# Dismounts, falls and spills



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I am a sucker for the "stop, drop and spin", when a horse stops, drops his inside shoulder, and spins a 180. gets me off a lot. not memorable falls, but they are numerous.


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## Little Jane (Mar 7, 2013)

First time, a lesson horse decided she'd had enough of me. It didn't take much for her to get me off—I was just 14, and hadn't ridden much. Landed on my back, hopped up and got back on.

Second time left some emotional scarring. I put my young horse and myself in a situation we couldn't handle, and I had to bail. I landed on my left side and rolled. I was pretty bruised, but I got back on. However, it took me about a year to go outside with her again. My mind would replay the tumble  It was humiliating, but thankfully we're past that now.

My third time was just a couple of weeks ago. A grain truck went past and used his air brakes. My girl gave a huge buck, tore the reins from my hands, and took off. I stayed on her back for the buck, but when she and I landed, I whiplashed and went unconscious. So, I was flung to the ground. Landed right on my head. Thankfully, I was wearing a helmet!! After a minute or two of unconsciousness, I came to (much to the relief of the other riders). It took several hours, but I regained my memory of the event and had x-rays done, etc, to determine that I had no broken bones. I was lucky—nothing broken, and only a minor concussion. My helmet cracked. That was July 2 of this year, and I haven't been back on yet. I'm only just now recovered. So we'll see how getting back on goes, lol!


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## MeggPottr (Jul 6, 2014)

Tiny, sounds like fun =P After a few times of that with my cousins app, I decided no more barrel horses for me xD Of course.. One of my slow poke geldings did that to me too.. Ah well

Jane, Sorry to hear of the third =[ I hate when vehicles go by like that. I'm sure the driver meant no harm, of course. But it's still rough =[ I had a guy on a bike rev his engine one time (my first ride out on my mare in two years. She was a little spooky anyway) and she decided she would rather be stuck up in a tree than deal with any of that. I hope your recovery continues to go well and you're up in the saddle again soon!


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Was riding Tora bareback when a dog jumped out in front of us. The dog was hooked up to a chain and Tora tripped over it. I basically did a summer-sault over Tora's head and landed on my butt in the dirt. Cussed out the dog, dusted myself off, checked my horse and got right back on.


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

Mine was simply poor technique. I was cantering and was leaning forward (I don't know why) when I approached a small jump. My left stirrup came a bit loose and I came a lot loose. I went over her head and she politely waited for me to get up.
Didn't really get hurt, but my pride was bruised for the rest of the lesson.


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## MeggPottr (Jul 6, 2014)

bkylem said:


> Mine was simply poor technique. I was cantering and was leaning forward (I don't know why) when I approached a small jump. My left stirrup came a bit loose and I came a lot loose. I went over her head and she politely waited for me to get up.
> Didn't really get hurt, but my pride was bruised for the rest of the lesson.



Hahaha And I bet while waiting, she was asking "what in the world are you doing down there?"


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I've had too many falls to count...

My uncle's old Arab gelding... I had him waaaay parked out, took a running leap and completely leaps over him, landed on my back on the ground beside him... Same horse, years later, was riding with a friend and friend was on another horse behind me. I stopped the gelding, twisted around to say something to my friend... and promptly fell off.

My oldest mare: Before she was well trained, we were cantering and she bucked. I was riding in hiking boots and and came off the saddle, got hung up and was drug/trampled and knocked unconscious. Horse took off, friend on her horse went after her instead of helping me... left me laying there on the side of the road. I regained consciousness when friend came back with my horse. Rode home... years later, same mare and I were riding down a hill and right at the bottom the ditch caved in and we both fell. I pulled some tendons in my leg, but she suffered no lasting injuries... years later, same mare and I were slowing from a trot to a walk at the top of a hill and she got her legs crisscrossed and stumbled down the hill only to roll to a stop (with her legs bunched up so she wouldn't hit me) in a gravel driveway. Slung me out of the saddle. I suffered road-rash. She ripped a plug out of her shoulder that required an emergency vet visit... same mare and I were riding around the house and my great grandmother's chicken attacked her. She threw me and took off to the barn, leaving me to the tender mercies of the ****ed off chicken...

