# the Inevitability of Falling



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Interesting question! 

You get on a horse and you can expect to fall off at one point or another. Jumping certainly is more of a risk than walking around an arena. 

There are all,sorts of tips about how to fall but in my experience when the inevitable happens you do not have time to put them into practise. Ditto for (C) If a horse stumbles really badly and goes down onto their knees and nose chances are you will go straight over their head. Bucking can put you off tomthe side or over their head. 

As with anything, practice makes perfect, the more you fall the better you get at the landings? Martial arts teach how to fall which is useful if you are a rider. 

Majority of falls result in injured pride - good bruises are medals of honour. Only very occasionally do real injuries occur.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

Have you NEVER fallen? Ever? Lucky you  You what's scary for me? As a kid and teenager I had a lot of falls no biggies... but I'm nearly 30 and have been re-riding for ... a year and a half, maybe a little more. Not. a. single. fall. So I'm either 1. using up all the luck I have or 2. just paying better attention now  I have THE ultimate bounciest horse in trot ever. In the space of two months three riders fell off her during a canter > trot transition as they were quite literally bounced out of both stirrups and then bounced out the saddle. NOT ME THOUGH... yet! My horse just stopped and looked at them, even going as far as to leap over one lady to avoid stepping on her. She's an angel that never bucks or rears but boy that gait...

It might happen. It might not. It probably WILL happen  I was told then when you fall to do everything to protect your head and try to tuck limbs in. But frankly, unless you practice flinging yourself off a horse or for controlled drop'n'rolls you're just gonna deal with it in whatever way  As for direction well... if a horse bucks you up and forward and you fail to sit it out... you're not gonna have the strength, timing or flexibility (unless you're a pro at practising falling) to go anywhere else but in the direction you are catapulted  I watched my friend's novice husband get bucked off at a canter - he flew arms outstretched like superman and skid along the sand. It was a beautiful fall/catapult tbh with not even a bruise to show for it.. but he was in REAL shock. 

I say the best preparation is learning horse behaviour and then ACTUALLY listening to what your horse is telling you. Where they are looking, their ears, their self-carriage, their snorting (or lack of) their constant pooping, their bit chomping, their evasion, their hollow back... I'm learning all this stuff myself. Try figure out what it all means so that you can figure out when you need to be ready. I can literally feel my mare when she's got that spring wound up and wants to go. I know I gotta mentally prepare to fight my instinct to tense up and force my body to relax and sit deep. If I was on my phone or chatting with someone I might have missed that sign so if she used that energy to buck or bolt I'd not be in a good position to deal with it.

And try not to ride constantly thinking about falling. If you get nervous about a jump because "I might fall" just tell yourself: I have acknowledged that I MAYBE can fall but I also know it's not going to prevent me from trying this, so now I'm going to focus on how to do it properly instead." That's what I tell myself whenever I'm doing something uncomfortable


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## NativePony (Jun 17, 2018)

I've not fallen excessively over the 12 years I've been riding but have fallen enough to know it's not something that can be planned ... it's instinctive & depends entirely on the situation! Don't overthink it, would be my tip 🙂 

My more recent falls in the last 5 years have been over my horse's head. But then I'm 5'6 & my 'horse' is a 14.2hh short backed & short necked pony. Gravity mainly dictates I'm falling over that non-existent neck at speed 😄


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Of your list of the four inevitables, I only sort of have fallen and haven't been bitten, stepped on or kicked. I've been knocked flat by the horse's shoulder a few times. I've come closer to broken bones while standing on the ground near the horses than while on their backs. My one fall came during a dismount, with my right foot over my horse's butt when she exploded. Can't give advice since it all happened in 0.01 seconds, tops. At least, that is MY memory.



Kalraii said:


> ...I say the best preparation is learning horse behaviour and then ACTUALLY listening to what your horse is telling you. Where they are looking, their ears, their self-carriage, their snorting (or lack of) their constant pooping, their bit chomping, their evasion, their hollow back... I'm learning all this stuff myself. Try figure out what it all means...


This. While I don't have a lot of experience at falling, I did a lot of bolts and a lot of violent spinning spooks before I learned how to monitor my horse and not push her/him into an explosion. Without my fake Australian saddle, I'd have been ripped off the horse many times - figure that saddle saved my life more than once:








​ 
As you learn to read your horses, you'll be less likely to push them into doing something they don't understand or are deeply afraid of. The mare in the picture above never tried a buck with me. My current gelding only once in a while gives little bucks - what I call, "Can you hear me now?" bucks.

Jumping increases the risk. In the studies I've seen, risk of head injury goes up when jumping by a factor of 10 fold or more. I don't do jumping, but I'm old and the ground is hard and full of rocks and cactus. Not jumping country!










To a certain extent, falls happen. I could have my first real fall in 10 years when I go riding this afternoon. You cannot totally prevent them. But there is a lot you can do to reduce them, and staying aware of your horse is near the top. IMHO.

The video below is courtesy of @*gottatrot* . I had to slow it down 8-fold just to see what happens to the other rider during the first 0.25 seconds. When things start to go wrong, they can go wrong fast. The rider in front managed to stay on her horse, which is darn impressive. This is one of those "Stuff happens" moments, from calm and easy to what the heck happened in almost no time:


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

When I was a kid I fell off a lot, because we were doing stupid things on half trained ponies, it was no big deal.

As an adult re rider I fell a couple of times, not so brave, riding nicer horses, but kaka does sometimes happen.

As an even older rider, we are coming up on the 5th Anniversary of what we call ‘the big one’ the one that landed me in intensive care, in hospital for nearly a month, kind of broken...and what mad thing was I doing? I had been mounting my horse in a round pen, that’s what. 

Since ‘the big one’ I fell off one more time...what was I doing? Standing still actually, when a perfect storm of events all happened at the same time and I hit the ground...no damage done, well the odd bruise...

With hindsight, which is a wonderful thing, I could have see disaster coming with Ben, he was too much horse for my limited talent, he may have done well with the right person, I was not that person. Ride horses that stretch you, but don’t break you.

Take lessons, learn to have a secure seat, learn to overcome your natural desire to curl up and lean forward when stuff goes wrong, stay balanced, stay upright.

I really truly admire anyone who has the wherewithal to plan their exit, i’ve Always been a ‘hang on as long as you can’ sort of person..


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

The most efficient way to learn to fall is to do it repeatedly when you're young. That way you never get hurt, and you have no fear. Once you're old enough to know better, you're old enough to get hurt.
I can't count the number of times I've fallen. Most of them happened 20+ years ago when I was an indestructible kid. Only one has happened since I've gotten back into horses this year. Amazingly, I landed rear-end (padded-end) first and rolled to my back. The tuck-and-roll is my preferred landing method. The muscle memory from my intense training as a kid actually stayed with me. However, I'd rather not test myself again. The bruises and soreness get worse with age.


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## elkdog (Nov 28, 2016)

I've always said "What's the hardest thing about riding a horse?...…..THE GROUND'.

I haven't fallen in years. When I did I always made a snow angel and not on purpose. Snow angels can be made anywhere, gravel, sand, snow, dirt, and even the dung in the coral. 

Your list of 4 things that can happen all happened to me from dating a redhead. Horses are safer!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

There is nothing inevitable about any of your four things. 

Getting stepped on is usually caused by your inattention plus you not keeping a hand on the horse (so when he moves you move). Getting bit is usually caused by you doing something the horse didn't like and not paying attention to his discomfort. Getting kicked is a combo of what gets you stepped on and what gets you bit. Notice a theme? Form habits of attention and proper movement around horses and you will probably stay safe (probably). 

Falling is hard to prepare for because if you were prepared you probably wouldn't fall off to begin with. Like many, I learned to fall off when I was a kid, happened constantly and nobody thought anything of it. Mostly it was from being stupid. The things we thought up to do would fill a book of stupid.

As a returning-rider adult I haven't fallen off much, and only my pride and my butt have been bruised. However, I am no longer a hold-my-beer kind of rider. I think about what could go wrong and try to forestall that thing. I have a fairly steady horse and we understand each other fairly well. 

