# Falling off and horse takes off?



## Alexandra V (Jul 6, 2013)

This hasn't happened to me, but the thought just occurred to me while I was thinking about trail riding. I'm looking at leasing a horse who seems to be pretty perfect - jumps, goes on trails and even alone apparently. Then I got to wondering: what to do if you fall off while on a trail alone and your horse takes off? What's the best thing to do in that situation?

I likely won't be going on many trails this winter, and especially not alone if I'm new to the horse, but I'm curious.


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## Fort fireman (Mar 5, 2011)

Start walking. :lol: and use the time to mend your hurt pride.


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## LadyChevalier (Apr 19, 2013)

^^^ Yup, shake it off and start walking lol. 
Seriously though, be sure to carry a cell phone just in case. Dont want to be laying on the trails with broken bones and no means of getting a hold of someone to rescue you. And even if you are not hurt, its still best if you call someone at your barn or at home to let someone know why your horse has come home riderless and to tell them you are ok.


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## Alexandra V (Jul 6, 2013)

Fort fireman said:


> Start walking. :lol: and use the time to mend your hurt pride.





LadyChevalier said:


> ^^^ Yup, shake it off and start walking lol.
> Seriously though, be sure to carry a cell phone just in case. Dont want to be laying on the trails with broken bones and no means of getting a hold of someone to rescue you. And even if you are not hurt, its still best if you call someone at your barn or at home to let someone know why your horse has come home riderless and to tell them you are ok.


Haha thanks guys! So it is likely that the horse would end up heading home then? I guess I'm more concerned about losing the horse than myself being injured lol.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

The safest thing is to not ride by yourself, but clearly that's not always going to be the case  If you are by yourself, try to stick to places where you have cell reception and that have at least moderate traffic from other riders or hikers, keep the phone on YOU (not the horse!), and let someone know where you're going and when you expect to be back. You can also put an easily spotted tag on your horse's tack somewhere so that if he doesn't run back to the trailer/barn he can be reunited with you easily- you could also put a note on there to call the police if the horse is spotted without a rider.


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## LadyChevalier (Apr 19, 2013)

I guess it depends on the horse and if it knows where home is. I cant say all horses will return home- some might stop if the rider comes off and only wander a little ways, others could keep going until they find something yummy to eat, and others will run all the way home. 
Not to scare you but there was a horse that had gone missing here in wi during a trail ride after getting loose. They had searched for weeks and I'm not sure if he was ever found. But instances like this are rare- the horse was new to the family and didnt know where home was. And it didnt help he was a dark horse and he was lost in extremely dense wooded area. 

Its best if you let the horse settle in for a few weeks/months (some horses settle in quicker and some take a little while) and get it used to its new home- go on short trail rides around and near the property at first so that the horse learns that "ok we leave and we come back _here _"- give him some sort of reward for coming back to the barn like some grain or really good rub downs. Then work your way out on longer trail rides.


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## ForeverSunRider (Jun 27, 2013)

Oh...you know...probably cry because my horse doesn't love me 

In all seriousness though, I'd pick myself up and start walking after the dumb nut. 

I never ride alone for safety reasons. If I were to fall off and my horse were to take off without me I'd look at my riding buddy and be like, "Well? What are you still doing here? Go get my horse!"


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I started putting luggage tags with both my home phone number and my cell phone number attached in an obvious place on my saddle. 

Luckily I've never had to use it.....yet, but before I started doing that (about a year ago) my friends and I had horses run off and we had to go walk them down and luckily found them. (They weren't from riders falling off but rather horses getting loose at a lunch stop or getting off to pee and dropping the reins and having the horse take off for home......yes, I've had that happen!). 