My gelding: was riding with a group of family, a cousin was on a half-wild little mare. Mare took off, wouldn't stop... monkey see, monkey do... my gelding took off. Tried to make a turn from one road to another, legs went out from under him. Landed on top of me in the road, knocked us both unconscious, him on top of me. He woke up first and got up, I woke up a few minutes later and told my cousin to call an ambulance b/c I thought I had broken my knee. Turns out, after a 9 hour visit at the emergency room, I had a concussion, stitches in my knee, major bruising and torn ligaments in my leg. Was on braces/crutches for weeks, unable to support my own weight. My horse was taken care of by a close friend until I was better, all he suffered were two scratches on his leg. After that particular fall, I started wearing a helmet.


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## Avishay (Jun 14, 2014)

I've had my fair share of "unscheduled dismounts" over the years 

Probably the worst one was back the day before Easter, 2009. My then 4 year old draft cross was on his 3rd or 4th ride. I was walking along the rail, when a pair of ground squirrels came rolling out of the bushes next to the rail, screaming and clawing and heedless of the large animal that could have squashed them. It scared the CRAP out of my horse, and Shay took off bucking in a blind panic. He bucked across the whole diagonal of my arena, and as he slowed to approach the far corner, I did a one-rein stop. Little did I know, that I had torn my right groin muscle in the bucking spree, and when I went to turn him, I turned him left, throwing all the centrifugal force into my right side. I went FLYING off to the right, and skipped like a stone across the arena for a good 10-15 feet. It turned out that aside from the torn groin, I impacted on my lower right back - jacking up my spine and causing an inflamed disc, which ended up slipping, and gave me permanent nerve damage. To this day I have a big numb patch (the lower right 1/4 of my back and right hip), which occasionally gives me bad muscle spasms when over-tired/overworked that extend all the way into my legs. I also irritated my ruined right rotator cuff, split my helmet open and concussed myself, cracked a few ribs and bruised the cartilage between them, as well as bruised my right kidney. Superficially, I was all road rash on my right arm, shoulder, and back. 

I went into shock almost right away, but when my barn owner came running to help me, I immediately begged for help getting back on. I was in too much pain to steer, but he led me around for 5 minutes or so before I almost passed out and fell off again. I took two Advil and my BM put my horse away. He wanted to take me to the ER, but I told him I was fine and drove myself home. 

The next morning, I was in so much pain I couldn't breathe and I was clammy and trembling non-stop. I called my mom and she and my dad took me to the ER instead of Church for Easter. That was it's own trauma (wow, do they put in the "B-TEAM" on holidays at hospitals!). 

That fall did shake my confidence REALLY bad, for a long time. It took me a couple of years, and three more significant falls before I REALLY trusted my boy - before I REALLY trusted myself as a rider again. I still rode daily; my own horses, and other people's horses, but I just wasn't the same on the inside. Shay really felt it, too, which was what hurt his confidence and made him spooky and reactive under saddle for awhile, which in turn, made ME jumpy. It wasn't until my last fall on him a few years ago, during a lesson with my (then) coach, that I realized that I wasn't afraid anymore. I had "broken through the other side", and I decided that I was too good a rider, too experienced, to let anxiety cripple my riding on Shay. With other horses, who were MUCH spookier/more difficult, I was just fine - my anxiety was only related to him. And he's the love of my life, and I just couldn't tolerate that I was afraid on him. So I found the RIGHT coach, got the RIGHT support, and accepted that I was also trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. He's an awesome horse, but he wasn't the traditional dressage prospect I'd wanted him to be. He's so talented and athletic, but he just didn't CLICK with traditional dressage. So we switched to western dressage - I taught him to neck rein and in a few months we were in a mild curb bit. I've always ridden both English and Western, so it was a nothing-deal for me to switch. All of a sudden, his stride opened up, he got soft and round - collecting him off my seat alone was suddenly easy as pie. 

Turned out when I changed my perspective, that changed my approach and changed my goals. 