That famous saying, "ride where you can until you can ride where you can't" means don't push your horse to do something he's not ready for. Lots of falls happen that way. 

Spooks can happen right out of the blue -- learn how to take your horse's head away and TEACH him how to let his head get taken away, so you can ride out those spooks and shut them down. 

Poop happens -- but horsemanship and alertness will save you 9.5 times out of 10.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Do you by chance snow ski? Ride a bike? Those are activities with falling as an inevitable chance. They just happen, and you get up and go on . . . 99% of the time. The other 1% are more or less out of your control, so pointless to worry too much. Just don't do outright stupidly risky things.


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## Sherian (Aug 28, 2012)

-most of my falls have been when I have been screwing around on a "easy" horse, not when I am jumping, or dealing with a problem horse, simply because it is easy to get sloppy when the horse is "quiet".
-learning how to fall and roll from a martial arts instructor and practising until it becomes as close to reflex as possible 

-wear appropriate safety gear.


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## Trinket12 (Oct 27, 2017)

I exited out of the side door, a couple of weeks ago. Miss T had a “moment” I wasn’t paying attention and off I popped. No injuries (other than my pride) but my coach talked to me about how strengthening my core and being aware of my seat can reduce those rude awakenings 😆

Sometimes the fear of it can make it worse, especially if you haven’t experienced falling off before. It’s good to be prepared but at the same time, if you think it’s going to happen and worry about it, we’ll it could become a self fulfilling prophecy. I’m not going to say “don’t worry about it” because that’s not good advice. I will say that you can work on your core and balance outside of riding and try to not listen to the voice that’s making you worry, or even try countering it with “ but what if I don’t fall off?”


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

I've only *technically* fallen once since I started "re-riding" three years ago. I'm actually glad it happened. I was building it up as a BIG THING in my head, as it had been over 15 years since I had last fallen.

Shortly before it happened I said something about how "I'm generally pretty sticky so I'm not too worried" when my coach asked me about something. HAHAHAHAHAHA ahem...

The horse spooked at snow falling off the roof of the arena. It happened during a transition at the exact second I was trying to re-balance, and I started that inevitable tipping off over the her shoulder. She mostly stopped but did a little awkward shuffle. I could have tried to scramble back up but was at a point where letting myself PLOP and landing on my shoulder in the sand was going to be easier on both the horse and myself. So I did.

And even though I was fine and felt internally fine about it, the adrenaline from it finally happening made my whole body shake with these huge, gasping sobs, at the same time I was croaking out "I'm fine-- SOB! -- I'm actually -- SOB! -- completely fine!" (I did get back on after and finished my lesson.)

I did things right, though. I chose my moment, I was able to completely free my body from stirrups, reins, etc. I landed with a large, broad area of my torso -- shoulder and back in this case -- and rolled away as I landed. My shoulder was a bit angry at me for a couple of days but nothing lasting.

If you need to fall, or bail out, and you have ANY chance to control ANYTHING in the situation:
-Free yourself of your stirrups, reins, etc.
-Curl into a ball as you fall and try to take the impact in a way that disperses the impact over a large area. Do NOT try to "break" the impact with your limbs in any way, as you're more likely to just break that limb.
-Try to roll away from the horse as you land.

Easier said than done, I know, for those many falls where you're suddenly in the dirt and the horse has mysteriously vanished. But it's amazing how much control you can actually have in the moment, if you have a plan.

Falls where you CHOOSE to fall -- as in, you recognize you WILL fall and you let go instead of trying to fight to stay on until have NO control -- generally go better.

And always wear a helmet.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Fall in deep snow. Landing is soft, it's where I do all my falling.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

waresbear said:


> Fall in deep snow. Landing is soft, it's where I do all my falling.


Sensible choice.


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

Do I have good news for you: You can even get hurt really bad without falling off, such as when your horse stumbles at the canter across a field and your groin impacts the pommel.

I never fell off jumping. In fact, I never fell off doing things that in hindsight I shouldn't have done. I did fall off:

- being complacent at the walk, ill prepared for a spook (by a sparrow)
- the horse stepping on an icy patch and sliding out from under me
- the horse getting caught his chest in a vine, rearing, and falling over
- the horse bypassing a small pile of mulch in the field, at the canter
- the horse stopping and lowering her neck to the ground so I have nothing to support myself against
- three times the saddle going sideways while I wasn't paying attention, on different horses

and finally,

- the horse getting close enough to a fencepost jumping over a log so my knee gets caught, and taking off at a gallop while I'm still body surfing on her neck. That was the only one that actually hurt.

I got kicked twice, once in the thigh (which caused me to develop a hole in the muscle for a while), and once a glancing blow to the shin, which took out a piece of skin under jeans and leather half chaps.

I only got bitten (skin pinch) in anger/dominance once, when I just started riding. That horse also bucked me off once. In hindsight, both events were probably in large part attributable to my newbie status.

The more secure and comfortable you feel, the higher your chances of falling off, because a relaxed and complacent body isn't a reactive and responsive body.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

SteadyOn said:


> I've only *technically* fallen once since I started "re-riding" three years ago. I'm actually glad it happened. I was building it up as a BIG THING in my head, as it had been over 15 years since I had last fallen.
> 
> Shortly before it happened I said something about how "I'm generally pretty sticky so I'm not too worried" when my coach asked me about something. HAHAHAHAHAHA ahem...
> 
> ...





this has been my experience, too. Even thought I am ok, I will sometime cry for a couple of breaths. the release of tension is huge.


I've also had crying jags, monumental ones, when awakening from aneshtesis after having been put under, for surgery.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Larry Trocha trains cutting horses and reiners. He argues a relaxed, loose body stays on a cutting horse better. His recommendation for cutting horses - which looks kind of like riding a horse who spooks repeatedly - is to concentrate on slouching and staying loose. Not my own preference for trail riding, but he has a lot more experience with sudden moving horses than I do.

In my one fall during a dismount, I landed back first on a stone about half the size of my fist. After a lifetime of jogging, 9 years passed before I could start jogging again. For most of those 9 years, the injury affected my riding too. Had I hit a few inches to one side, I'd have hit the rock with my spine. Had I landed 3 feet to one side, I'd have hit a pile of 12-18 inch diameter jagged rocks.

I'm not a fan of accepting falling as part of the price of riding. You cannot ride without SOME risk, but I want to cut that risk to a minimum.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I am sure that the 'thing' that helped me with landing from a fall was having played a lot of gymkhana games which involved a lot of dismounting and mounting at speed. Easier when you are young.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

HorseAndPuggy said:


> A) Exactly how inevitable _is_ falling? I know it’ll happen eventually but is there a specific thing I might learn that would have more falling involved? (I’m guessing jumping but I’m asking just in case)


I think you have the right perspective, because you shouldn't get on a horse if you're not able/willing to fall off. 

That is a different thing from wanting to fall off. No one I've ever met wants to fall off a horse. But I've met people who want to ride and also say they "can't" fall off. If you really are that fragile that falling from a height will kill you, you have no business on a horse. Unless, like some old, fragile people, you have decided it is worth that risk to you.

But the danger of falling off is often exaggerated in peoples' minds. You can fall just wrong and have a broken bone or serious injury after just one fall, like @bsms. Reading @Foxhunter's journal it sounds like she fell off many, many times and had serious injuries very rarely. I've fallen off many, many times without ever breaking a bone that way. 

I have broken my nose while sitting on a horse, when she threw her head up. I have broken a toe leading a horse when she stepped on my foot. I've read that the most common way to break a leg while around horses is to get kicked in the shin by the horse in front of you, when your horse follows too closely. I've had my horse bolt into the one in front and got kicked like that, and that was a bad injury although I didn't break my leg.



HorseAndPuggy said:


> C) What’s the best direction to fall in? Front, back, left, or right?


You don't usually have a choice about which way you fall, because you get off balance in one direction or another.

Very often the way we get hurt is some way we don't think of as dangerous. My friend got her head bashed into the side of a trailer when she led a horse inside and he spooked. I've been kicked by horses that suddenly threw their front leg forward and to the side. Like @mmshiro, I have a dent in my thigh muscle from getting kicked by a loose horse I didn't know that spun in a field and kicked out. 