So after several close calls I started putting luggage tags on my saddles. Then if someone finds my horse they can call me. Once, the time I got off to pee and the horse took off for home, my friend's hubby picked me up on his ATV and we traveled the road home and found my horse tied up to a tree. Someone caught her and tied her up on a street corner, which was very kind of them. She had almost made it home too. :shock:

Also, as someone else said, keep your cell phone on YOU. It will do you no good if the horse runs off with it. My friend did that once. I had my phone on me but she had hers in her saddlebags. Both horses ran off at a lunch stop and we got separated looking for the horses and I couldn't reach her by phone because her horse had the phone and he wasn't answering. :lol:

I ride alone quite a bit and I always tell my family when I am leaving and sometimes they call and check on me. I feel better that at least if I fell off and was injured someone would come looking for me eventually. Or better yet, I would be able to call for help. Now telling them my exact location might be a problem because I am not on marked trails. But some help is better than no help. I pray I never need to test out their tracking skills.

Knock on wood, but the times I HAVE fallen off, the horses have stayed with me. They might wander a few feet and find a bite to eat, but they haven't left me for dead.......yet. And the longer you own a horse, the more likely they are to stay with you I think. I have had a couple of horses that I swear would leave me for dead but then after owning them for many years and then falling off they have stayed with me. Good horsie! :wink:


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## Shamal (Jan 6, 2014)

This is a difficult question. I find it always comes Depends on how you fly, or what happens. I have often fallen down times, but I could most readily absorbed.
Bad it is if you stay with your foot in the stirrup hanging that happened a girlfriend once and was not nice to watch. It was afterwards ground a few hundred meters.
I have the terrain getting a mobile phone while, or at best on trail rides not be alone.

I'm sorry for my bad english, I'm from Germany and my english is not perfect.


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

I think you start walking and send up a quick prayer to the horse gods your horse won't kill itself on the way back. 

Some horse won't go far some will run back home nicely and some will run back home not so nicely and will go through barbed wire etc on the way back. 

Just an anecdote once a friend and I were trail riding with my two thoroughbreds when we were all surprised by a train (surprisingly it happens). Long story short we were both thrown and the horses broke through a wire fence and joined a herd of 30+ other panicked horses that were in a large pasture for winter. So not only were we soar and doing the walk of shame but We had to catch our two horses from the herd, catch all the horses that got out once the fence was down, and then mend the fence (while trying to not let any more horses out and not letting our horses back in- no place to toe them). It's funny now but at the time not really.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Shamal (Jan 6, 2014)

WOW. This is ne incredible story. I can not imagining if my horse runs away and in another herd runs like one as the fish must reluctantly get out. I think that's not funny.

Greetings from Germany


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

My Arab mare used to run home if she got me off-& usually broke a piece of tack on her journey home. This was before cell phones & out on dirt roads. She did get away from a friend once & crossed a busy street-luckily we caught her quickly, repaired the tack & went on to have a good ride. I had her for 17 years-she helped me become a very good rider-I remember one time cantering w/a friend, she did a quick 90 degree turn- went up a small hill & & I didn't move a bit in the English saddle-it was just -What!?! Never did figure out what she spooked at. She was an adventure, for sure, but we were a great team & I still miss her-she would have loved it here.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I was told when first started trail riding to always hold onto a rein no matter what. It's surprising how that advice will come to mind as you fall off your horse. I've thought of it each and every time I've come off my horse and managed to hold on in all but the bad wrecks and luckily those have all happened in arenas/pastures.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Herosbud (Dec 14, 2013)

The older you get the less you bounce. I like the suggestion of carrying a cell phone in case you are injured. I think if I went off my boy would stand there and look at me like I was stupid.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Interesting thread, and helpful for when I (hopefully) start trail riding this summer. It's good to hear that most haven't had this happen o.o


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Pet tags with a name and phone # work well also in case of a loose horse.


