# Riding Stories: What was your worst fall off a horse?



## JillandJessie97 (Apr 1, 2017)

^^ As the question asks :grin:

What was your worst fall off a horse? Here's mine:

TLDR at the bottom too! 

My worst fall was about 4 years ago, I was nearly 16 and only had been riding for 6 months....my mom allowed me to skip school that day, so I waited until about the afternoon to tack up my horsey . After 3 or so I tacked her up and took off into the neighborhood. There was and still is this nice, long dirt road just behind our neighborhood park that I would ride Jessie to and let her full out gallop :runninghorse2:I mean just give her all the slack in the reins cluck/squeeze and let her rip tatter chip:razz:. This is where I was riding her to...just I was turning her on the road to pass the park some utility truck comes up behind her. She's not so spooky...no big deal. 

Then the driver full out sounds the horn.....:frown: This was enough to make my nearly bombproof mare come completely unglued....I mean bolt into a bucking bronco unglued...I survived the first 3-4 bucks, then felt myself come unbalanced to the side....so I reached to grab the horn (rode western primarily at the time)....

And I miss. I miss my only chance to keep myself up there. World goes black, wake up in the hospital to see my mom and stepdad's faces....I was scraped bloody, all over my stomach, my arms, up my back...nasty stuff, nice migraine....turns out based on the marks off my helmet and the guy who found me....I got hung in my stirrup and was drug a mile and a half through through that concrete road....ended up finally coming out of the stirrup in that same dirt road we loved to gallop.

Very nasty concussion sustained too. I think it was about 3, 4 months after that accident that I finally stopped having migraines and feeling nausea/throwing up all the time. Just typing this out is giving me a migraine. I'm so glad I wasn't awake to feel the pain of being drug a 1 1/2 mile through concrete. 

I'll never forget that day. Neither will my mom, being rung up while she's working to be told her 15 year old daughter has been in a wreck and might possibly have internal bleeding. Might possibly die. Is being airlifted to the hospital. Doctors said my helmet barely saved me, all they could do was hook me up, essential machines to keep me alive, and just wait. I finally came out of a coma, albeit a short one, after 2 days. Heck when I woke I couldn't remember ANYTHING! Not the date, not the time, not my parents' names, not even my own name...all I could remember was my horse. My sweet Jessie. 

I think the most relieving and heart-wrenching (cant think of a better term at the moment) day of my life was coming home 3-4 days later (after I had woke up), calling my horse, watching her whinny and gallop to me like it had been years, and just burying myself into her mane. 

I'm so glad to be alive. If I wasn't I wouldn't be here with my family or Jess, and we wouldn't be able to keep doing our neighborhood rides (I still do gallop through that dirt road even now) or leaping over 2'9 oxers bareback. :faceshot:

Even 4 years later, I remember that date.

*TLDR; Was in a horrible accident when I was nearly 16 and almost lost my life. Horse bolted into a bucking bronco after a guy honked his horn behind her butt, I make a grab for the horn, miss, fall, and was knocked unconscious, foot hung up in a stirrup as I was drug through a concrete road for a mile and a half. Wake up 2 days later hospitalized not knowing my own name. Have never forgot that date, never will, and am glad to be alive to be with my family and riding my beloved mare each day. 

*So guys, what was your worst fall off a horse/your horse?


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Fortunately, I've never been injured badly in spite of riding the rough string most of my life. The worst injury was my last rodeo, back in the mid 1980's. I still have a dead spot the size of a half dollar on my back from this one.

At this rodeo, I drew a bronc that had a reputation for blowing up in the chute. The tactic I was advised to use was to get a good grip on my rig, drop onto the horse, and give the ready signal. I wasn't quite quick enough. I got a good grip, and dropped onto the horse's back. He sat down and tried to roll. The ground crew knew they had to do something, or I'd be turned into sausage. They opened the gate. The bronc exploded up and out with me still attached. It only took him a couple of strides to shake me loose. 