The chances of getting injured around horses goes up with every variable you introduce. These include the number of horses, the variety of the setting/environment, the different types of horses (size, temperament), different types of tack, the different things you do with the horses, the different types of riders you are around. My horse life has tons and tons of variables, so I've had more falls and injuries than those who have less.


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## HorseAndPuggy (Jun 17, 2018)

Foxhunter said:


> Interesting question!
> 
> You get on a horse and you can expect to fall off at one point or another. Jumping certainly is more of a risk than walking around an arena.
> 
> ...





Kalraii said:


> Have you NEVER fallen? Ever? Lucky you  You what's scary for me? As a kid and teenager I had a lot of falls no biggies... but I'm nearly 30 and have been re-riding for ... a year and a half, maybe a little more. Not. a. single. fall. So I'm either 1. using up all the luck I have or 2. just paying better attention now  I have THE ultimate bounciest horse in trot ever. In the space of two months three riders fell off her during a canter > trot transition as they were quite literally bounced out of both stirrups and then bounced out the saddle. NOT ME THOUGH... yet! My horse just stopped and looked at them, even going as far as to leap over one lady to avoid stepping on her. She's an angel that never bucks or rears but boy that gait...
> 
> It might happen. It might not. It probably WILL happen  I was told then when you fall to do everything to protect your head and try to tuck limbs in. But frankly, unless you practice flinging yourself off a horse or for controlled drop'n'rolls you're just gonna deal with it in whatever way  As for direction well... if a horse bucks you up and forward and you fail to sit it out... you're not gonna have the strength, timing or flexibility (unless you're a pro at practising falling) to go anywhere else but in the direction you are catapulted  I watched my friend's novice husband get bucked off at a canter - he flew arms outstretched like superman and skid along the sand. It was a beautiful fall/catapult tbh with not even a bruise to show for it.. but he was in REAL shock.
> 
> ...





NativePony said:


> I've not fallen excessively over the 12 years I've been riding but have fallen enough to know it's not something that can be planned ... it's instinctive & depends entirely on the situation! Don't overthink it, would be my tip 🙂
> 
> My more recent falls in the last 5 years have been over my horse's head. But then I'm 5'6 & my 'horse' is a 14.2hh short backed & short necked pony. Gravity mainly dictates I'm falling over that non-existent neck at speed 😄





bsms said:


> Of your list of the four inevitables, I only sort of have fallen and haven't been bitten, stepped on or kicked. I've been knocked flat by the horse's shoulder a few times. I've come closer to broken bones while standing on the ground near the horses than while on their backs. My one fall came during a dismount, with my right foot over my horse's butt when she exploded. Can't give advice since it all happened in 0.01 seconds, tops. At least, that is MY memory.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Golden Horse said:


> When I was a kid I fell off a lot, because we were doing stupid things on half trained ponies, it was no big deal.
> 
> As an adult re rider I fell a couple of times, not so brave, riding nicer horses, but kaka does sometimes happen.
> 
> ...





mkmurphy81 said:


> The most efficient way to learn to fall is to do it repeatedly when you're young. That way you never get hurt, and you have no fear. Once you're old enough to know better, you're old enough to get hurt.
> I can't count the number of times I've fallen. Most of them happened 20+ years ago when I was an indestructible kid. Only one has happened since I've gotten back into horses this year. Amazingly, I landed rear-end (padded-end) first and rolled to my back. The tuck-and-roll is my preferred landing method. The muscle memory from my intense training as a kid actually stayed with me. However, I'd rather not test myself again. The bruises and soreness get worse with age.





elkdog said:


> I've always said "What's the hardest thing about riding a horse?...…..THE GROUND'.
> 
> I haven't fallen in years. When I did I always made a snow angel and not on purpose. Snow angels can be made anywhere, gravel, sand, snow, dirt, and even the dung in the coral.
> 
> Your list of 4 things that can happen all happened to me from dating a redhead. Horses are safer!





Avna said:


> There is nothing inevitable about any of your four things.
> 
> Getting stepped on is usually caused by your inattention plus you not keeping a hand on the horse (so when he moves you move). Getting bit is usually caused by you doing something the horse didn't like and not paying attention to his discomfort. Getting kicked is a combo of what gets you stepped on and what gets you bit. Notice a theme? Form habits of attention and proper movement around horses and you will probably stay safe (probably).
> 
> ...





tinyliny said:


> Do you by chance snow ski? Ride a bike? Those are activities with falling as an inevitable chance. They just happen, and you get up and go on . . . 99% of the time. The other 1% are more or less out of your control, so pointless to worry too much. Just don't do outright stupidly risky things.





Sherian said:


> -most of my falls have been when I have been screwing around on a "easy" horse, not when I am jumping, or dealing with a problem horse, simply because it is easy to get sloppy when the horse is "quiet".
> -learning how to fall and roll from a martial arts instructor and practising until it becomes as close to reflex as possible
> 
> -wear appropriate safety gear.





Trinket12 said:


> I exited out of the side door, a couple of weeks ago. Miss T had a “moment” I wasn’t paying attention and off I popped. No injuries (other than my pride) but my coach talked to me about how strengthening my core and being aware of my seat can reduce those rude awakenings 😆
> 
> Sometimes the fear of it can make it worse, especially if you haven’t experienced falling off before. It’s good to be prepared but at the same time, if you think it’s going to happen and worry about it, we’ll it could become a self fulfilling prophecy. I’m not going to say “don’t worry about it” because that’s not good advice. I will say that you can work on your core and balance outside of riding and try to not listen to the voice that’s making you worry, or even try countering it with “ but what if I don’t fall off?”





SteadyOn said:


> I've only *technically* fallen once since I started "re-riding" three years ago. I'm actually glad it happened. I was building it up as a BIG THING in my head, as it had been over 15 years since I had last fallen.
> 
> Shortly before it happened I said something about how "I'm generally pretty sticky so I'm not too worried" when my coach asked me about something. HAHAHAHAHAHA ahem...
> 
> ...





waresbear said:


> Fall in deep snow. Landing is soft, it's where I do all my falling.





mmshiro said:


> Do I have good news for you: You can even get hurt really bad without falling off, such as when your horse stumbles at the canter across a field and your groin impacts the pommel.
> 
> I never fell off jumping. In fact, I never fell off doing things that in hindsight I shouldn't have done. I did fall off:
> 
> ...





tinyliny said:


> this has been my experience, too. Even thought I am ok, I will sometime cry for a couple of breaths. the release of tension is huge.
> 
> 
> I've also had crying jags, monumental ones, when awakening from aneshtesis after having been put under, for surgery.





bsms said:


> Larry Trocha trains cutting horses and reiners. He argues a relaxed, loose body stays on a cutting horse better. His recommendation for cutting horses - which looks kind of like riding a horse who spooks repeatedly - is to concentrate on slouching and staying loose. Not my own preference for trail riding, but he has a lot more experience with sudden moving horses than I do.
> 
> In my one fall during a dismount, I landed back first on a stone about half the size of my fist. After a lifetime of jogging, 9 years passed before I could start jogging again. For most of those 9 years, the injury affected my riding too. Had I hit a few inches to one side, I'd have hit the rock with my spine. Had I landed 3 feet to one side, I'd have hit a pile of 12-18 inch diameter jagged rocks.
> 
> I'm not a fan of accepting falling as part of the price of riding. You cannot ride without SOME risk, but I want to cut that risk to a minimum.





Foxhunter said:


> I am sure that the 'thing' that helped me with landing from a fall was having played a lot of gymkhana games which involved a lot of dismounting and mounting at speed. Easier when you are young.





gottatrot said:


> I think you have the right perspective, because you shouldn't get on a horse if you're not able/willing to fall off.
> 
> That is a different thing from wanting to fall off. No one I've ever met wants to fall off a horse. But I've met people who want to ride and also say they "can't" fall off. If you really are that fragile that falling from a height will kill you, you have no business on a horse. Unless, like some old, fragile people, you have decided it is worth that risk to you.
> 
> ...