So yes, that first fall about ruined me, physically and mentally. But I really broke through to a new level of self-awareness as a rider, tested my mettle and found out just now much determination I really had. And as a result, I've become a substantially better rider all around, my horse is happier, sounder, and better trained.


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

One of my more spectacular tumbles happened more than 30 years ago. I've since learned to use an emergency dismount, but have only rarely been in a situation where I've needed it. 

I was with the First Cavalry Division Horse Platoon, stationed 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 in the big training arena behind the barn. 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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## squekers998 (May 29, 2012)

The first ever fall that I had was on my old percheron Lacy. We were cantering and the saddle started to slide off and I fell off. My instructor ran to calm her down and I saw how many scratches I had. My whole hip, my face, my upper arm and my stomach had a lot of bruises too! My instructor asked if I want to get back in I said yes because I know (being a gymnast) if you didn’t do the same thing again you would be forever scared. So I did and I’m happy because if I didn’t I don’t know how my riding would be now


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## Rainbows (Mar 31, 2014)

I had a rather strange fall the other day so I thought I should share. 

Me and my 20yr Polish Arabian were cantering around the property and I was comfortable and moving nicely with him. We were cantering next to one of the tempararely electric fences until he decided to take a sudden turn. I haven't mastered his canter yet so I ended up losing my seat and falling forward onto his shoulder. I guess he notice that I was unbalanced and basically clinging onto his neck. I actually almost fell under him if it wasn't for his lovely neck just right there for me to grab onto. Once he got to a slow trot I couldn't get back up so I just let myself fall and he just stopped, sniffed me and stood there waiting for me to get back on. I found it a bit funny how I clung onto his neck while he was cantering. Poor dude had to deal with it. Lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MeggPottr (Jul 6, 2014)

Rainbows, I know how that goes. I was out on a trail ride with my paint mare about 5 or 6 years ago. We were going at a nice slow lope on a trail we had been on multiple times. I guess she decided she just didn't like the way one little dip in the hill looked that day, so she just HAD to jump over it. I, of course, was not ready for it and when she landed (really hard) I went up over her neck and was holding on with my legs dragging under her. She stopped quickly and when I let go and fell under her head, she backed up and pushed me over. When nothing hurt, I laughed a bit and got back on. No more issues after that (on that ride anyway)


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## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

My first fall was shortly after I started riding, the barn I was at was close to a juvenile corrections center and they let the kids come do their community service by mucking stalls. The kids weren't supposed to be there when anyone other than staff was present (it was also a therapy barn) but there were some scheduling conflicts and one week my lesson was scheduled during community service time and on the way out a parolee found a big rock and chucked it at my horse. Being less than 5 y.o. And bareback I couldn't sit the spook for more than a few seconds. (It was also my first solo canter )

My second fall was out on the trail I was riding a "seasoned trail and therapy horse" -- an older qh gelding. I still don't know what spooked him but I vividly remember falling off on the right side of the horse and Token went into the bush on the side. I woke up on the other side of the trail with my coach and my 3 other friends in the lesson. My "coach" told me to either get back on the horse or walk back home but "he wasn't sticking around and I wasn't in any real trouble" despite screaming about pain in my abdomen and left shoulder -- luckily one of the girls in my lesson switched horses with me on the way home (I randomly ran into this girl almost a year later and I couldn't say Thank you enough times)... that fall gave me a week in the hospital with internal bleeding and I barely escaped a splenectomy. (I believe that was the last time this man ever taught riding lessons by the way)

My third fall I was cantering around on my lease horse a 27 y.o. Arab mare who was my absolute heart horse. On the way around the corner she took it extra sharp and I lost my balance and fell. (Bless her heart the mare came to a screeching halt and waited by me until I got help ) I narrowly missed cracking my head on the cow shoot but I damaged my back and remember my back seizing and falling a second time when I tried to get up. That fun little canter cost me about a month of physical therapy

My fourth fall was when I was walking out a horse after an amazing ride -- loose reins, dropped stirrups and totally relaxed. Well, the horse next to me a very much seasoned and level headed school horse perked his ears at a cow. Alrey went sideways at a hand gallop and when I went to do an emergency dismount I landed sideways on my foot which snapped my last two toes backwards and I didn't even realize it until my mother made me get it x-rayed I walked on it in flip flops for two weeks b/c it with the swelling I couldn't fit it in any of my tennis shoes.