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## david in md (Jun 13, 2013)

Here's the two worst of several falls. First was trail riding with my daughter, two on 1 horse which we haven't tried again, on the home farm. Mare decided she wouldn't go any further, did a spin and tripped. We came off and horse got up and headed home. It was closer to walk to my parents house than home. When we got a ride home she was there waiting to be let in the barn. Second fall I was riding same mare bareback in pasture. She turned and I came off and landed flat on my back knocking the wind out of me. Mare ran to the barn but did come back to check on me even before I got up. Rest of afternoon she was as good as gold as she realized I wasn't happy even though it was as much my fault as hers. This post has made me realize I've only ever fallen off of that mare, never any of the other horses. Tags on the tack is a good idea as we do ride off farm occasionally.


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## Alexandra V (Jul 6, 2013)

Thanks everyone for all the replies! I'll definitely get a brightly coloured tag made with my info on it that I can clip on to the saddle when I ride. I had zippered pockets in my jacket so my phone is always on my person just in case! I guess there's not much I can do, though I will keep in mind trying to hold on to the reins in case!


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Been there, done that - except for the alone part. In my case, my horse just ran off a few hundred yards and started calmly grazing in the meadow, so my friend could catch her & pony her back to the trailer. Otherwise, ashas been said, it was just a matter of swallowing pride, wrapping up the sore wrist (silk scarves are handy), and walking back.

As for carrying a cell phone, it's a good idea to know whether you have service where you ride, instead of just assuming you will - 90% of the places we ride don't.

If you're really worried about a lost horse, you might look at something like the Garmin Astro dog-tracking GPS.


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## 2BigReds (Oct 7, 2011)

verona1016 said:


> If you are by yourself, try to stick to places where you have cell reception and that have at least moderate traffic from other riders or hikers, keep the phone on YOU (not the horse!), and let someone know where you're going and when you expect to be back.


Fun fact! If you call 911, your phone will pick up reception from any carrier that happens to be in the area, even if yours isn't present!  (Thank goodness if you have T-Mobile...:lol

I definitely second telling someone when and where you're going out. Even if you don't know exactly when you'll be back, at least you are less likely to get stuck out after dark with nobody aware you're even gone! :shock:


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

In bygone days when you fell on the cross country course while eventing, you were given a short time where, if you managed to remount you were allowed to continue on course. You were not eliminated as you are now (this rule is under pressure to change back). 

Let me tell you that a horse that ran off after the fall was not well liked. I had my students do "carrot training" to teach horses to stand still after the fall.

We would go into the round pen with just a halter, bareback. The rider would have carrots in their pockets. They would canter around the round pen and then suddenly vault off and lay on the ground. They would hold a carrot up above them. It didn't take long for the horse to notice it and go up to them for a snack. The rider would get up and heavily praise the horse, then remount and do it again and again.

We would do this at least once a week to enforce this training. When any of us came off in competition, trust me that the horse put on the skids and went back to the rider looking for the carrot. They thought it was just part of the game.

Other trainers used to wonder why our horses were so good.......


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

99% of my riding is alone. I do always carry my cell phone with me. And I attach the cell phone to ME and not to my horse. 

In all my 25+ years of riding, I've only had to walk home twice. I consider myself lucky. I've fallen off WAY more than that, but I ride with split reins for a reason. ;-) I do NOT let go of at least one of the reins. When I'm laying on the ground, I've got a rein in my hand and they aren't going anywhere. 

One time I walked home it was only 1/4 mile. I was practicing pole bending on my horse with my barrel racing reins. I didn't have my poles out yet for the year so I was using tires. He tripped on one on the way in, and then spooked at it when we came back around. I fell off and walked home after him. He ran the whole way; little ******.

The second time, it was only about a 1/2 mile home, but it was with a concussion. My horse had tripped while loping and rolled over me. Or at least that's what we could piece together since I was knocked out. Obviously don't know if she walked or ran home because I wasn't awake. ;-)

But yup --> If you fall off, I hope your boots are comfortable enough to walk home in.

Allison Finch: I have never heard of that. Love the idea though!!!


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Great advice Allison! I will be adding this to my training with both horses and hopefully not really have to ever truly use it, but will be invaluable if I ever do have to!

