked, I was lying across her, trying to get my leg over, so to speak, as she was cantering across the school. Anyway, half way across, she decided she'd had enough of this silly lump bouncing around, and threw a quick buck. Bang, onto my bum. :mad:

[virtuallyhorses]

Hey Vince I should put you in touch with my sister. We started riding lessons together and at one stage we joked that she had come off in every gait - including mounting...:D and yes, she beat you! I recall she didn't actually get to the settling in the saddle bit ... her mount just wandered off while she was still thinking about the swing (I think the mare got bored, or thought heck she MUST be on board by now!) and she hit the deck . Although, bless her she was incredibly tough and remounted to continue the entire lesson.

Have arnica on hand at all times - very good for bruising. This of course is part of the riding lesson - mounting and dismounting are two of the most dangerous times.

Bexj - Impressive! Stunt riding :cool:

[Zingy]

Ouch :o

My horse, when he was at a riding school, used to be the world expert in depositing potential riders on the floor before they actually got on :rolleyes: He'd wait until that critical point during mounting where if anything happens you end up on your backside... and would take a couple of steps backwards :D He did it every time. And every time, said potential rider would land in a heap :D Not many people would ride him. Can't imagine why :p

[Holly B]

The other day my sister's friend tried to jump onto her 12.2hh pony bareback. She bent her knees, sprung up... and went straight over the other side and landed on her bum! :D Luckily it was on long grass so she had a soft landing and was fine. She felt like a bit of an idiot though! :D I've never fallen off at walk or whilst mounting yet in my 10 years of riding, though it'll probably happen one day! My sister once fell off at walk when she leant sideaways whilst riding around a tree... she hadn't tightened the girth properly and slid right the way round still on the saddle before dropping off. I just laughed... :D :rolleyes: :D

[vince42]

Nice to hear someone beat me... :rolleyes: feeling much better today after several long baths and a few pints of muscle relaxant in the bar last night.

Not my first fall but first one outside the school on a hard surface.

Oh and yes I always check the girth once I'm on, just didn't get the chance yesterday.

Vince

[pedantic]

One word, body protecter, oh and hat, err thats 2 words, oh well you now what I mean. :)

[Tiber]

I was getting on my fat pony bareback from a tree stump, and I bounced off her belly (!), missed the tree with my feet and hit it with my bum then head on the way down. OW! Luckily I was wearing a hat.

Fortunately, just as I was getting up and HUGE thunderstorm blew overhead which gave me an excuse not to try again!

Now I make sure I am jumping on from something secure, or at least not as painful should I miss!

[momofsix]

You should talk to my husband! He has managed to do that twice now!
First time was in his third lesson. At our old riding stable they gave him a mare who hadn't been ridden in a while. As soon as he hit the saddle, she bolted and he hit the ground. We don't ride there anymore.
Then this summer, he tried to climb on my Sauvy from the fence. She inched forward. He landed behind the saddle and she freaked out and bucked him off. He broke several ribs that time.

[amandal]

Happened to me a few weeks ago, you got further on than me though as I hadn't got my right leg over, almost managed it before i was catapulted into the side of the school. Body protectors are the best thing in the world, last time I landed on the fences surrounding the school I cracked my ribs, this time just bruised. :D

[hackedoff]

ooh yes I helped someone have the shortest ride ever when I legged them up with faaaar too much gusto and they sailed over pony's back and clear over the other side to land in a crumpled swearing heap and cancelled riding for the day :o

[vince42]

Remind me never to ask you for a leg up ;)

Think I'll put body protector on Christmas list, especially as once I get better at canter I have a notion for small jumps....

In anticipation of falling off some more,

Vince