Finally my most recent fall was when I was riding my friends green broke 4-5 y.o. Mare I asked for a canter departure and I guess she was feeling fresh because she threw in about a dozen rodeo bucks before I bailed. According to my friends I came up about 2 ft before I came down. The hospital said I looked similar to someone who out a 2nd story building That was shredded skin all down my side, a calcium deposit on my hip the size of my fist and blunt trauma to my kidney

I should also mention that all these falls happened before I even hit my "teens"... actually that last fall was the night before my 13th b-day

ETA: It amuses me that I still love riding while my brother (who started riding at the same time as me) had his first fall around the same time as me (he just lost his balance) and was stepped on by the horse. He walked away with a bruise on his sternum and is TERRIFIED of horses


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## Rainbows (Mar 31, 2014)

MeggPottr said:


> Rainbows, I know how that goes. I was out on a trail ride with my paint mare about 5 or 6 years ago. We were going at a nice slow lope on a trail we had been on multiple times. I guess she decided she just didn't like the way one little dip in the hill looked that day, so she just HAD to jump over it. I, of course, was not ready for it and when she landed (really hard) I went up over her neck and was holding on with my legs dragging under her. She stopped quickly and when I let go and fell under her head, she backed up and pushed me over. When nothing hurt, I laughed a bit and got back on. No more issues after that (on that ride anyway)


It's funny how they can understand that! I know multiple horses that would just run you over and keep going without checking on the rider. I guess bonding with the horse before riding comes in good! Also, when you fall have you ever noticed how guilty and worried there eyes look?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## disastercupcake (Nov 24, 2012)

Fallen off SO many times.

The first time, my mom got me a 'dead-broke', 'beginner-safe', 'will NEVER buck' gelding. Was my first horse. After 3 months of ground work (I had very diligent and competent instructors), I got on for the first time outside. Got up, butt barely touched the saddle, and BAM, one buck, I was out, landed on my face. There were 3 adults standing there, one holding the reins and one holding the other side of the saddle, and one just laughing at me. But there wasn't a darn thing any of them could have done!

Anyways. Some horses are just butt holes and they know what they can get away with =/

Most of the times I've fallen off were plainly my fault though. Just not that first one


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Another time, I was riding this little Islandic mare named Silva bareback in a group lesson. Everything was fine until we cantered. Going straight was no problem but when we turned the first corner I slid right off to the side and she just kept on cantering without me. 

It's funny, this was so long ago (maybe 1987) and I don't remember any of the people's names I used to ride with, but I remember the horses.


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## Blacklight (Jan 10, 2013)

Haha, just recently I had the strangest dismount ever. I was hopping up on Summer bareback, and she is still notorious for walking off, so she tried walking off again but I stopped her... too far to leg up and too far to get her back. My leg/foot was still on her back... so I had to flip with the leg I was standing on over the leg that was on her and somehow managed to land on my feet.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Many, many falls under this belt.

My favorite was probably when I was fooling around bareback on my greenbroke TB gelding. I decided to do around the world and while backwards Tucker decided to have a bucking fit. Bucking backwards bareback is very very challenging...I think it should be a new rodeo rough stock event.

Another funny one, I was riding a horse my trainer had in for training (with her permission and under her supervision, of course!). Still green broke, and a farily ditzy mare. I was stopped at the rail grabbing a drink of water and was stretching my leg forward to get a charlie horse out of my calf. The mare turned her head to the side, saw my foot and must have just then realized a person was up there. Her eyes got huge and she basically teleported about 20 feet sideways, leaving me hanging on the rail.


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## enc0410 (Jul 16, 2014)

My first time was on my "steady as a rock" appy mare. The ONLY time she ever acted up in the 10 years we owned her before she had to be put down she took off full speed toward the barn. I think she must have gotten stung or something. I knew I was fall so I bailed off into a pile of leaves my grampa had just raked up in the yard. lol. 

