# First Fall!



## ReinDancer2015 (Dec 11, 2015)

Last night at my lesson I had my very first fall! I knew it was coming- we were using 1/4 of the ring for circles and I lost my stirrup:eek_color: Once my stirrup was gone my body just kind of instinctively flopped off. I landed on my back but I honestly thought it would hurt more than it did. What was your first fall like?


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Oh no! Glad you're okay. I haven't had my first fall as an adult yet, but I've only been riding since early fall. As a kid, I had many, many falls. I was never seriously hurt then, but I doubt my 40-year-old body is as bouncy. :lol:


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

My first fall was in Jan 2009. My last, too. Landed back first on a small (about 1/2 the size of my fist) rock. Couldn't jog for 5 years. Still have frequent pain in my lower right back. Still riding, but I often have a tilt to my shoulders as I ride.


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## ReinDancer2015 (Dec 11, 2015)

bsms said:


> My first fall was in Jan 2009. My last, too. Landed back first on a small (about 1/2 the size of my fist) rock. Couldn't jog for 5 years. Still have frequent pain in my lower right back. Still riding, but I often have a tilt to my shoulders as I ride.


Wow- sorry to hear that. I amazed by your courage to keep riding and your perseverance too.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

My first was Something like your fall; horse cantering in the arena and turns circle too small, and off I went. I was 40. Sixteen falls later I am 57 years old. I don't bounce but so far, I haven't broken either.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Glad you are okay. 

I don't recall mine, but my youngest daughter's was pretty good. She was about 10, maybe 11 years old.

She was really afraid of falling off. Talked about it a lot. She and I were out exercising a pair of horses when she rode off in a different direction to school hers across a small arroyo. Horse balked and spun big. She went off. Jumped up and yelled "I fell off! I'm okay! I'm okay!" Jumping up and down.


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

boots said:


> Glad you are okay.
> 
> I don't recall mine, but my youngest daughter's was pretty good. She was about 10, maybe 11 years old.
> 
> She was really afraid of falling off. Talked about it a lot. She and I were out exercising a pair of horses when she rode off in a different direction to school hers across a small arroyo. Horse balked and spun big. She went off. Jumped up and yelled "I fell off! I'm okay! I'm okay!" Jumping up and down.


That's so funny! I was sort of glad when my son had his first fall, too. I think it builds a lot of confidence when you fall off and don't get hurt. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of a pain-free fall!


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## ManicMini (May 4, 2015)

My first fall involved a tack malfunction. My horse was fighting me to go back to his buddies. He retaliated when I corrected him by jumping into the air and doing a 180. My girth was too loose and my saddle was sitting on the side of his ribs when we landed. 

When this happened, I slid out of the saddle and caught myself on his breast collar and had my outside leg hooked on the horn of the saddle. My elbow was on his inside rein and here I was hanging off of his breast collar while going in tiny, slow circles. I finally realized I wasn't dead so I let go of the breast collar and dropped my butt on the ground. This happened behind someone's house so I was mortified of the show I gave them!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

My grandfather gave us a Shetland pony, named Nugget, when I was six years old. My father coached us on how to ride while he led us around, and all of it made sense to me. After a few days, it was decided that it was time to ride him on my own. It never occurred to me, that a Shetland pony's stubby little neck was a lot stronger than a six year old boy's arms. I took one rein in each hand, and gave his ribs a good thump with my feet. Nugget took off with that teeth rattling trot that ponies are famous for. About a quarter of the way around the yard, I felt myself leaning to the left. I tried pulling back on the reins without effect. I was still in the saddle, but listing hard to the left. Forsaking the reins, I grabbed the saddle horn. I continued to slide, saddle and all. Nugget trotted one complete circuit of our big front yard with me hanging onto his side. He stopped in front of my dad, who peeled me off of the pony and fixed the saddle. Our household was well versed in cowboy lore, and I knew the saying that you always had to get back in the saddle. So I did.


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## SomethingSpecial (Aug 14, 2015)

My first "fall" was when I was 4. I had a horsie birthday party where they led you around on well behaved horses. Well, who ever tacked up my horse forgot to tighten the girth... I was not harmed.


