# I seriously fell off a pony... I am so embarrassed!! :P



## dejavuchicka (Feb 27, 2012)

So... This I've been taking lessons for about 6 months maybe? I recently found a horse I love love love! He's a rescue horse and I'm not sure what kind he is, all I know is he's gaited and pretty tall. I've been riding him for about 2 months maybe? His name is Payson and he is very spirited! However, my instructor felt it was best for me to try another horse (which I completely agreed with). The next week she assigned me to a pony (Cookie). I was pretty excited just to ride a pony since its so much smaller, and I like "mini" things!  This quickly changed however when I started trotting him and I could not sit my trot for the life of me!!! 


I slipped off several times (doing the splits up against him) because the saddle kept sliding around. I tightened my girth and my instructor came over to double check it, and she said he doesn't have a high wither to help keep the saddle in place. I kept going, but I posted instead (as much as it aggravated me to do so). A few minutes later she asked me to lope, and it was a battle to get him to, but I got him there! I went around a few times and all of a sudden the horses in front of me all stopped, and to avoid a crash I slowed him down and turned. I believe it was during the transition from loping to a very fast bouncy trot, plus the turn, and my lack of a good center of balance that caused me to fall off. I fell on my back, hit my head on the ground, and I was thoroughly embarrassed. I am somewhat a perfectionist and I was very disappointed in myself to the point of tears. My instructor came over and was very reassuring. I took a minute, then continued on with my lesson.

I guess the purpose of me writing this is just to ramble. This was my first ever fall off a horse, and I'm glad it was just off a pony!  It has, however, made me question my level of ability. What do you think I need to work on given this story, and what are some exercises to help me get better? Btw, I plan on going to lessons twice this week to make up for last weeks crappy one. I need a confidence booster.


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

Ponies can be very hard to sit the trot on so don't be upset about that. I would see about riding cookie bareback(if possible) that way you don't have to worry about that dangeroius slipping saddle with your balance being thrown off I think that would be your best bet. Also try to really relax and don't try so hard to force yourself to sit it posting is ok. 

Don't beat yourself up you did fine and congrats for getting back on!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

I don't know if you're riding English or Western. I don't know if Western riders do this, but to help with your balance, run those stirrups up as high as you can go (English saddle) and ride. Like a jockey. At my barn it's called "frog position". It's HARD and super boring, but you will get SO much better at balancing. Walk it, trot it, canter it, transition up, down, change directions, back up.

And definitely get better tack on that pony!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Laugh it off  I think everyone needs to fall off a pony at least once!!! I got bucked off an 11.3hh breaker a few years ago. The little devil was going so nicely, I asked it to canter, got off its back and it hit the breaks, ripped its head down between its knees and bucked. I went flying over her head, summersaulted a few times and came to rest flat on my back. We all thought it was hilarious and my only disapointment was that no one got it on video hahaha!
Ponies are tricky, there is nothing to grip on to when you lose balance.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL, don't feel bad. Going from a normal sized horse to a pony can really test your riding ability and balance. Not only are they quick and hard to fit a saddle to, just the difference in gait is a huge deal. That little short strided trot, even if it isn't choppy, can be very hard to sit and stay fluid on.

Shoot, I've been riding my whole life and have ridden some nasty horses. The first pony I ever rode nearly dumped me when he spooked and went from a trot to a lope :rofl:. I had to ride him 6 or 8 times before I really felt comfortable sitting his trot.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Apart from my tailbone, every bone I have ever broken is from riding ponies!!!

They're horrors haha, and trotting them gives me a stitch!

Plus side is you got back on, and honestly don't worry about it.. takes 100 falls to make a great rider


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

My only fall has been from a pony; a Halflinger I am leasing for my step daughter. I messed my ankle up BAD in January from a fall from that beast. Luckily my step daughter is happy with walking right now. This mare's trot is nasty!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A pony, how lucky for you. That's the one to develop your skills on. Why do you think kids love ponies. They never know what they will dish out and that's part of the fun. I've seen people at aqha shows that can "sit the position" on zombied pleasure horses. The riders couldn't ride anything that gave them a bit of trouble.


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## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

Another encouraging "Laugh it off" vote from one who has taken her fair share of spills off ponies! 
Sailing over the head when they slam on the brakes from a canter while tucking head to the ground... no buck needed, sliding off their round little sides, going off the rump... (not sure how that one happened though ) 

Although it doesn't sound like the pony is big enough to this on, Dancing Arabian has a good idea about the jockey position. I was a good rider before I rode race horses, but spending time in the "frog postion" helped build strength in my legs in areas I didn't know I had (and useful for hanging on) and it "worked" my balance, which improved my non race horse riding.