OP, like so many my advice is to stay calm and start walking. Usually the horse will not go too far, but my boy knew his way home and was there in record time! Took me a bit longer.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

You could ride with a "get-down" line. It's a 20' line that's attached to the halter and tucked into a belt loop. It hangs with a droop in the line. This gives you a longer line to grab. Some horse will hit the brakes because they think their head will get yanked if they don't. The loop is such that it will pull out of the belt loop so you don't get dragged but gives you more time to grab it.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Saddlebag said:


> You could ride with a "get-down" line. It's a 20' line that's attached to the halter and tucked into a belt loop. It hangs with a droop in the line. This gives you a longer line to grab. Some horse will hit the brakes because they think their head will get yanked if they don't. The loop is such that it will pull out of the belt loop so you don't get dragged but gives you more time to grab it.


I, too, was going to suggest a "get down rope." Ours are of thin horsehair and attached to a bosalito. Even under English bridles. Really, you can attach one to a cavesson noseband. Just don't tie your get down rope to your saddle or it will be as useless as a cell phone in saddlebags if you and your horse part company.

When I ride for a ranch and I'm alone, I tell someone where I'm going, the names of the pastures, what time I expect to be back. I never vary that. Will not go into even the next pasture to get a bull back where he belongs with out notifying my point person. Cell phones have been good tools.

It's also the primary reason I carry a handgun. If I come off and am unable to get back under my own power I can give location shots. As long as I'm conscious. 

I know many can't or won't carry a pistol, I think I might pack one of those small air horn cans for location if I didn't use a gun.


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## SueNH (Nov 7, 2011)

Lucky folks with cell service! It's spotty to nothing here, might get a text message out if you are on high ground.

My first horse, when I was a kid, I taught to stop when a load came off her back. Tied two feed sacks with some dirt together and draped it across her back. We would walk all over the yard and when the sacks fell you had to stop. Didn't take long. Came in handy one day when she reared and flipped over on me out on the trail. She got up and just stood there looking at me on the ground. I was about 7 miles out so I had to get back on. Had a black, black bruise from my stomach to my knee. Couldn't walk for a few days.

Didn't blame the horse. Somebody had dumped a junk washing machine on the trail and she was having no part of it. I was just young enough and dumb enough to push the issue until she flipped.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Boots, a police officer who did search and rescue to me that it is extremely difficult to pin point a gun shot because of how it reverberates. Instead, they use a pump.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Saddlebag said:


> Boots, a police officer who did search and rescue to me that it is extremely difficult to pin point a gun shot because of how it reverberates. Instead, they use a pump.


It's true, it is VERY difficult to tell where a shot comes from. Boots, your gun would be better served shooting the dang running horse. Then, at least, you won't starve to death....

I do hope you understand I am joking.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

did not read the whole thread, so likely I am repeating other advice but,

Cell phone on YOU, ID luggage tag on HORSE. 

I've fallen off many times. I almost always retain the reins. But, I am not proud about that nor do I think that would suffice as a guarantee of not losing your horse in the case of a fall. hope you can find a good riding buddy!


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## jackboy (Jul 8, 2012)

that's why I teach mine to ground tie it always helps in these situations not always though the only thing to do is start walking


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## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

I too use a variation of the get down rope, either tied high around the horses neck with a BOWLINE knot (very important it wont tighten under tension), or as part of a McCarty on a bosal or snaffle. Take the trailing end and run it up under my belt.
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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Saddlebag and Allison - You do bring up a good point about not being able to pinpoint that origin of a gun shot, but if you could be anywhere on 30 to 80 thousand acres, it does give at least a north from south starting point for any one looking for you.

We and game wardens find the occasional poachers and trespassers with a little help from their shots.

That, and if I'm injured, I don't want to become kibbles for some mtn. lion, wolf or bear.


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## Fort fireman (Mar 5, 2011)

3 shots in succession is a pretty universal distress signal and much easier to vector in on location or at least a general direction than a single shot.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Fort fireman said:


> 3 shots in succession is a pretty universal distress signal and much easier to vector in on location or at least a general direction than a single shot.