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## leeroy (Oct 7, 2013)

I came off a 18.2 shire that thought he was a race horse, when he decided he was off (for no reason at all) he bolted , I managed to turn his head and he went on to do three very large sideways cat leaps, and the las one was one too many . My legs went up and I landed flat on my back right on top of a 4" rock. 
I have never had pain like it, I bent my spine ,crushed a disk and trapped the nerve to my leg. Off work for three months. There times he had me off , each time there was nothing that upset him and he was checked from hoof to tail twice. Each time this happened his rear would drop neck up head up , it felt a bit like being shot out of a cannon . He's no longer mine.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

I don't remember my first fall. But one of my falls that I do remember was when I decided to ride my gelding bareback in the arena. He must have been feeling fresh b/c as soon as I jumped on him he bucked me off & I was eating dirt. 

Needless to say I went and fetched my saddle. The horse got a pretty decent workout that night!


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## aclassicalpaint (Feb 11, 2015)

I was 3 and was on a trail ride with my grandpa, his wife, and my sister. I was in the back as the pony I was riding (a Shetland with a nasty attitude) had a much shorter stride than their horses lol. He got mad and bucked me off right into a pile of rocks. I was fine, just a little peeved! I've only had about 8 falls since then, most of them were silly. Ah well, the ground is part of riding!


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## EliRose (Aug 12, 2012)

I was 10 or so when I had my first fall - was goofing around with my way-too-inexperienced trainer bouncing over some poles and my stirrup leather snapped. Sprung right back up and hopped back on.

My second fall was less than a week later and quite a bit less fun.


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## LincolnNC (Dec 6, 2014)

Many of you fell as kids. 

I'm in my 50s and haven't come off yet in 2.5 years of riding. I only ride my daughter's generally well behaved gelding but I feel like I'm on borrowed time. 

If I do fall, ReinDancer, I hope it is like yours


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## Werecat (Aug 23, 2015)

LincolnNC said:


> I'm in my 50s and haven't come off yet in 2.5 years of riding. I only ride my daughter's generally well behaved gelding but I feel like I'm on borrowed time.


That's exactly how I feel. I had a close call 2 weeks ago when my horse was just being naughty and I should've known better to wait to mount and I didn't, so he took off with me before I was able to get my right foot into the stirrup, but was able to stay on, do a one rein stop, and all was well. My girl was too lose and I am lucky I didn't end up on the ground lol.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Gosh, I don't know if I can remember back that far LOL.

I think my first fall was when I was 3 or 4 and the mini donkey that I was riding bucked me off (short fall as he only stood about 34" tall :wink: ).

But since then I have lost count of all the falls I've taken; some of them the horse came with me.

Glad you weren't hurt


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## Werecat (Aug 23, 2015)

*Girth, not girl. lol.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Can't really re -call my first fall, nor half of the falls I have had over the years, except the ones later in life, make more of an impression, with that body not bouncing as well.
Many falls, were unavoidable, as when the horse goes down, so do you!

Gues, that would make my first falls when I was around 17 , and my step dad bought me a spoiled Anglo Arabian stallion, that reared and went over backwards I would just get back on
Next falls, were due to buying a green broke horse, and no real training knowledge when I was around 21. Tonka bucked me off-lots, but I would just get back on.
Did ride him in the Calgary stampede eventually
Over the years i had horses go down with me, training them in snow, after work, but I re call the last fall the most-about 4 years ago.
It was the summer after I had double knee replacements, and I had my OS warning branded into my mind.
He told me that I could ride with knee replacements, just not come off!
Well, there was no mounting bloke in the arena, and I still needed ,' something 'to get on. I thus used the arena fence, and got on Smilie. I then rode her in the warm up, for about half an hour, made a sharp turn, and realized my saddle was very loose, as it slide sideways. I fell off, and was not hurt in the least, and was more worried about Smilie trashing my show saddle as, it was way sideways. LUckily she stopped, when three of us yelled whoa
Long story short, I am not quite as worried as before, coming off after knee replacements-so positive
Over the years, I had at least two concussions, 6 broken ribs, broken collar bone, f both from coming off and going down with the horse.
Congratulation on your initiation!


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## horseboy1 (Mar 29, 2014)

When I was 14 and 15 I worked on a dairy farm during the summer, they also had horses for trail riding and we took people out of trails during the day after we milked the cows. I used to be the one who would go and herd the cows and bring them in for milking twice a day. I used a pony called creature which I rode bareback. One day I was trotting and I lost my balance and came off. Luckily I held on the reins and he stopped. I jumped back on (looking to see if someone saw me :wink: and rounded up the cows. At least with a pony it's not far from the ground.

Fast forward many years, we have had a couple of horses until about 16 years ago. I just rode on trails. Then in 2011 my daughter started lessons and someone gave us a horse for her to ride in her lessons. My wife said maybe you should get a horse to ride with her on trails and around our farm. 