The most spectacular was a few years before that while I was with the First Cavalry Division Horse Platoon at Fort Hood, Texas.

When we weren't on the road with our demonstrations, we were training﻿ back at Fort Hood. Of course, we practiced our drill, but we also played a variety of horse mounted games. This improved our horsemanship, our confidence between mount and rider, and in each other. This particular day, we were having a type of relay race. We had to start dismounted. At the signal, one trooper from each team mounted, and raced to the end and back. Then the next in line did the same. We couldn't cross the start line until we were fully mounted, with feet in both stirrups. I was riding Chuckles, my primary mount for most of the time I was there. Chuckles, for some reason, never stood still to be saddled or mounted. She was otherwise a superb mount. We simply found ways to work around her peculiarity. 

When my turn came, I tried to get my toe into the stirrup rather than jump into the saddle. Chuckles, being accustomed to rescue drills, would have blasted off, and I would not have been "fully mounted" when we crossed the start line. With all the excitement, She was more fidgety than normal. No matter how I danced around, I couldn't get my foot into the stirrup. So, to keep her off the start line, I crowded her into the fence corner and jumped up. Keep in mind that this was more than thirty years ago. In those days, I could leap directly onto the back of a fairly tall horse. (These days I've grown fond of short horses.) 

I sprang up, expecting to settle into the saddle, find the stirrups, and go. Instead, the saddle came up to meet me. Chuckles was trying to jump the five foot tall fence from a standstill. We went up, and up, and then, her front feet caught on the top rail. Her head disappeared from my view, and the saddle shot me forward. Everything seemed to switch to slow motion. I arced ahead of the somersaulting horse, and planned my "tuck and roll". I hit the ground rolling, but the horse was bigger than me. She rolled faster. As we tumbled along together, I saw grass and dirt, then sunshine, then grass and dirt, then her belly and hooves, then grass and dirt. When I stopped rolling, Chuckles had rolled over me, regained her feet, and was high tailing it for the barn. 

Remarkably, I was untouched, but I lay there, working each joint in turn. By the time the other troopers had gotten to me, I had found that everything worked. I got up, and we went to check on Chuckles. She had escaped injury the same as me. Later inspection showed that the antique saddle had come through unscathed as well.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

As many spills as I took as a child, the worse injury I had was a broken tailbone. So my story is that my pony bucked me off and I broke my butt.

That pony eventually taught me how to ride.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I don't really recall the worst....probably when I dislocated my shoulder after Sonny Boy spooked on an Egret coming up, out of our pond....

The best, was a couple of weeks ago.....when Mr. Jack moved out from under me.......surprisingly.....at nearly 60, I bounced pretty good...no harm, no foul....


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I was 19 years old. As a young person riding since I was eleven, I thought I knew it all. Experienced driving, western pleasure, trails, barrel racing, and jumpers. 

Bought a 6 yr old unbroken,* freshly gelded *14.3h Arabian for a song. The folks that had him said he was jumping a 6 foot fence to get to their POA's, so they decided to geld and sell him. Don't know if he was ever purposely bred to a mare, but do know he covered a few on his own, lol. 

Thought he would make a good horse to trail ride (fast) and jump, my two favorite activities! 

He lunged like a dream, really think the original owners spent a lot of time lunging. 

He took to the saddle well, until the girth/cinch was snugged up. Then he would explode! I do mean explode as in rodeo bucking, lol. 

Finally got through that stage after several broken lead ropes and saddle repairs :icon_rolleyes:

Time to mount up...everything went quite well until I brushed his side with my leg. Then the rodeo bronc came out and tossed me sky high. 

But still I persisted. As long as I did not put my leg on him, we were ok. But I knew that I had to be able to cue him and ride at my pace, not his choice of gait. 