Wow, soooo many responses! Thank you EVERYONE!
First, I’d just like to say that my Four Inevitables are based on the horse I am currently learning on, who is stall aggressive and has been known to bite the bars and bite/kick people who put him in his stall. That and the one time I was stepped on by a lovely horse who I was taking into a paddock (she’s very rowdy and wanted to go for a run, unfortunately my foot got under her hoof as she decided to run).
I was happy reading the first few posts and then I got to the posts with crying. >~< My problem is that I’m much more anxious with humans than horses. If it’s me and my horse, I fall, and I’m sobbing, then who cares? The horse doesn’t care if I’m crying, he’ll just sit there and look at me. But I’ve never actually ridden without a supervising teacher and if I fell and started sobbing in front of my teacher, I would be forever embarrassed. I know falling is probably not going to get me 10 broken ribs and I’m not scared to fall. I’m more scared of hurting my pride than my body.
I’ll definitely take all these things into consideration! Thanks so much for the responses!


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

I too am a re-rider like a lot of people on here. I only fell off once when I took lessons as a kid when I was at camp and we were riding bareback on a really hot day. My horse was very sweaty and he tripped and I went one way and he went the other... No damage done. I didn't realize how solid the lesson horses I used to ride were until I got my own horses. Even the "hard" lesson horses didn't come close to what I got myself into as a horse owner. 

I fell off a few weeks after we brought our horses home. My "well broke" mare turned out to spook at everything and when a pheasant popped out of the grass she jumped 6 feet sideways and I went splat on the ground, no harm done. 2 weeks later I decided I could train our mini and hopped on while he took off and I fell breaking my collar bone in so many pieces it required 2 surgeries to fix. I stayed on all fall until March when I was riding my 4 year old who got a stick stuck in her tail and started bucking and I came off onto my head, bruises and sore ribs but thankfully nothing broken. Now I'm riding our 6 year old in 25 mile Limited Distance rides and I bought a Hit Air Vest. I've come off twice in the last month, once at a canter where my mare tripped and I went over her head (not even a bruise thanks to my vest) and once at a water stop during a ride where she decided to roll (once again not even a bruise, I just rolled out of her way). Moral of the story is, it depends on what you're doing, where you're riding (terrain wise), and the horse you're riding. As other's have said wear appropriate safety gear and that should help.


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

HorseAndPuggy said:


> I was happy reading the first few posts and then I got to the posts with crying. >~< My problem is that I’m much more anxious with humans than horses. If it’s me and my horse, I fall, and I’m sobbing, then who cares? The horse doesn’t care if I’m crying, he’ll just sit there and look at me. But I’ve never actually ridden without a supervising teacher and if I fell and started sobbing in front of my teacher, I would be forever embarrassed. I know falling is probably not going to get me 10 broken ribs and I’m not scared to fall. I’m more scared of hurting my pride than my body.


Oh, gosh, don't worry too much about that. Riding instructors have seen it all. And MOST horse people prefer horses to people, so they get it.  If you start involuntarily sobbing but actually FEEL fine, just laugh it off with your coach. It IS pretty funny how ridiculous your body can be when the adrenaline kicks in, so laugh at yourself and you'll feel better.


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

Don't obsess over falling, fear can be paralyzing. It can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you have a "don't fall, don't fall" mantra, your body is going to be tense, the horse will pick up on it. Nervous riders can create nervous horses. It's the same principle when jumping. You look in the direction you want to go. If you want to go left you have to look left. If you want to fall you just focus on falling.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

HorseAndPuggy said:


> My friend was a horse rider long before me and she fell and broke her pelvis and both wrists. I’m not afraid to fall and I’m not afraid to break things but I would like to know;
> A) Exactly how inevitable _is_ falling? I know it’ll happen eventually but is there a specific thing I might learn that would have more falling involved? (I’m guessing jumping but I’m asking just in case)
> B) Any specific tips for falling with the least injury? Again, I’m not afraid to break things but that doesn’t mean I _want_ to break things. xP
> C) What’s the best direction to fall in? Front, back, left, or right? (This may be more of a matter of opinion but I’d love to hear your opinions nonetheless)



You are correct that if you ride horses enough, you WILL fall at some point. You are riding an animal with it's own body and mind, and accidents just happen. 



In most cases, it is going to be something sudden, so it's not really something you can plan on how to fall. If you can do anything, the best thing is to try to RELAX as you hit the ground. You are less likely to break something if you don't tense up and try to brace. 



I've been riding horses for 25+ years. I think the last time I fell off was about 4 years ago ... although I didn't technically fall off. I was walking my young horse over a piece of cardboard (natural obstacle on the trail!). My mom was watching and she said he kind of caught it and the flap touched his leg and he jumped straight up in the air . And then stood there. He dislodged me enough that my upper body was way over the left side of him, and I just hung there for a moment, realized I could not pull myself back on because I was "too far", so I ungracefully let myself slide off him and onto the ground. He just kinda stood there like, what are you doing?


Time before that I was riding same horse, a few years prior. He was 2 years old and it was his 5th ride under saddle. It was totally my fault but I kinda got us into a pickle which scared him, and he started bucked. I consciously let myself get bucked off, because that was going to be safer than me staying on him. 



Before that .... I don't remember! I try not to fall off, because it isn't exactly pleasant, but it just happens from time to time.


Knock on wood I have never broken anything, but did have a concussion one time (horse tripped while loping and rolled over me). It probably was a good thing I was knocked out because my body went limp and thus didn't break any bones.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I fell off a lot as a child, mainly because I was the one who rode all the very naughty ponies that came to the riding school for training out of their very naughty habits. Then the other reason was that I was totally fearless and did the most insane things when the instructors weren't around! 

I have had a lot of injuries, some resulting in hospitals stays but all of these were when messing around or not being as attentive as I should, as far as I recall.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

tinyliny said:


> Do you by chance snow ski? Ride a bike? Those are activities with falling as an inevitable chance. They just happen, and you get up and go on . . . 99% of the time. The other 1% are more or less out of your control, so pointless to worry too much. Just don't do outright stupidly risky things.


Yup.

My worst riding-related fall was when I was walking behind my mounted friend on my own two feet. A branch snapped overhead, I ducked and slid down a muddy embankment. We were lucky it only happened after the horse walked under it so he spooked forward, not sideways like me.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

I found that I stopped falling off as soon as I stopped trusting instructors and riding questionable horses and started trusting my own instincts. If I feel that the horse is unsafe, I get off even if it means I have to walk back to the yard. Also, if I feel I shouldn’t be doing an excersise, I don’t do it. Easy. Before falling off was a monthly occurrence. I haven’t fallen off since I instituted my rules.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

It is very hard to fight what I call the "adrenaline tantrum" ****. I think it takes several exposures to become resilient enough to suck it in so I wouldn't worry about it. 
@beau159 that is INSANE. I sometimes ask myself if I'd rather be rolled on or kicked... dunno.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Avna said:


> That famous saying, "ride where you can until you can ride where you can't" means don't push your horse to do something he's not ready for. Lots of falls happen that way.
> 
> Spooks can happen right out of the blue -- learn how to take your horse's head away and TEACH him how to let his head get taken away, so you can ride out those spooks and shut them down.


Avna's is terrific advice. If you aren't actually out jumping fences, most of your risk of falling will come from a spook, and if you learn to handle a spook, your confidence will go way up, and when your confidence is up, you will relax, and your horse is less likely to spook.

I call baloney on the whole "learn how to fall" theory. I have been doing martial arts falls and rolls since I was 10. It isn't the same thing as coming from five feet in the air at 30 mph. Plus in the dojo there are no rocks or stumps or cactus to land on, and no horses running behind that might step on you. You probably won't be able to describe what happened afterward, let alone control your body as you fall. You are going to splat.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

That's exactly what I did, SPLAT!! walking out of a lake riding bareback and Laela spooks at who knows what and Splat, right on my side. Fractured a rib and tore some cartilage. Wow, first time in ten years and I didn't see it coming and body too slippery to go with it. Now I get that statement that you don't bounce as you get older.


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Joel Reiter said:


> I call baloney on the whole "learn how to fall" theory. I have been doing martial arts falls and rolls since I was 10. It isn't the same thing as coming from five feet in the air at 30 mph. Plus in the dojo there are no rocks or stumps or cactus to land on, and no horses running behind that might step on you. You probably won't be able to describe what happened afterward, let alone control your body as you fall. You are going to splat.