 Ah. I came back to add that. Also to point out that I only keep 5 bullets in my revolver, but many extra in the inside pocket of my jacket or in a case on my belt.


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## Fort fireman (Mar 5, 2011)

boots said:


> Ah. I came back to add that. Also to point out that I only keep 5 bullets in my revolver, but many extra in the inside pocket of my jacket or in a case on my belt.


Ah, you must have a colt or colt clone leaving only 5 in the cylinder. :lol: ya, that's a big reason snipers get a bit hinky if they need to take more than one shot from the same hide. Starts to get easy to zero in on their spot.


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## PineMountDakota (Jan 4, 2010)

This has happened to me once but luckily I was not on the horse when he spooked and took off. Busy day on trails around a lake so there were people and cars and a few fellow riders around. I was with a friend so she followed my horse who ran back down the trail the way we came and I jogged after her. We found him stopped and grazing not too far away. It was just really scary thinking about all the possibilities and what ifs that could have happened. We were a couple miles away from home. Lots of good advice on this thread.


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## gdolapp (Dec 12, 2013)

Please no matter what if you are in a group or alone, specially when alone make sure someone knows where you are riding, about how long you will be and always carry your cellphone on you,preferably in a case attached to you. NOT on your horse. Thus if you can't get back up and walk (wich I couldn't) you have a phone on you.
In the fall of 07 I came off my horse about a mile south of my house at the edge of a woods in a harvested cornfield. My phone flew out of my pocket and I landed on it. My horse could see home and headed for home. I managed to find my phone and call for help. I knew I was hurt but at the time didn't know how bad I was hurt. Half way home one of my split reins dropped on the ground and my horse immediatly stopped. He ground tied himself to the spot when my rein fell. However when the neighbor picked up the rein he reared busted the rein and headed for home. Meanwhile I am being taken by private car the 20+ miles to the ER. After xrays they decided they could give me pain meds for the MRI, before I know it I am in the back of an ambulance and being rushed to a trauma center. I COULD NOT GET UP BECAUSE I BROKE MY BACK. Not in one place in three places broke my hip in two places. I was one that always said my horse was bombproof, been there done that will do it all over again in a heartbeat. I had him for 7 years prior to the accident. He taught me that he is a horse that no matter how well trained a horse is they are gonna spook, they are gonna buck. Seven months later I got back on him. I have been around and been riding for over 40 years. That was the first time I could not get back on. Yes I was alone.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Sadly this has happened to me twice. I was lucky my friend was on her mustang and chased themare down (Unlike most NORMAL horses, she dose not care about her "Buddy" she will run off and not go back to other horses -_-'). The first time a jogger grabbed her and handed her off to my friend. The second time she ran and dragged me through 2 jumping cactus (The two cowboys helped pull out the spins and where cringing and i did not even feel it lol). Im glad i fell off because she almost ran face first into a saguaro. It took my friend and one of the cowboys to round her up as she was not going to stop (the evil cactus attacked her and was stuck in her leg, so she was running for the hills). I walked my sorry butt back both times (the first time i tore something in my knee so i did no more walking for a week). I stopped riding trails English after than. Have not had an issue since lol!


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## Herosbud (Dec 14, 2013)

Wow! Scary but informative stories. I guess that there is always that one time that any horse can "pop a cork". So far it has been human error on my part whenever I get close to a wreck. I have not gone off, but my butt has been hanging out in the breeze a few times. My deep seated saddle with a high back and bucking rolls looks better all the time.


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## ahop (Feb 7, 2011)

Wow, I really don't have anything to add to this conversation. I believe most everything has been covered. But it certainly has been entertaining and educational to read though this entire post. Especially the 'carrot' training - never would have thought of that one! And yes, I do ride with a cell on me and my info inside my saddle bag. A lot of the other ideas given are just icing on the cake to insure everything works out well.


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