I found a stocky 16.2h TB mare that this lady was using for trails that was well trained (eventing). But, she really was not that good on trails, she had lots of energy, she was crabby, and sometimes she would spook from time to time but nothing like running off. I had her for about a year and a half and rode almost weekly. We got busy and I was out of town and didn't ride for a month or so. It was fall and it was getting cooler out. My daughter and I decided to go for a ride around our farm for just a little bit. We had been riding for about 15 mins and I was having her trot up a small embankment and she broke into a canter and the next thing I know she started bucking which she never had done before. I came off and landed on my back and broke 7 ribs and fractured 3 vertebrae (transverse processes). She just ran back to our house/barn. I was in the hospital for 4 days and many months to get back to normal. It had been since high school since I have fallen off. 

I couldn't bring myself to ride her again. I was able to locate the original person who had her as a foal and trained her for eventing and she took her back. The original owner had given the mare to a friend, but she was down sizing and she gave her to me. 

I recently got a calm 11 yo QH (grade) gelding who I have been riding and he's been good on trails. He reminds me of the older style QHs we used for taking people out on trails rides. I took him to a de-spooking class in Jan and he did well.


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## Bedhead (Aug 4, 2013)

My first fall I was riding outside (in the pasture, not a round pen or arena) on one of my trainer's lesson horses; She's not pokey (trained for racing a thousand years ago), but I was skilled enough for her that neither I nor the trainer blinked twice about me going outside. What we did _not_ expect was for the upper 20 something mare to get the wind under her tail when I asked for a western jog, and she decided now was the time was relive her race days.

It was the classic "the horse went, I stayed"; she stopped as soon as she felt me come off, and I'm sure I had a good bruise afterwards, but the only thing injured was my ego LOL


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## Gossalyn (Sep 12, 2013)

first was easy, fell on the neck after a jump, horse was slowing but ducked, and i slid right off. Got back on, took horse over same jump, horse freaked out over jump and suddenly i was flat on my stomach and scared i might have really just messed up. Luckily, after 30-45 seconds of not moving, I seemed to have control of all muscles. Ended up with some really bad torn back muscles that took a few weeks to heal. (I was mid-30's).

I remember my trainer going "well, this is where we learn if you're really a rider..." (meaning that if I gave up it wasn't for me ). I was slow to the comeback, but I did comeback from it. 

I fell 2 more times after that, but I'm happy to report it's been almost a year and a half since my last fall - and I'm feeling pretty confident about my seat these days. I really like living in the world that those days are behind me, even though I know that's fantasy and it can happen at anytime, on the safest of horses, with the best seat... I just enjoy it more if I embrace the 'i got this' mentality.


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## Surrealle (Feb 28, 2016)

I've been very lucky in the fall department, only a couple times off bareback (no injuries) and none out of a saddle. Knock on wood..

First fall was rather amusing though, I rode my horse bareback into a lake, not realizing they get slippery when wet! He went to get out and I most decidedly did not. Slid right off his butt into the water and had to swim a bit to shore, lol. (And of course, I couldn't mount him again so I had to squish back to the stable on foot). Fun times.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Poozer (Apr 11, 2016)

I've only fallen off once. I was trying to get on him bareback and my mom was holding him. I was almost fully on and he just started walking away, and I just slipped off! Didn't hurt a bit.


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## oliveoats (Jan 22, 2013)

I fell as a youngster show jumping, then quit riding. 
I bought my first horse at 18, and went 3 years without a fall. 

My horse was coming off an injury, and I was told I could ride him at a walk, but not to use a saddle yet. He had been pretty cooped up for a few months, and was extremely hot, but I was so excited to be able to ride him again. I hopped on him bareback, and instantly something spooked him and he ran. I ended up on his neck, and as soon as he felt my off his back he slid to a stop. I hung on his neck for a few seconds, and thought I could just lower my legs and land on my feet. I ended up flopping onto my back, with a very confused face looking at me. It was a pretty humorous first (adult) fall, and not quite as cool of a story as I would want it to be.

My second one was practicing emergency dismounts. Half way off of my first cantering emergency dismount, I changed my mind but it was too late. Face first into the sand. He, again, slid to a stop. My favorite thing about him is the minute someone falls he always slides to a stop and comes plodding back to his fallen rider.