It all depends on the fall. There are some when you realize that you're going to fall 0.05 seconds before the splat. There is no control there.


Other times there's more warning. You hold on and hold on until you realize there's no getting back up. That's when you aim for the softest spot to finish falling.


Most falls are somewhere in between. That's when muscle memory to tuck and roll as opposed to throwing out your hands can be helpful. I don't know that I would have intentionally "learned to fall" as a kid. My stupidity simply had unintended benefits years later. :lol:


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

mkmurphy81 said:


> That's when muscle memory to tuck and roll as opposed to throwing out your hands can be helpful.


Well, I thought tucking and rolling would be pretty instinctive after doing it for half a century, but when it mattered, I sure didn't tuck and roll. I don't know what I did, but the doctor who was explaining why my shoulder was a stage 3 separation speculated that I was "throwing my hands out."


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Joel Reiter said:


> Well, I thought tucking and rolling would be pretty instinctive after doing it for half a century, but when it mattered, I sure didn't tuck and roll. I don't know what I did, but the doctor who was explaining why my shoulder was a stage 3 separation speculated that I was "throwing my hands out."


Yikes! Where's the "dislike" button?


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

As I earlier said, learning to vault on and off at speed teaches muscle memory to get feet down first and land running. 

I had my eldest niece out riding my mare (who was very fit at the time) E. was about eight at the time and I had her on a lead rein from a good hunter. We came to a steep hill and I decided to have a canter. Madam, my mare put in an enormous buck and E. was catapulted up above me and came down riding pillion behind me. Good old Skipper just carried on cantering. At the top of the hill E. slipped from Skip to Madam without touching the ground. 

Some falls can look and be spectacular and look serious, others look innocuous but result in injury. 

The first time I fell and broke my wrist when we were taking the ponies out to the field, on realising it was a break my first words were "Bags I call 999 (911) as I haven't done it before!" 

The reason I broke my wrist was because I was trying to stand on the backs of the ponies I was riding and leading, at a canter.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I think everyone here has covered it. And to those who say they have never fallen (or never fallen hard), don't gloat too much. I had never fallen off a horse in my life (I had two ponies and a QH as a child/teen), but when I got my mare, I came off her twice in the first two weeks of getting her, then again the following year, in a bad fall that ended in a deceleration concussion. This is where your body is going really fast through the air, and hits the ground, which has the same effect as shaken baby syndrome. My mare had spooked in the woods, spun around throwing me off-balance, began to gallop with me still on (somehow), but when I gathered up the reins to slow her down, I think they were uneven and I accidentally caused her to spin again at which point my body kept moving at gallop speed. All in all, except for the mild concussion, I was fine though. But very shaken up. 

I also wanted to add that while statistics say jumping increases the risk of falling, how many people here have related stories about falling while jumping? I counted a big fat zero (though I admit, I skimmed some of the responses). My personal experience is that falling can happen at the most unlikely moments. In an arena. While standing still! It's true, my second fall happened while my horse was standing quietly in the arena, I was chatting with the coach (so could not have been more relaxed - to those who say it's better to be relaxed), when my mare jumped sideways at a plastic bag that blew in the distance, and I fell off. Lots of falls happen during trail rides because it's an environment full of surprises where anything can happen. 

I've been bitten, but not severely. Have never been kicked, but have been stepped on a number of times. Again, yesterday! I was in the paddock, doing a bit of ground work with my mare, standing basically at her shoulder, when something in the distance startled her, so she planted her feet... right on mine. No big deal, I pushed her off immediately and instinctively, and since it is a sandy arena, I don't even see a bruise (ok, maybe some redness). My own fault for forgetting about her propensity for on-the-spot spooking. 

And yes, there came a point where I wondered if I should sell my spooky mare, but she has many other great qualities, so instead, I am re-training her to fill any gaps in her training, and desensitize her as much as possible. This is not to guarantee I'll never fall again - I'm sure I will - but to improve our relationship and trust. Because in the end, the idea of NOT riding her out of fear was worse than taking a calculated risk.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

There are a lot of people who jump regularly who have fallen while jumping. Every study I've found indicates a MUCH higher risk of serious injury while jumping. For example:









​ What follows is copied from a pdf file I downloaded a few years back. I no longer have a good link to the study. It is the best I've seen in terms of literature review and results that came from a real world sample. It was done in South Africa, so the results may not match what one would see in the USA.

*A profile of horse riding injuries in adult horse riders registered with the Kwa Zulu Natal Horse Society.*

2.6. Location of Horse Riding Injuries

In a study done by Sorli (2000) to determine the demographics of hospital
admissions and mortality associated with equestrian activities in the 33 000
riders in British Columbia, he found that the mean number of yearly
admissions was 390, with head injury the most common cause of hospital
admission (20%).

Silver's (2002) research shows that traumatic head injuries outnumber spinal
injuries by five to one and in contrast to many other sporting injuries there are
more traumatic thoracic and lumbar than cervical injuries. This is supported by
Moss, Wan and Whitlock (2002), whose study was conducted between
February 2000 and February 2001 at the A&E Department of the Royal
Surrey County Hospital. They showed that 10.8% of patients had
thoracolumbar injuries, 5% presented with isolated pelvis injuries, 29.2% had
isolated upper limb injuries and 22.3% had isolated lower limb injuries.

The above findings (Silver, 2002 and Sorli, 2000) are further supported by
Thomas, Annest, Gilchrist and Bixbey-Hammet (2006), who estimated that
there were 102,904 persons with non-fatal traumatic related horse injuries
(35.7 per 100,000 population) that were treated in American emergency
departments each year between 2001 and 2003 inclusively. The study found
that the head/neck region (23.2%) was the most often injured followed by
lower extremity (22.2%) and upper extremity (21.5%). For each year, an
estimated 11 502 people sustained traumatic brain injuries from horse related
incidents (Thomas et al. 2006). This is also supported by Paix (1999)
research that shows that head and neck injuries predominate, followed by
lower limb fractures.

In Pilato, Shifrin and Bixby-Hammett (2007) study, ongoing joint pain with
emphasis on the shoulder and spine was reviewed. Due to riding being a
seated activity, it was postulated that poor posture on the horse could affect
the future health of the spine. The study found that at least one bout of
shoulder pain without a fall was present in 46% of the sample, with a fairly
even split between younger and older riders. Back and neck pain was also
very common, with 79% having experienced back pain, of which 28% had
ongoing back pain and 70% had experienced neck pain, with 14% having had
experienced ongoing neck pain. A full 79% of the riders had experienced
lower extremity pain. This study was done on recreational riders, where other
factors, such as work, caring for the horse and other recreational factors were
not taken into consideration.

Carrillo et al. (2007) study of hospitalisations due to horse riding injuries found
that multiple severe injuries occurred in 89% of patients, of which 85%
occurred during pleasure riding. Abu-Zidan and Rao (2003) found that the
majority of injuries due to riding horses involved the upper extremities (32%)
and head (27%) and were associated with fractures. This is similar to Williams
and Ashby (1995) collection of medical records from five public hospitals in
Victoria, Australia where it was found that the upper limb was the most
commonly injured (34%) with fractures also the most common type of injury,
followed by soft tissue injuries (29%) and sprain and strains (15%)
A profile of horse riding injuries in adult horse riders registered with the
Kwa Zulu Natal Horse Society.

Actual study:

Injuries due to riding were very prevalent. Table 4.5 illustrates that muscle strains
were the most common type of injury (62.5%), while fractures were also common
(50.6%). The overall prevalence of injury was 90.3% as only 9.7% had not had
an injury due to riding...

...Four hundred and forty six riding related sites of injury were reported as ever
having been injured in 151 of the 176 (85.8%) participants, with most participants
reporting multiple sites. The head was the most commonly injured site, with
46.4% of participants reporting any head injury, followed by lower back with
43.7%. The shoulder was also commonly injured....The low back was the site most 
likely to be injured many times, as 14.2% of low back injuries happened >= 5 times. 
The other sites were most likely to be injured only once...