*disclaimer, this was many, many years before all the natural training stuff came out. The current training at that time recommended a controlled throwing of the horse, saddle them up while on the ground, then stand over the horse and release him so as he rises the rider is mounted. _I did not practice this method_* 

Then I had the bright idea to have my current boyfriend lunge my horse while I rode him. Up to this day, I had been working the horse completely on my own. 

This worked for maybe halfway around the first circle then I accidently touched him with my heel and the fireworks began. I don't remember anything after this point until I woke up in my boyfriend's car in the hospital parking lot 45 miles from the farm 

What he told me happened was a bit confusing, but apparently when my steed commenced his rodeo bronc behavior I became entangled in the lunge line and was pulled/tossed/jerked? off of the horse. The trussed up lump that was me dragging along on the ground further panicked said horse and he came down on top of me. 

Fortunately at some point the snap on the lunge line broke and the BF was able to drag me out of the arena (no round pens either in those days) and cut the lunge line off of me. 

He then caught my gelding who had divested himself once again of the saddle and stuck him in a stall before stuffing me in the car and driving to the hospital. At some point I tossed my stomach contents all over the seat :frown_color:

I of course refused to enter the hospital, so he drove me back to my apartment and stayed with me for several hours until my roommate came home. 

That was the end of my relationship with my BF, the end of my conceited belief that I could ride anything, and I sold that horse in a week. 

I will never be lunged again!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

@AnitaAnne The question is, why do we keep riding? Even my broken tail episode should let us know not to ride. I suspect the first time or two we fall off we get all the sense knocked out of us. Then we can ride happily ever after.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Nothing bad, where is a great big heavy oak table to knock on?

One of my mares is young and so athletic. We are riding in a covered arena on a hot but windy stormy day. She trips on a dirt clod and at the same time beams of light from sunset are coming in and something about it just triggers it. Bam! We are running hard and fast, no brakes, doing laps around this solid pipe arena. 

She runs right at a corner and I pulled her hard to one side, uh oh, next thing was a solid 6 inch diameter pipe support that holds up the roof. I had slid a little to the outside in the turn, and splat. Like a cartoon I felt my body stop and slide down the beam.

I roll over and see my horse run to the end of the arena, find the gate and run up the alley. It was a long run catching my breath and looking for open gates to close. This place was notorious for open gates.

I find her standing outside her stall reaching over to grab some hay. She looks at me and nickers softly, which she tends to do. 

I composed myself and walked her down to the arena, got back on and finished the thing we were doing. Spiraling in and out of a circle as I recall. I couldn't wait to get off. Gave her a bath, put her away and petted her for a while. Bought a twelve pack on the way home to dull the pain in my entire left side. That was a hard day, I really wondered if a young really athletic horse was what I still wanted


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Celeste said:


> @AnitaAnne The question is, why do we keep riding? Even my broken tail episode should let us know not to ride. I suspect the first time or two we fall off we get all the sense knocked out of us. Then we can ride happily ever after.


Wait...are you implying that being tossed off a horse is supposed to teach us to stop riding?? :confused_color:

Dang, I am really confused...I thought a rider *had to get back on the horse* after a fall...that's what I've always been told...everyone knows that rule..:falloff:

Where's my helmet??


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## horseylover1_1 (Feb 13, 2008)

My worst *fall* consisted of a destroyed helmet..

My worst falling *experience* happened when I was riding bareback BAREFOOT in a summer field once... honestly I can't remember if I fell or dismounted for whatever reason... but anyway the horse I was riding was a good 16 hh and I am not tall so I took him over to a wood pile and stood on what looked like a steady piece of wood. It had a rusty nail in it. Went straight through my foot and had to get a tetanus shot. 

I hurt just thinking about it!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

AnitaAnne said:


> Wait...are you implying that being tossed off a horse is supposed to teach us to stop riding?? :confused_color:
> 
> Dang, I am really confused...I thought a rider *had to get back on the horse* after a fall...that's what I've always been told...everyone knows that rule..:falloff:
> 
> Where's my helmet??