A few other highlights: 
I was riding my gray gelding bareback with a snaffle bridle without a nose band in about 3 ft of snow. He stopped dead from a canter about 3 ft from the corner of our make shift arena (only had one strand of not electrified rbbon about 3ft off ground). I went over his head with the bridle still in my hand slid under the fence and stood up outside the arena. My gramma was outside with the dog at the time and died laughing once she realized I was ok. 

I was taking saddle seat lessons and was practicing posting with no stirrups. I had just bought my saddlebred and she hadn't been worked alot. She got all hot an bothered and started racking and flipping out. I fell off in the 20 ft sawdust pile and one of my stirrups and leathers came with. 

My crowning moment:
I had a thoroughbred who I swear to this day was demon possessed. He was generally stoic and sweet, but sometimes randomly attacked and bit me a few times (evil, pure evil), etc. Anyways,... I was working him dressage and decided to take a trail ride down the fairground road that goes from my gramma's to my uncles field on the other side of the 100 acre block different members of my family own. We had had a great ride. He was not a spooky horse but occasionally PURE EVIL. I had him tired out and slipped the reins and walked around my uncle's field where I rode alot petting him and saying how nice he was. I swear I was saying something like "good boy...aww nice boy" He pinned his ears back looked at me and took off x racehorse style. Twisting and buck I fell HARD. I broke my wrist and he took off. I could not feel my arm at all. I walked to my great gramma's house because I knew she had a nurse type lady helping her. I had on a poofy coat and when I got to the house the nurse flipped out because I had a giant thorn bush stuck to my coat. I swear it was taller than I was. She was afraid I could feel it through my coat and because I couldn't feel my arm. Meanwhile back at the home stead my gramma looked up and saw the horse w no rider standing by the mailbox and freaked out. I went to the vet....lol... hospital and got a removabel brace bc it was only barely fractured, but I still have some nerve damage from it. That night I had to go to an awards banquet for a local horse show association that I had shown a different horse in. My gramma and my mom had to wash and straighten my hair and did my makeup. The result was hilarious...


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

My first fall was pretty simple - I was super young, only been riding maybe a year. I was riding this high-withered Thoroughbred cross, with the bumpiest trot I believe I've ever ridden. Trainer decides that today would be the day I rode without stirrups for the first time! Naturally, I just slid off. Reo halted and turned toward me, blowing in my face as if to say "Well how'd you get down there so fast?"

Now, my falls off of Harley on the other hand!
First off, Harley is the epitome of "don't buy the cheapest/prettiest/first horse you see as your first horse. Turns out the fool had never been properly broke, and had a brain disorder. As a ten year old, I tried to ride this horse, thinking that the magical bond could save me lol A broken hip and a crooked spine later, I guess I learned my lesson. 6 times in 5 rides he threw me. Be it bucking, bolting, rearing, or laying down on me for no reason at all. Needless to say, I'm VERY grateful for my level-headed Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, and Arabian I have now


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

*my fall*

.....I was due for one. It had been way to long since I got an injury, and of course it finally came around. I bit the dirt and this time I actually got hurt. Ill be in recovery for a while for that one.

Was out riding a horse that was green broke. All rider error, so the horse really wasn't at fault. Not wanting to get into the details, but here are pics. Won myself an ambulance ride with some great paramedics, and a hospital stay. My luck I also have to get some tuning up on a hip injury and the surgery is putting me in for surgery next week(great having your surgeon as a personal friend, then you never have to wait for surgery). Will have to nurse surgery injuries as well as my arm fracture :?


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

tinyliny said:


> I am a sucker for the "stop, drop and spin", when a horse stops, drops his inside shoulder, and spins a 180. gets me off a lot. not memorable falls, but they are numerous.


This is why I don't ride QH's. TB's don't do the drop part well, Stop and spin is easy to sit if you're still square in the saddle. The day my horse learns to add spin, I'm in trouble.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I do not think I have ever known anyone fall off as many times as I did as a child. 