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## EmilyRosie (Oct 8, 2010)

Oh this is nothing to be embarrassed about. Everybody has to fall sometimes. Once I was trotting a pony in a field and she stopped suddenly and dropped her head to eat and I literally slid down her neck because I wasn't sitting back enough. By far my most embarrassing fall haha. Ponies are the hardest to stay on with such bouncy trots


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Shucks, I was hoping for pictures or perhaps a video?:clap:


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## kate114 (Mar 13, 2012)

Just laugh it off! I've fallen off many times (horses and ponies!). And hey if it helps you any I have always been told "it takes 7 falls to be a good rider"! I mist be a total expert by now since I have lost count of how many times I've fallen off. Haha. But don't let it get to you, you are NOT the only person who has ever fallen off of a pony!


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## Ace80908 (Apr 21, 2011)

Someone on here said it best, "If ponies were human they would all be in jail"

hehehe.

In all seriousness, falling off is part of the game, and as others have noted, most ponies have short strides, fat bodies, and low balance points and experiencing and learning to ride the different body types will make you a strong rider, so just enjoy the experiences


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## Fringe (Feb 29, 2012)

Nothing to be embarrassed about, ponies are the trickiest! They're so tiny they can just wiggle all over the place and quite quickly too. 
I fell off a pony I was schooling at a horse show a few months ago because she decided at the last minute to run out of a jump xD

I don't really have any suggestions besides get better fitting tack! I see some other people here had some good ideas.


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## Nevreme (Feb 23, 2012)

Please don't question your ability because of your first fall! Especially if you've only been riding for six months and are already able to canter.

I have fallen off hundreds of times, it's nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, it's a right of passage. Now you can chip in when people are trading 'worst falls' stories. 

Oh, and did you at least get a good bruise? Showing off my 'battle scars' to my non-horsey friends is one of my favorite parts of falling off xD Though I've never gotten any real scars...

Anyway, if you ever need a confidence boost, or just want to hear a painful/hilarious story, just shoot me a PM  I have tons.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

old saying " if you have never hit the ground you dont know how to ride"


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## MakeYourMark (Feb 10, 2012)

Happens to the best of us


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## dejavuchicka (Feb 27, 2012)

You guys are all wonderful! SInce this incident, I have been working on trying to ride Payson bareback, which my instructor is hesitant about since no one has ever rode him bareback, we just don't know how he'll respond. Since though I have been reading so much about training! SO INTERESTING!! and Payson is practically a different horse due to all I've been reading! He's just a big dog


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

We used to joke that you don't become a rider until you've come off 10 times. By then you are so tired of biting the dust that the skills have to improve. It was also a way to laugh it off.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Ponies are evil  the one I used to have was a horrid bucker, wouldn't jump, and had a nasty habit of dropping a shoulder, shying violently, bucking, and then taking off in the opposite direction. Evil little monster. I trained him out of the bucking, and taught him to enjoy jumping, but I never got him past that last thing.

keep at it though, if you can ride a pony you can ride anything!


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

In my personal opinion, one is never a good rider until you lose track of the amount of times you have fallen off a horse. 

So you are one fall on your way to becoming a good rider.  Falling off is a wonderful lesson that you don't easily forget. 

But I think your trainer should have had proper tack for the pony. Sounds like you were more fighting that than actually riding. And if you don't have tack to fit the horse, jump on *bareback*!! If you want to learn balance, that's the way to do it, because you cannot rely on anything. 

Really, a saddle and bridle actually are unnecessary, but they are helpful tools.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

shoot that's a big jump O.O I don't know that I'd stay on that with a saddle, let alone without!


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## Nevreme (Feb 23, 2012)

Oh my gosh, is that you? Whoever it is, she must have legs of steel.

I'm still working up the courage to jump cross rails bareback...


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

beau159 said:


> In my personal opinion, one is never a good rider until you lose track of the amount of times you have fallen off a horse.
> 
> So you are one fall on your way to becoming a good rider.  Falling off is a wonderful lesson that you don't easily forget.
> 
> ...



*When I die and go to heaven, I will be able to ride like that. If I try to jump bareback, I may get there pretty quick.
*


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Celeste, for what it's worth, when I was younger and really into jumping, I found it much easier to jump bareback than to try it in the AP saddle that I had at the time. I managed to get up to about 3'6" before I lost interest in it.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Nevreme said:


> Oh my gosh, is that you? Whoever it is, she must have legs of steel.
> 
> I'm still working up the courage to jump cross rails bareback...


Nope, not me. (Although I could claim it, right?  )

It was a picture circulating around Facebook a day or two ago. I thought it was very fitting for this thread!


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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

Actually, I have an even more embarrassing story for you...

This didn't happen to me, but I sure did laugh hard. When I first started riding at the barn I go to now, they had a client appreciation day full of games / food / etc. we were playing a game where we had to barrel race with a partner. The BO's son (who is a competitive Bronc rider) got on the smallest pony they had, who had been previously ridden by all the young kids. Started kicking his hardest to get the pony to go...and the pony bucked him right off...yes...the Bronc rider got bucked off a pony...