Of course you are confused. We are all confused. The original head injury we all must had had before we ever found out about helmets knocked the sense out of us. That is why we ride. We got back on. And will again and again........


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

Haha! @Celeste you are on a roll.

The head injury joke... well, long story short, my current BO's mother is _not all there._ She told me when I first met her that she had many head injuries. Yeah... not all there. Boy is she a pain when she comes into the barn and rearranges things! Nice lady though. I'm not allowed to give her the board money, she loses it.

I have been very blessed, and I give all the credit to God, that the worst injury I ever had was a minor concussion. Yes I was wearing a helmet.

I got this bright idea (about 15 at the time) that I was going to ride my green mare out in the desert alone. I did not have the know how to be doing this.
She was spinning circles around me as I attempted to lead her down the street. Somehow, I got her out there. Well, she had this nasty, odd little habit of broncing every time she saw a strange horse (I still have no idea what that was about. Thank God she grew out of it!). That day, there were TONS of riders out there. I don't think I've encountered that many riders since!

She was having an absolute fit. Did I stop 100ft from the trailhead, praise her for actually going out there, and go back home. _Nooo._ I decided to mount up this extremely wound up mare. Probably the stupidest moment of my entire life.

Well, she saw another horse come trotting up the hill a ways ahead, bronced out and threw me. I landed in a smattering of rocks. The next thing I remember, is waking up still laying out in the desert, feeling very confused as I thought I was dreaming the whole thing. I think I must have been out only a couple minutes. My head pounded, so I took off my helmet and started walking towards a landmark I thought I recognized.

Then I don't remember a thing until I'm sitting in some guy's parked truck in his passenger seat, talking to him and his buddy who is holding my horse (found out later she was running down the busy street). Apparently, up to this point, I had been coherently carrying on a conversation and giving out phone numbers of my parents. At this point, the point from which I remember, the guy who had been talking to me said I started to look bad (shock, I imagine) and they got an ambulance.

I remember being driven to the ambulance, and seeing in the rearview mirror this HUGE guy get on my horse and ride her back down to the stable. All I could think was "GET OFF MY HORSE!", but couldn't say a darned thing. lol.

Well, I remember the EMT's asking me questions and checking my eyes, but my head hurt so much that I didn't feel like talking even though I heard and understood them. I imagine this was why they decided to take me by helicopter to the hospital. Thank God my mother had amazing insurance at the time, as the bill ended up being around 40 grand!

I only spent one night in the hospital, then they cleared me to leave.

The interesting thing about the whole ordeal is that I was most coherent for that entire time which I cannot remember! And the doctors PROMISED me that I would get that memory back. Liars. 

I had not ridden out by myself since (except for a mile around the block) until last year, when I started trail riding alone. Haven't stopped since then, and am loving it.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Celeste said:


> Of course you are confused. We are all confused. The original head injury we all must had had before we ever found out about helmets knocked the sense out of us. That is why we ride. We got back on. And will again and again........


Oh yes, the helmets. Back then I was sure those were _just for sissies_. I only wore one on the jumpers because I _had too_, couldn't ride without one per stable rules 

Yep, too many head injuries...

After a surgery a few years ago, while waking up from anesthesia, the only thing I said was "Where is my horse? Is he ok??" 

Unconscious=fall from horse :rofl::rofl:


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

@horseluvr2524 yeah, that whole scenario makes perfect sense to a horseperson!! 

40K for the helicopter ride and an overnight stay? Amazing you were able to keep the horse :biggrin::dance-smiley05: 

Was you momma by any chance a horsewoman too?


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Celeste, You've reminded me of a joke we used to tell on the rodeo circuit about bull riders. 

Before you get on your first bull, you fill your mouth with marbles. Each time you ride, one or two of the marbles will pop out.

when you've lost all your marbles, then you can call yourself a bull rider.


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

So he rolls up a smoke, and sips his Old Crow.
Wipes the whiskers that cover his chin.
And he grins as he dreams of old rodeos.
And he's the all around cowboy again.