[NOTE]: From a table, injuries occurred during hacking (25.9%), Flatwork (10.3%) and Jumping (63.8%). Interesting to me, height of the horse had a strong correlation to injury. 93% of all injuries came on horse that were 15.3 or taller. Could it be that bigger horses were used for jumping?

Results continued...

In 151 of the 176 (85.8%) participants there were 446 horse riding related
sites of injury. The head was the most commonly injured site; with 46.4% of
participants reporting any head injury, this was followed by lower back and the
shoulder. This is supported by Thomas et al. (2006) and Sorli (2000) who
both found the head most commonly injured. These findings are similar to
Silver (2002) who found that head injuries outnumbered spinal by 5:1, which
would indicate that the force required to cause head injury is rather less than
that required to fracture the spine Sorli (2002).

However these results are dissimilar to research by Carrillo et al. (2007), Ball,
et al. (2007), Abu-Zidan and Rao (2003), Moss, Wan and Whitlock (2002) and
CHIRP database (1996), who found that the majority of injuries presenting at
medical centres were the upper extremities. A possible explanation for their
findings is that the arm is usually extended when a rider falls.

The low back was the site most likely to be injured many times, as 14.2% of
low back injuries happened greater than or equal to five times. Similarly Silver
(2002) found there were more lumbar and thoracic than cervical injuries. This
could suggest that the head and neck are more likely to suffer an acute
traumatic injury while the low back suffers more from a RSI.

Forceful falls were ranked as the most severe type of injury mechanism
followed by rider and horse fall. This is supported by the results obtained in
the retrospective studies by Ball et al. (2007), Abu-Zidan and Rao (2003) and
Moss, Wan and Whitlock (2002).

Most injuries occurred whilst jumping (63.8%) which is similar to previous
research by Silver (2002) who found jumping to be the most dangerous part of
this sport and Paix (1999) who concluded that all the injuries in eventing
occurred due to jumping....

......There were no significant associations between site of injury and activity
during most severe fall. Most of the severe falls occurred during jumping,
(Section 5.3.2.2.4) but it was not specified if it was during show jumping or
eventing. Therefore it is recommended that future studies should differentiate
between show jumping and eventing jumping...

...Moss, Wan and Whitlock (2002) review of findings between 1971 and 1991
found that helmet use is assisting in reducing the incidence of skull fractures
and severity of the injury. Fantus and Fildes (2007) found a fourfold greater
mortality for the non-helmeted rider and Abu-Zidan and Rao (2003)
comparatively found that those with a helmet had significantly less incidence
of intracranial injuries than those who did not....

[NOTE]: One of the factors associated with less risk was riding older horses and riding slower. Seems obvious, but riding experienced horses and not asking the horse to do things it wasn't prepared to do resulted in lower risk of injury.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I'm not arguing with you @*bsms* , and I am well aware of all the studies. I have a daughter who jumps. 

And yet, everyone who posted on this thread talked about falling when they were NOT jumping. I'm guessing those falls don't get reported though. When you fall on a trail, in your backyard, in your own riding arena or someone else's, and there is no significant injury, you don't report it. So I think you'd have to really look at how the data was compiled to get a good idea of the risks, as well as a categorization of the severity of falls. Most falls that don't result in serious injury don't get reported, and knowing horse people, I'd venture that a good chunk of those that do still don't get reported. 

My personal observation is that when my daughter and her friends are jumping, they know there is a high risk. They even wear a protective vest. They are on high alert for something to go wrong, try to prepare for a refusal, or crashing through the jump, practice their two-point for hundreds of hours. Many people who just ride casually may not have as secure a seat, or may under-estimate the risk. Trails are notoriously full of surprises, and horses are notoriously bad at reacting to those surprises.

My daughter has many more hours in the saddle than I do, but has fallen less often than I (yet she jumps, I don't) and has never been seriously hurt (I got a concussion). Anecdotal of course, but still... I'd caution against anyone thinking that as long as they avoid "high-risk" activities like jumping, and just stick to trail riding, they'll be safer...


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Lol @Acadianartist this-

I also wanted to add that while statistics say jumping increases the risk of falling, how many people here have related stories about falling while jumping? I counted a big fat zero (though I admit, I skimmed some of the responses)


Makes me think of the rated shows that are held at our barn, there are hunter jumper shows, that have to have EMS in attendance, and the Dressage series, that doesn’t have such a requirement. Funny no one hit the ground at the HJ shows, only at the Dressage Series..


I think it’s hard to get reliable data, seeing that there is no way to log every fall that happens the only way to record is to go by injury data, that gives you no idea of the amount of falls that are taken. 

At our barn recently, the falls I know about...

One working flat work in the ring.
3 out on trail rides.
2 jumping.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Acadianartist said:


> ... I'd caution against anyone thinking that as long as they avoid "high-risk" activities like jumping, and just stick to trail riding, they'll be safer...


Safer? Yes. Statistically speaking. Bulletproof? No.

I could take a bad fall the next time I ride. But I am less *likely* to if I avoid certain sports, ride a horse prepared for the ride, use good tack, good riding position, etc. To be around a horse, including being around them while on the ground, involves risk. Risk has to be balanced against reward. Those are individual choices - how much risk is acceptable versus what level of reward one gets from a given activity. My BIL rides motorcycles thru big city traffic. You couldn't pay me to do that! But he won't get on a horse. Too dangerous!

I don't jump. But I do tend to ride spooky horses, even though we have two horses who are close to bombproof. I almost never ride our most reliable horse. It isn't...rewarding. To me, although my daughter disagrees. *So...I'm less safe, but the reward is worth the risk.* For me. But I've noticed most of the hard spooks come during the few minutes we are riding on paved roads in the neighborhood. They tend to be rarer and less violent once the houses are behind us. So I may start leading my horse more in the neighborhood. Need to think about that. But it would reduce the number and degree of spooks I need to ride out!

Once a person decides the reward is worth the risk, they can look at ways to continue getting the reward with lower risk - helmets, body protectors, jumping lessons, different horse, etc. My family and I wear helmets. I don't know anyone else in the area who does. I don't wear a body protector, although my one serious injury was soft tissue damage to my back. I have no problem with knowingly accepting risk. I do that all the time. That is different from saying some risk is inevitable, so I won't pay attention to any risk factors.

The reason I liked the South Africa study is that it DID include minor injuries, including muscle sprains that don't involve hospitals.


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## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

I always learned it wasn't IF you'll fall, but WHEN.

My first fall was hilarious. I was trail riding bareback, and crouched to get under a tree. I kept going, and going, and going, and slid right off the side of the mare I was riding :lol: had a nice scrape on the back of my neck from the tree. That was the only injury from that.

My first fall at speed was when I was riding a horse that we were filling in gaps on. He bolted, and his hind end slid within the first few strides. I lost one of my stirrups, but stayed with him, and got him on a circle. His hind end slid again, only worse. I went flying over his inside shoulder. I jumped straight back up, much to the irritation of my trainer. I was fine.

The next was while mounting. The gelding I was working with took off as I was swinging up. I got behind the saddle and rode him for a while, but I couldn't get into the saddle. So I flung myself off. But I hadn't gotten my leg entirely clear. Sprained my ankle pretty bad, but thankfully that was it. Rode anyway :lol:

My worst was on my own horse. We'd done A LOT of desensitizing on the ground, and she was used to lawn mowers and such. She had JUST learned to canter under saddle. I cued for the canter, right as the barn owner started a lawn mower out of sight. She flew forward and sideways. I wasn't in my normal saddle (was trying one out). It was slow motion with me coming off. I tried to catch myself. BIG mistake. The inside of my elbow has a massive scar where I tore my skin. I had a severe dislocation in the elbow, and ruptured my brachial artery. Had my husband not been there, I wouldn't be typing right now.

My latest was just last July when my mare was buddy sour and began bucking. I stayed on for a bit, but she got me unbalanced. Hit my thigh and had a nasty bruise, but thankfully nothing worse. Caught her and hopped back on to school her through the naughtiness.

Attached pictures are what I was in after my worst fall, and the arm brace I had when I was relearning how to bend my elbow.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

WOW @Tazzie that is quite the hardware...you sure you weren't jumping when that happened?