I will never forget that.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

I have fallen off my pony more times in one week than I have EVER fallen off all the horses put together. lol.. Darn ponies lol


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## MLShunterjumper (Mar 17, 2012)

I felt that way the first time I rode a (small) pony. It took us almost the whole lesson to canter a few steps, because I couldn't sit to her trot and the bounciness terrified me, so I kept pulling on her. Now, though, I've gotten used to her movement and I ride her once in a while. Trust me, once you get used to it, ponies are TONS of fun to ride, especially when you jump!

(The pony I'm talking about is the one in my avatar photo)


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I think that it is more difficult to stay balanced with a pony because we stick up so high above their center of gravity.

I fell off of my pony about 200 times between the ages of 11 and 13. I finally figured out how to stay on.


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## AnnaHalford (Mar 26, 2012)

I was trying to teach my boyfriend how to use his legs to ride our 13.1hh pack pony. I wasn't managing to explain myself very well, so I hopped on to demonstrate. It was all going ever so well until she decided that the dog needed chasing - at the exact moment that I looked down to point at the relevant bits of leg and horse, she broke from walk into canter at about two metres from the rail, did a 180 and ran/reared over the dog. Can't work out who thought the whole situation, and particularly my projection into the rail, was funnier: the boyfriend, the dog, or the pony...


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## dejavuchicka (Feb 27, 2012)

WesternBella said:


> Actually, I have an even more embarrassing story for you...
> 
> This didn't happen to me, but I sure did laugh hard. When I first started riding at the barn I go to now, they had a client appreciation day full of games / food / etc. we were playing a game where we had to barrel race with a partner. The BO's son (who is a competitive Bronc rider) got on the smallest pony they had, who had been previously ridden by all the young kids. Started kicking his hardest to get the pony to go...and the pony bucked him right off...yes...the Bronc rider got bucked off a pony...
> 
> ...


That story is so funny! I just keep imagining it in my head!! xD Thank you for sharing!


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## Selene Mia (May 23, 2012)

*Inspired*

Hi Beau 159..!

I am totally inspired by your amazing bareback jumping. I have promised my (now) boyfriend that I will come to our wedding (I've got a good year or two yet) arriving with a dramatic leap over a church wall. What he does not know yet is that I plan to do it bareback. 

It is a long time since I've been able to get into the saddle but I was a very confident and pretty proficient bareback rider. This was in the view that if you can do it bareback then a saddle felt like an armchair afterwards! 

I am physically very strong for my size and age, having lived a life of ballet, boxing, 'grafting' jobs, fitness and the only thing letting me down now is the study at uni, it's really hard to get away from a computer...

I am based in the south of England and any tips, contacts you may know would be very much appreciated. 

I look forward to hearing from you, and hope one day I will be able to post an equally inspiring picture. 

Kind regards
Selene


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## Joidigm (May 8, 2012)

I was bucked off a pony. And I mean a pony, all 12hh of her. I made the mistake of swinging my leg back into her flank as I was mounting bareback, due to misplaced balance. She bucked me right off into the dirt of the round pen, no apologies.

I still laugh at it, one of my best falls! I'm 5'11" so being forcefully dismounted off a pony that small sends me into a giggle fit every time I remember it. :lol:


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I once rode a very short pony named beaver who nearly killed me. We were walking to the outside arena for lessons and he bolted at a full gallop over a 4 ft retaing wall and back up again. I jumped off when he slowed a little bit before trying to jump a 6 ft chain link fence. Never underestimate a pony lol. I would take a full size horse anyday. Those little ones are crazy.


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## Equenix (May 21, 2012)

I don't believe its common knowledge but ponies can be so much more difficult then horses some times. For the first few years of my riding life I rode ponies and they had no qualms about throwing me. I still have a scar five years later. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, if anything and you fall again take it as a lesson. He's teaching you to fall from a short height and low speeds.
For me this has become quite handy and I'm a better rider for it.
While horse will test you a little or are otherwise exited or scared ponies will test you all the time!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

^ low speeds? lol my old pony was THE fastest thing out!


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## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

Has anyone seen tthose"Bad Pony" t_shirts? They're so true, "Bad ponies make good riders". I think you can find them at badpony.com
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## torty (Dec 14, 2011)

Everyone around the area asks me to come and ride their ponies and shetlands  I fall off all the time  My first time ever riding a shetland i put the effort i use to getting on my 16.3 horse into geting on this tiny thing and just flipped over the other side and landed on my bum


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## Tejas (Jan 31, 2011)

Thats a cute story I hope you weren't too discouraged.


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## parky123 (Jun 8, 2012)

either laugh your fall off or cry;p, everyone falls off though and your only a rider when you have fell off 9 times so its good for you to fall off. it improves your riding and your confidence


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## Mason72 (Jun 1, 2012)

dont be embarrassed.. ponies have hurt me more times and more than any other size.. ive been slung off, kicked, fence/tree rubbed more by them than anything..


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