Waylon Jennings


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

AnitaAnne said:


> @horseluvr2524 yeah, that whole scenario makes perfect sense to a horseperson!!
> 
> 40K for the helicopter ride and an overnight stay? Amazing you were able to keep the horse :biggrin::dance-smiley05:
> 
> Was you momma by any chance a horsewoman too?


Mom had AMAZING insurance at the time. If I remember correctly, she only paid $200 out of the whole thing.

Mom was not a horse person at the time. BUT I turned her into one later, and now she has a horse of her own :wink:


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## Verdana (Aug 25, 2016)

Dang, some of these are really, really bad! My worst wasn't nearly so crazy, but it was a very, VERY near miss. I came off today and we were talking about bad falls, and this seems like a good place to share that story!

When I was about fourteen or fifteen, my riding instructor let me ride her personal four year-old, rather than a school pony, in lessons. This was a very big deal to baby me, and I was super excited. I was going to start riding him in interschool shows, but we decided to let him have his first show in-house, just to see what he did. Good idea. Salvador usually rode in a pelham, but we put him in a snaffle for a dressage test. However, my turn to jump was called just as I completed my test. I considered putting him back in the pelham, but thought 'come on. It's poles on the ground. There are six year-olds competing in this class! What could go wrong?' My instructor reluctantly agreed, but told me to trot the whole way. 

Cool. Can do.

'Jump' 1 goes fine. So do jumps 2 and 3. After jump 4, Salvador starts to canter. 'Fine,' I think, 'jump 5 is a combination. We'll land it, then there's lots of time to trot him before we hit 6.' He gets strong over the first part, and over the second part, he starts to gallop. 
'I have made a terrible mistake,' I remember thinking, and then everything gets a little less clear.

I am told that I sat the first two vertical bucks, but it was the third that catapulted me across the arena. I am also told (by my horrified mother) that I landed on my neck, bending it at a crazy angle, and that after I landed, I lay very very still. I next remember sitting up quite cheerfully and looking around for my horse, getting up, and waiting patiently by his saddle for a leg-up so I could finish the course. Instead, a very shaken instructor said 'No. Actually, I'd prefer it if you took him back to his stall and went home. Have a warm bath, and please call me this evening.' In hindsight, she was pretty sure I was dead in those moments and wanted me to call to make sure I wasn't dead. We laugh about it now, but we sure weren't laughing then. And that night, she called me to say that she and her husband had talked, and they'd decided that I would not be riding Salvador any more. As it turns out, nobody else did either - he turned into a spooking, bucking machine - and he was sold soon after that. 

I was surprisingly okay, except that I couldn't move my neck or move my right arm above my shoulder for about three weeks. Could have been a lot worse, though.


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## ChieTheRider (May 3, 2017)

I've never had a serious injury because of a fall, the worst I got was the daylights scared out of me. 

The two worst, or the two that could have been serious had I landed wrong, were the times I a) Got bucked off my gelding for not forgetting the saddle pad and b) The mare I was riding slipped in the mud and almost fell on me. 

The first time was %100 percent preventable. DON'T FORGET THE SADDLE PAD. Thank God I was wearing a helmet. I had just got on and rode him out of the gate when he bucked and I flew off. Thankfully I was just scared to death and got the wind knocked out of me, nothing serious. I was 12 though and it was my first horse (not the first horse I rode, the first my parents got for me), so all the more nerve-wracking. 

The second time I was riding out of the barn at my grandma's and no sooner had I rode out that the mare slipped in the wet clay and fell. I sort of rolled off and got my pants all dirty, that's really the only thing I was upset about. I was probably 9 ish at the time.


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## Maistjarna (Dec 25, 2016)

Haha, I guess I live in bubble wrap land. The only thing I have ever gotten from falling of a horse is a bruise... probably because the only horses I can curently ride are dead broke 15+ old horses, that are pony sized (Icelandics).


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