Majority of these falls were because we were messing around on the ponies, usually bareback. Many came because I always rode the ponies in for remedial schooling and several of those were buckers, runaways or just plain naughty. 
One pony that could drop a rider with a buck at a walk, was one of the first I had the chance to reform. Older children were told to rode it in the arena and after an hour or so of being dropped they gave up. I had a chance. He dropped me time and time again. I just climbed back on and kept going. In the end he just gave up because it wasn't worth it! 

I owe a lot to that pony because it showed my determination not to be beaten and after that, although I was only about nine or ten, I was always given the chance to rode the naughty one. It did result in many bruises, scrapes and a lot of injured pride, but gained me not only many free rides but also the chance to learn a lot.


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## SummerDays (Mar 25, 2014)

I had been riding for about 1 year and was jumping a spooky horse. Everything was going great till he noticed the filler under one of the jumps. He slowed down a couple of strides before the jump so I gave him a little leg and encouraged him to keep going forward. Of course he slams on the brakes right before the jump, then can't decide if he wants to take off to the left or the right so he decides to just jump it. I was still out of it because of the dead stop so I wasn't completely prepared for him to jump. He also decided that the filler was going to eat him so he jumped the jump HUGE. At this point I lost both my stirrups and he starts taking off with me after the jump. At this point I decided it would be best to just do an emergency dismount since he was freaking out and didn't care at the moment if I fell of and got stepped on, and I knew I would fall of soon. It was really funny now that I look back on it because I hit the ground as if doing a belly flop, and of course I got back on and we jumped the jump again and he was much better 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Marshalllovesabby (Jan 17, 2008)

My first time cantering a jump, the pony I was riding tried to duck out but I jerked him back into it. I ended up almost getting stepped on. I got back on and did it again


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## Bedhead (Aug 4, 2013)

None of my falls are super interesting so far. There was this one gelding who fought me to the dirt about his head (I told him was a hunt horse, he was convinced he was born to be a saddle seat horse), because his owner I had leased him from just let him do whatever he wanted, and wasn't serious about not letting him have his way. In a saddle, no problem- simply set his head and let him fuss all he wanted until he finally relaxed and stopped arguing with me when he realized I was not his rider. Bareback, I tried to not let him get away with too much else, but my balance is decidedly not as good. He'd fuss at me so much that he wouldn't be paying attention, the corners of the arena would come up, and then like a goose waking up in a new world, he'd freak out, spin, and send me flying.

Eventually I learned to take a fall/bail out, but for some reason the fact that he threw me every time I cantered him bareback did not deter me, LOL.

Well, I was riding my wanna be race horse outside (first mistake, since I didn't take any time to let him blow off steam in the arena), and since he was being such a good boy about walking and trotting (no anxiety, no jigging, just doing his job), I decided it would be a good idea to canter him (oops).

Rush then proceeded to _bolt_ for the fenceline, not lsitening to my attempts to turn/stop/slow him down, until the last second when he realized 'lolololol, I'm a saddle seat horse can't step over a ground pole, not a jumper who can clear a 5 foot fence OOPS'.

So I went straight over his neck and landed on my back. To his credit, he stayed with me even though I had accidently held onto the reins on the way down, and since it was his double bridle, I'm sure that didn't feel good getting the bits yanked around in his mouth.

I cussed a little bit, dusted myself off, and got back on him, haha. He acted totally innocent the rest of the ride "Mom I would _never_ do that."


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## Liligirl (Jun 9, 2012)

Some of these made me cringe and some made me giggle!

My first fall id been riding for all of about 6 months and the girls I grazed my old horse with asked me to the forest with them. Well they all decided that they were going to go for a gallop. Id barely mastered te trot so said no. They said oh you will be fine, stand up and hold on. Then they took off. 

I think I actually did well lasted a few turns along the trail before my horrible balance probably caused my old horse to trip and send me flying. 

Luckily I was not hurt and after about 20 meters the old boy realised he was missing something and came trotting back to my sorry butt sitting in the dirt.