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Looking at the BHS (British Horse Soc.) report on equi accidents they say that head injuries have dropped significantly and continue to do so. This is because majority of uK riders wear approved headgear. 

There are more upper body injuries, arms and shoulders.


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## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> WOW @Tazzie that is quite the hardware...you sure you weren't jumping when that happened?


Considering I like keeping my feet on the ground, definitely no jumping :lol: jumping is a discipline that scares the crud out of me!


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Probably around half the falls I've had were while jumping. They just weren't very impressive. Horse went sideways, I went straight... horse stopped, I went over the jump... horse landed, I landed elsewhere... Although there were plenty, they just weren't that memorable.


On the flat I've had some memorable ones. Horse tripped and I did a somersault over the front... horse fell over and I did too... bouncy Shetland trotted me off bareback... OTTB I was trying out bucked me off (didn't buy that one)... ran up a hill bareback, horse stopped, I didn't... Those just seem to have better stories attached.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Tazzie said:


> Considering I like keeping my feet on the ground, definitely no jumping :lol: jumping is a discipline that scares the crud out of me!



Never used to scare me, now it does..like watching others though!




mkmurphy81 said:


> bouncy Shetland trotted me off bareback...



That hardly counts....everyone who has ridden a Shetland has hit the deck I think....being round, bouncy and short makes them hard to stick!


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## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

I've had a lot of falls/been thrown because I've done a lot of stupid things. I've broken a few bones. Finally I bought a Hit Air vest. It's like wearing air bags that go off if your horse sends you flying. I haven't fallen since I got it - it's my good luck charm. I do practice being thrown in my imagination. Hopefully I've practiced it enough times that I'll curl into fetal position and roll if it happens again, letting the vest take the hit. It seems like an expense at $450 but it's a lot cheaper than an ER visit, hospitalization, or lost work.


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

HorseAndPuggy said:


> Alright so, I haven’t been riding very long but already I know: I _will_ fall. It’s inevitable. I’m a list lover so I’ve created a little list of the four things that will inevitably happen to all riders but are scary to those who don’t spend a lot of time around horses, and at the very top, of course, is falling. (The other three are being bitten, being stepped on, and being kicked)
> My friend was a horse rider long before me and she fell and broke her pelvis and both wrists. I’m not afraid to fall and I’m not afraid to break things but I would like to know;
> A) Exactly how inevitable _is_ falling? I know it’ll happen eventually but is there a specific thing I might learn that would have more falling involved? (I’m guessing jumping but I’m asking just in case)
> B) Any specific tips for falling with the least injury? Again, I’m not afraid to break things but that doesn’t mean I _want_ to break things. xP
> ...


****. Not laughing at you....just at the question with all the memories and lessons learned. With 50 years of riding and 47 years of staring/training horses so far here's some of that I've learned about "falling off".

Falling can happen anytime. Part of it can be the riders ability to just stay on (skill at riding) or any number of things that might have nothing to do with how well they ride (e.g. saddle not on properly...or any number of other items). Of course there is also the situation where the horse wants you off and tries to unseat you. Not quite the same as "falling off" but the end result isn't much different LOL.

A. If you ride long enough you are likely to come off a horse at some point, but that's not to say that you will. Just like if you drive a car long enough you will at some point probably be involved in a finder bender (even if it's not your fault). It's simply a statistical probability. There are certain activities that may increase the probability of "falling" off and/or being tossed off. If you start new horses (and do enough of them) you will almost certainly travel from the back of the horse to the ground, and not on you feet, at some point(s). People who start new horses understand this and we accept the risk (comes with the job so-to-speak). I don't know that I would say jumping "necessarily" increases your chance of falling. It adds another dimension to things that can cause you to fall and you will certainly have greater odds of a more serious injury (the vast majority of head/neck injuries are the result of coming off while jumping).


B & C: Well, if you must fall the best way is on a horse that's not moving and you hold to part of the saddle or the reins to allow your upper body to hit last . OK, here's the reality. It is obscenely rare that you'll have any choice about which direction or what side of the horse you come off on. If you do then you're not doing something right since you should be focused on NOT coming off the horse instead of thinking "let me make sure I come off on the left side, slightly to the rear" (I just made that up...it's not the best...or worst ****). When you come off you won't be having control of it. If you did you wouldn't be coming off. When you realize it's happening there won't be anything you can do about it except possibly think "oh ---- I'm about to hit the ground"

In truth, I've rarely come off a horse that I wasn't training. In truth, the only time I can remember (on a trained horse) off the top of my head I don't really call falling off, since she was running away with me and I laid her down in a sharp turn on soft ground and I "kicked" out of saddle as she was going down on her side (right foot didn't clear and sprained my ankle...but better than her coming down on my whole leg).

So my only advice is something you've already addressed as accepting an being ok with. i.e. There is always the possibility that you may fall off so you just have to decide if you're ok with that possibility and the potential for injury.

I've find getting bitten or kicked to be far less of a problem since they are much easier to control,


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

You know how it seems like intoxicated drivers always walk out of a wreck with minimal injuries? It's not because they're lucky, it's because they're floppy. People are more likely to be injured when they tense up, as in from expecting a fall. I think that it's not so much that a fall is inevitable, as much as when you accept it as a possibility instead of being afraid every time you get on the horse, you aren't so anxiety prone about it, and that's less tension and better for everyone.


As for biting/kicking/getting stepped on, like Avna said, those are more the result of inattention than anything else. A fall could certainly be accidental - a patch of ice, a rut that neither you or the horse saw, loose ground on a hill - but if you're paying attention to the horse and know their cues and when they're getting tense or grouchy, and how to move around them, then you're not so likely to get bit/kicked/stepped on. For example, Toby has been known to try and nip people who do up his girth aggressively (ie abrupt, sharply), but if you give him a firm voice and tighten his girth properly, he's fine.


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## apachetears6 (Jun 7, 2018)

An old Horseman and cowboy told me once, "Falling off a horse is inevitable each time you mount and your one foot lifts off the ground your chances of falling increase dramatically and don't go away until both feet are on the ground and your hands are off the horse."
He also said, "If you have been riding a horse regularly and have not fallen off then you are a Novice, once you fall you achieve Amateur status."
Personally I have achieved Amateur status quite regularly.
Another old saying is, "No you fell off that horse it did not buck you off and I have a horse that can show you the difference."
The only real skill is landing Gracefully.


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## apachetears6 (Jun 7, 2018)

mkmurphy81 said:


> Probably around half the falls I've had were while jumping. They just weren't very impressive. Horse went sideways, I went straight... horse stopped, I went over the jump... horse landed, I landed elsewhere... Although there were plenty, they just weren't that memorable.
> 
> 
> On the flat I've had some memorable ones. Horse tripped and I did a somersault over the front... horse fell over and I did too... bouncy Shetland trotted me off bareback... OTTB I was trying out bucked me off (didn't buy that one)... ran up a hill bareback, horse stopped, I didn't... Those just seem to have better stories attached.



I have climbed on and fell off the other side while my horse stood still looking at me with it's ears up. "What ya doing down there Bubba":falloff: he seemed to say.


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## apachetears6 (Jun 7, 2018)

OUCH! I had one spill caused by a Crotch rocket motorcycle who blew through a stop sign, fractured three ribs.
I had to ride that Mare two miles back to the barn....ouch.


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

apachetears6 said:


> Another old saying is, "No you fell off that horse it did not buck you off and I have a horse that can show you the difference."


LOL. Whenever a non-rider, or someone with limited riding experience, talks about that time a horse THREW them, I'm like...


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I'm pretty sure none of our stories has appeased the OP's anxiety about falling... 

As for landing gracefully, short of taking up Olympic-level gymnastics, I'm pretty sure there is never any guarantee of that when the poop hits the fan and gravity kicks in.


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Yeah, you're probably right. OP, sorry about all the anxiety. 



I'll also add that even though I've fallen off more than 10 times, my worst injuries were bruises. Most falls only result in bruises and wounded pride. Some falls can cause serious injuries, and we should all try to prevent those. However, I could also slip and fall in the shower and end up in the hospital. I try to be reasonably careful in all situations, but that doesn't stop me from living my life.