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## BroInBreeches (Apr 14, 2016)

My first fall was when I was 7. The pony I was riding took off and dumped me in the manure pile. My mom drove me home with the windows down... :rofl:


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## CynthiaBer (May 3, 2016)

That is really not nice.
My first fall was just from a pony but that was about 10 years ago, I am now 20 so I was pretty small back than so a fall from a pony was like falling from a huge horse.
One of the school pony's got scared, ran straight through the wooden fences and the one I was riding went after it, so I fell with my head on the broken of wood. That was pretty scary.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I have had more falls than I care to admit, haha. My first that I recall was when I was around 8 on a Welsh pony. My instructor took me and her daughter on a hack along the road after a lesson to cool out. All was fine until a dog charged the fence, barely spooking the pony. I got unbalanced and on his neck, but stayed on. I did not stay on when he took advantage of the situation and dove for grass, pulling me head first over his ears. I hopped back on and carried on, no worse for wear (wish I could say that about ALL my falls.)


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## baghera (Apr 23, 2016)

My first fall as an adult was during one of my first lessons. I was trotting around just fine and the next thing I knew I was on the ground. The trainer just look confused and said "she spooked, but I don't know why." I did not get hurt and went on to continue riding. I have had a lot of falls since (my seat needs a lot of work) but I keep at it. Good luck and I am glad you weren't hurt.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I've had very few falls. I was 5 when I first fell. The pony my non-horsey parents had just bought for me reared and I slid off her back. I got right back up and asked to do it again! 

The only other fall happened a few years later, when I was about 12. My good, but chunky friend wanted to ride my horse bareback but she was scared so she asked that I get on first and she was going to get on behind me. This is way before people used mounting blocks, but we must have used a stool or something. She decided she would use me to pull herself up on the horse. We both kid of flopped over sideways in slow motion. Of course the horse wasn't moving so that hardly counts right?

Despite my spooky horse's many crazy maneuvers, I never did come off him, including the time he dove head-first into a 12 ft ditch because we met a big dump truck on the road. That was scary, but I stayed on somehow. 

As an adult, I haven't fallen yet. I hope that if and when I do, it will be on a soft surface because at 45, I might not yell "let's do it again!"


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## caglover (Jun 3, 2013)

My first fall was in a speed racking class...I was trying to keep up with one of the real speed rackers (Scotty Horne). Lost an inside stirrup on a corner...4 broken ribs. It happened on the first class on Saturday ... rode all day (over 20 classes) and a few on Sunday...
Slept in a recliner for 10 weeks...couldn't lie down..


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

I've ridden many horses over the years, and the amount of times I've fallen off all of those horses I can count on two hands. 

So that means that _all_ the other times I've come off (lost count around 50) have been from falling off my one little goofy mare. Thankfully I've only had soft tissue injuries so far, and she's becoming much more reliable at 25.

We went to visit the Kentucky Horse Park a few years ago. When we went into the lobby of the Museum of the Horse, the first thing we saw was this statue of my mare's grandsire, *Bask:








My husband said, "Well, that explains a lot." 
At least my mare has had some riders that never fell off of her by now. I heard that at the end of *Bask's life there was no one who had ridden him who could say they'd never fallen off him. Yet they bred him to so many horses! I love my mare but am not passing her genes on.


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## LilyandPistol (Dec 2, 2014)

ReinDancer2015 said:


> Last night at my lesson I had my very first fall! I knew it was coming- we were using 1/4 of the ring for circles and I lost my stirrup:eek_color: Once my stirrup was gone my body just kind of instinctively flopped off. I landed on my back but I honestly thought it would hurt more than it did. What was your first fall like?


Uh oh! 
YAY! Story time!
My first fall (out of 4 so far) was shortly after I got Pistol. I was trying to ride stirrupless (his prev owner really wanted me to learn) and I started to try and trot, and I fell off. This was the only time of the times I've fallen off where Pistol stopped and looked back lol. I just kind a slid off over the side. I was fine, and got right back on. XD Now my reflexes are quicker and my muscles are stronger, so the other day when Pistol spooked and started cantering while I was riding bare back I stayed on. I was so proud of myself since I came from the girl who fell off expectedly trotting stirrupless. XD Pistol's prev. Owner would be so proud lolol


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## LilyandPistol (Dec 2, 2014)

caglover said:


> My first fall was in a speed racking class...I was trying to keep up with one of the real speed rackers (Scotty Horne). Lost an inside stirrup on a corner...4 broken ribs. It happened on the first class on Saturday ... rode all day (over 20 classes) and a few on Sunday...
> Slept in a recliner for 10 weeks...couldn't lie down..


Dedication. Kudos to you. *claps*


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