To this day I normally refuse to ride with others and prefer to go alone.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Gossalyn (Sep 12, 2013)

I had my second fall experience two weeks ago and I have sage advice for everyone. If your kind, loving, beginner horse gets a little excited after going over a jump and begins to crow hop and buck... do not sit there thinking "why is my trusted horse doing this? am I doing something that has angered him?" because philosophy will not keep you on a horse. Instead, perhaps notice that his head has disappeared down by his front legs and do whatever you can to get it back up.. including leaning back.

I felt like such a dork. 6-7 GOOD seconds of me blanking out wondering why my horse was mad at me, where I was sitting the hops/bucks decently, where I could have RODE and instead I chose to just be a passenger.. that didn't go so well. 

good fall over all. wore a safety vest, and was very happy with it. Doesn't protect your limbs, but my core was 100% ok, not even a bump or bruise.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

My first fall was... nothing special, and I've had enough after that to make it extra boring. xD

I was just riding a lesson TB mare... toddling around. She spooked, went one direction, I went the other. xD So lame...


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## skiafoxmorgan (Mar 5, 2014)

Like most, I've had my share of falls. I don't remember my first fall. I remember riding an OTTB, Lady Austin, when I was green as grass and stupid. I was maybe fourteen? My friend and I thought it'd be a good idea to race around the pasture track. Lady came down the backstretch, towards the barn, got the bit in her teeth, and that was all she wrote. I was bareback, and GREEN. The barn doors were open. All the stall doors were open. She was going home. I ditched off her (probably 16.2), forgetting that objects in motion tend to stay in motion. I sailed off and forward, and landed on the corner of the barn door. I was bruised from temple to ankle. She went to her stall. I got back on, though. It was a brief recovery ride, but it had to happen.

I was riding my Bandit at age 16. Playing tag with friends. We galloped through the woods like madmen, tagging each other and escaping each other, colliding with each other's horses. I was in full escape mode (again BAREBACK) and looking back over my shoulder. Turned to front, and a tree branch caught me in the throat and threw me off the back of the horse. Just like in the movies. 

The worst fall was off Bandit, about age 18. Beautiful fall day, not a cloud in sight, 75 degrees. Bareback, as always. We were just hacking for fun, not conditioning or training for anything. He was revved up from barrel season and wanted to run. So run, right? Hard gallop. It feels like flying on a day like that. To this day, I don't know what I was thinking, except I clearly felt like the back of that horse was a second earth. I got up on his withers, on my knees, and leaned over his neck to shout in his ears, "Good boy!" Bandit, feeling VERY good that day, and loving my approval, dipped his head and bucked a little. He often bucked when he was feeling good but not working hard. It never bothered me. It wasn't a mean buck or a frightening buck. It was a WHEEEE! buck that screamed happy horse. But I was way off balance, and I just sailed over his head and watched the ground come at me. "Wow. You really do fall slowly when you're having a bad fa--" Slam. Ouch.

Got up, checked myself over, caught him, got back on (from the ground, bareback, on a 15.2 horse--it's important). Rode for another hour before my arm started hurting too much. Took him back to his stall, hosed him down, dried him, brushed him, cleaned the stall, put him away, went to hang his hay net, and... oh. Called my mom and asked to go to the ER. 

Stupidest fall was into a manure pile. Let's not talk about that one.


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## Gossalyn (Sep 12, 2013)

wow skiafoxmorgan, you seem fearless to me! :shock::shock::shock:


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## clumsychelsea (Jul 9, 2014)

About a year after I started riding, I was on my old faithful mount, Cappy, and we were just trotting around contentedly. Suddenly the horses outside the arena started galloping and Cappy decided to join the party! I held my own when he bolted, it was the stop I wasn't prepared for. :lol: Lost one stirrup and found myself dangling from his neck with one foot caught up in the saddle and the other desperately searching for the ground. Cappy just seemed confused about why I was hanging on to him like a monkey. (Not technically a fall, but definitely my funniest "accident".)