I've only been properly thrown off a horse once. That was the OTTB that bucked me off. That fall started out in an upward direction. My arm was sore afterwards. I did not get back on that one; I got my old horse out and got on her.


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

I don't know if this is 'lucky' or not, but the times that I have had an unplanned dismount....aka fell off...I have experienced that sensation of e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g happening in s l o w motion and then everything goes back to normal speed just prior to thudding on the ground. I have a few seconds, or so it feels, to try to not be tense and therefore more prone to injury. I've often wondered what the science is behind that phenomenon and why it sometimes occurs and other times not. 
Thankfully, I've never had anything worse than wounded pride, and a sore spot or two. I do always wear a helmet and had to replace one last December because my noggin thumped pretty hard. The helmet looked perfectly fine, but I followed the instructions to discard it anyway. (And it was my self made Hel-hat...dang)
The other thing I have experienced, twice with associated falls, and once where I stayed on, is that the horse can react so quickly that my brain cant take it in. I literally have a gap in the memory of what just happened. Once, we were going South on a trail and the next thing I knew, were were going North and at least 15 feet back up the trail..I couldn't tell you if we walked, trotted, or jumped that distance and I have no memory of the turn around/?spin. That was the time I stayed on..lol. The helmet thumping fall in December....we were suddenly about 6 feet forward and 3 feet to the left of my last memory with me so far to the right that gravity was the ineveitable winner,,that's when everything went into slowmo until a few inches from the ground. I think I know what spooked him, but I don't have any memory of the actual spook. 
Maybe I should start another thread to ask how many ppl have experienced either of these two things..don't mean to hijack this thread. 

Fay


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Well, the amount of times I fell as a child made me a professional before I was 12!!!!!!!!!


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Kalraii said:


> @*beau159* that is INSANE. I sometimes ask myself if I'd rather be rolled on or kicked... dunno.



I've been kicked too. It is the only time I have ever been seriously kicked by a horse (been kicked by calves and cows numerous times), but it was a double barrel and sent me flying about 10 feet._ I don't recommend it._ I was very lucky there also. I only walked away with a very large bruise on my thigh, but nothing broken. Had it been a bit higher, it probably would have broken my hip. 



I would avoid either, if possible.


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## Hula (Jun 6, 2018)

Falling off is inevitable to a certain degree depending on what you're doing. I've been riding for roughly 5 years and I've fallen off WAY more in the past year with my green mare I'm training than I ever did with my dependable gelding. With my gelding, he taught me so much about riding, including how to fall off. Falling off in the front (I'm assuming you mean over the head of the horse) is my absolute least preferable. If the horse doesn't stop, you could get trampled. Off the back sucks because I always get a mouthful of dirt. I usually (not intentional, Idk why) fall off the left side. I honestly can't remember falling off the right. It's weird. To fall the safest, go with the "tuck and roll." Don't try to catch yourself or break your fall--been there, done that, broke an arm. I just hug myself as I fall and then once I'm down I check for injury. However, as with my most recent fall, it was totally unexpected (I was getting on, one foot in the stirrup, when the horse I was riding spooked and bolted, and I just flopped.) I didn't even realize I was falling until I was on the ground. When I fall, I just try to be safe and laugh it off. ALWAYS get back on, unless you physically can't. That's my motto. Best of luck, and learn from your falls!


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

I've fallen off about 13-17 times, give or take depending on whether or not you count "mounting fails" as falls. Did you really fall if you never really got seated in the first place?

...and, KNOCK ON WOOD, I haven't been significantly injured. Scrapes, bruises. I'm fairly sure I either cracked or at least DEEPLY bruised my tailbone in one fall, when I was around 11, but I never got it looked at because the pain was manageable and I was too proud to be ordered to sit on an inflatable doughnut cushion for weeks. I still have a bump there.

To reiterate, though: any time I have ANY influence on my landing, I tuck and roll away. So that has probably helped. Also, HELMET!! Injured brains do not recover in the same way as injured-almost-everything-else.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

SteadyOn said:


> LOL. Whenever a non-rider, or someone with limited riding experience, talks about that time a horse THREW them, I'm like...


OK I have literally made a mess all over my desk haha!


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## FinnyRocks (Jun 23, 2018)

Stay loose-- it will make you a better rider as well. I think it is best to accept you are coming off your horse when you know its going to happen, and sooner than later. Get loose from your stirrups and cross your arms in front of your body as you go down; this will help prevent broken wrists and limbs. A helmet will protect your head. Most of all... if you think you're going to fall-- you will. Have confidence in yourself.


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## HorseAndPuggy (Jun 17, 2018)

SteadyOn said:


> Oh, gosh, don't worry too much about that. Riding instructors have seen it all. And MOST horse people prefer horses to people, so they get it.  If you start involuntarily sobbing but actually FEEL fine, just laugh it off with your coach. It IS pretty funny how ridiculous your body can be when the adrenaline kicks in, so laugh at yourself and you'll feel better.


That’s mostly reassuring! xD



Joel Reiter said:


> Avna's is terrific advice. If you aren't actually out jumping fences, most of your risk of falling will come from a spook, and if you learn to handle a spook, your confidence will go way up, and when your confidence is up, you will relax, and your horse is less likely to spook.
> 
> I call baloney on the whole "learn how to fall" theory. I have been doing martial arts falls and rolls since I was 10. It isn't the same thing as coming from five feet in the air at 30 mph. Plus in the dojo there are no rocks or stumps or cactus to land on, and no horses running behind that might step on you. You probably won't be able to describe what happened afterward, let alone control your body as you fall. You are going to splat.


_“Cactus to land on”_ oh man xD

Yeah, the thing is...I’m really wimpy. I’m this anxiety-filled little weirdo and, before horse riding, the closest thing to a sport I did was video gaming. “But video gaming’s a sport! Look how much exercise my hands are getting!” was my motto. So, as ya’ll can probably tell, I’m not gonna be doing any martial arts anytime soon (probably).
On the other hand, my mom was a skydiver so maybe tucking and rolling is in my blood. xD


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Foxhunter said:


> Well, the amount of times I fell as a child made me a professional before I was 12!!!!!!!!!


Hear you. I rode so many spoiled horses so stupidly between the ages of 11 and 15. Also rode bareback a lot, which predisposes one to plenty of effortless falling off. 

As for safest way to fall, I suggest falling into a fairly deep body of water. I did this with my Brooke -- on a hot day we were standing in the creek up to her elbows and she decided she was done doing that and suddenly lunged for the shore. Because I was *Not Paying Attention* I just stayed right where my horse had been. Only down about four feet, and under water. Painless, and quite refreshing!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

HorseAndPuggy said:


> Yeah, the thing is...I’m really wimpy. I’m this anxiety-filled little weirdo and, before horse riding, the closest thing to a sport I did was video gaming. “But video gaming’s a sport! Look how much exercise my hands are getting!” was my motto. So, as ya’ll can probably tell, I’m not gonna be doing any martial arts anytime soon (probably).
> On the other hand, my mom was a skydiver so maybe tucking and rolling is in my blood. xD


If it makes you feel any better, few of us are daredevils in other areas of our lives. I have never done anything remotely dangerous, certainly not any kind of extreme sport. I just don't see the point. And yet, when it comes to horses, I don't mind risking my life... go figure. 

I fell off my mare three times in the last couple of years, but other than a deceleration concussion (which was fairly mild, ie, no nausea, vomiting, etc., just more scary than anything else), none resulted in injury. Just a bruised ego. It's really not that bad to fall, and now I don't worry so much about it. My mare has taught me to always, always be on my toes though! Except when she's on my toes.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Tazzie said:


> I always learned it wasn't IF you'll fall, but WHEN.
> 
> My first fall was hilarious. I was trail riding bareback, and crouched to get under a tree. I kept going, and going, and going, and slid right off the side of the mare I was riding :lol: had a nice scrape on the back of my neck from the tree. That was the only injury from that.
> 
> ...


That is crazy girlfriend. I also had a fall with almost identical circumstance as you with the same injury. Also was lucky that my husband was there when it happened.


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