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## MeggPottr (Jul 6, 2014)

I just thought of another on of mine..
My friend had a 14.2 hand 15+ year old mustang gelding. He's so fast paced, it's like he doesn't know how to walk xD We had just ridden her horses to the fairgrounds and that night we took them down to see the arena. We were gonna ride around the ring a bit so they could both see it and get use to it a bit before the show the next day. I had agreed to ride Endicott (the mustang) because she wanted to get a bit more of a feel for Shaman (The 15.2 hand 4 year old paint. His first time ever showing.) I rode Shaman to the grounds that morning and had no problems other than an idiot truck/trailer only to roll over the hill and almost hit me. But..That's a story for another day xD
But wouldn't ya know it.. the inexperienced 4 year old was easier to ride that the all around 15 year old. Ugh.. First time in an English saddle in, oh.. 10 years or so, on a choppy pony that doesn't walk. I was fine. Then I lost my leg. I no more than got my butt to touch the seat and I was over the other side, watching the little jerk trotting away to the corner. I turned over and sat there for a second. My friend was laughing, and once I realized what happened, I started to, too.


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## Katz1411 (Jul 31, 2014)

First post but I've been lurking a while 
My first fall was the worst and hopefully will remain so. I was in fifth grade and it was the second time I'd ever ridden, on a family friend's horse. We'd gotten back and stopped facing the hitching post next to their lake cabin. My sister came bursting out of the cabin, flinging the door open. Completely freaked my horse but facing the hitching post with another horse on one side and the scary door on the other, she fled the only way she could - straight up and over on me. I'd started to come off so only my ankle was beneath her, but it broke; thankfully she was fine. 

Oh, to be a fearless kid again - as soon as my ankle was good to go I was leasing a horse and taking lessons. 

I've recently started riding regularly again after 20+ years away and I'm not nearly so fearless - but when my current horse stumbled to his knees and I came off over his shoulder I did get back on, after making sure he was ok 

This forum is great!


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I've had too many over the years to list them all, but the most recent one was last week Friday.

My mom came up to spend the night at my place so we could go to a horse show together. After I got done with work on Friday, we took the horses out for a short spin. 

I was riding my 3-year-old and she was riding my 8-year-old. We came upon a piece of cardboard lying in the ditch that had been there a couple days. Just the day before, I worked with my 3-year-old about not being scared of it and got him to calmly walk across it. Overall, he's a great colt and not spooky at all. Has only bucked twice in his life (it was my fault, and it was last year). 

Both the horses were a little scared of it again so we played with it for a little bit. I asked my colt to walk across it, just like we had done the night before, and (my mom said as she was watching) he kind of "caught" it with his back foot. 

And leap straight into the air. 

Needless to say, I was not quite ready for that. 

When he landed, I kind of landed on the saddle horn (I think). I've got a nice black and blue on my crotch to show for it. And I was literally hanging off the left side of his neck. At this point, I was 100% expecting him to continue hopping, jumping, break into a buck, or do something that colts normally do. And I was expecting to fall the rest of the way off. 

But he didn't! He was a good boy and he just stood there, still as a statue. 

But I really didn't think I could push myself back into the saddle. I was leaning/hanging too far out. I feel like I hung there for 30 minutes debating on what to do, but of course it was only a split second. 

I decided it would be a better option to dismount. So I tried to swing my leg around so I could make a jump-off dismount onto the ground. Well, I didn't land so gracefully and couldn't stick the landing. :wink:  Fell onto my bum.

All the while my colt stayed standing where he was. 

My mom and I got a good laugh out of that!


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## DingDong (Feb 20, 2012)

Some of those falls sound so funny and others I am amazed they lived to tell the tale. Ouch! I am really amazed at some of the riders tenacity!
I was riding a pony and she popped a jump and I fell off and got a minor concussion. Several days later I was jumping her again at the same jump. She ran out to the right, my shoulder caught on the standard and it fell on her, which totally freaked her out. She jumped sideways and I nearly fell off but I didn't want a second concussion. With massive strength and flexibility that I never knew I had, I managed to swing my leg back over her side and pull myself up, all the while she was galloping madly around the arena. I still had the reins in my hand so I should have stopped her but I was mentally blank. My instructor kept yelling at me to use my reins but it was like she was speaking in another language. Thankfully the made stopped on her own without me falling off and we did jump that jump. However that was the last time I rode her as I felt that I had to increase my confidence first on other horses.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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