# What body parts expected to hurt after a non-serious fall



## elzilrac (Nov 12, 2017)

Sometimes you don't realize all of what's happened in a fall. I'd guess your knee hurts either because it got hit by the saddle or stirrup iron, or got twisted as you fell off. Your neck and upper back will tense reflexively to try to keep your head from hitting the ground, so that's not surprising either. Pretty normal to be sore after a fall.

I think the rule of thumb is ice for first 48 hours, then after that time elapses, use heat. Take it easy and if things aren't feeling better after a week, might be time to see a doctor. Tiger balm, icy hot, hot bath with Epsom salt, etc can also provide relief.

Hope you feel better soon!


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Falls happen fast and adreline kicks in so that your mind tends to go into survival mode. It's pretty normal to be sore in places you don't expect, and wonder how the heck that happened. 

Whiplash does warrant a medical examination so if you haven't been to a doctor yet, you should do so.


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

When you hit the ground hard after coming off the horse, you can expect your hair to hurt all the way down to your toes. It's usually the worst the morning after and then you start loosening up again.


----------



## Part-Boarder (Aug 17, 2019)

Sorry to hear about your fall! Not surprising that everything hurts the day after - could be the combination of the impact and also the the high speed random movements of the body as your coming down throws things out of whack. Everything was jolted around at high speed. 

I find arnica cream and a warm pack is my go to for any riding related aches and pains and ditto re: epsom salt bath.


----------



## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

When you fall, your body reflexively tenses all the muscle on the opposite side of the fall, in order to keep you from landing as hard. Sometimes after I've fallen onto my right side, I've been a lot more sore on my left side because of that muscle contraction.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I used to say to non-riders that falling felt (the next day) as if I had been thrown hard against a brick wall by a giant. Can you imagine that? There is, however, a diference between sharp, intense pain, indicating a possible fracture, and soreness and overall body aches to the max. It isn't a picnic, I can agree, but you will feel better each day. If you don't, after 2 day post fall , on the 3rd day, see the doc. Or, if you have , as I said , really sharp pain. 

Falls happen they are NOT fun. sorry you had a rough landing.


----------



## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

I once managed to damage my sternum by falling on my side. The energy dissipates through the body and along the way damages weak points. Plus there is the tensing and the twisting that goes along with the fall.


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Horsef said:


> I once managed to damage my sternum by falling on my side. The energy dissipates through the body and along the way damages weak points. Plus there is the tensing and the twisting that goes along with the fall.


Interesting. I got a deceleration concussion from flying off my mare as she spun suddenly from a gallop. I never hit my head, yet I blacked out and lost memory of some parts of the event. I have brief memories of trying to get up, and laying back down, then walking up the trail, then being in the stall with my horse, not knowing what I was supposed to be doing. I did not know you could get a concussion without even hitting your head! The dr. said it was like shaken baby syndrome. My brain just got rattled.


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

After a fall........
What doesn't hurt....nothing.
Everything hurts some...

Most of us are sitting on 15 hand or similar, some much larger, some a bit smaller animals...
You're still falling from a distance down and with a force factor of speed involved...its going to hurt.
Warm soaking bath, if allowed... take some form of pain medicine helps.
The sorest of spots I also rub in a sports medicine cream or yes, I will use horse liniment as it helps bring relief for me.
Absorbine isn't just for horses when it is sold in the human pharmacy area in many stores...

But sore....depending upon how you fell, how you landed, what you landed on as far as surface material will decide how sore you are and for how many days.
Stiff and sore though is far different from painful to move...
Make sure if it is pain you feel you investigate further cause simple "nothing" falls can crack and break bones as easily as a nasty bone-jarring body slam can.
Be aware of what your body is telling you and listen to it..
Best of luck and hope you feel better quickly.

*If you fell.....*_*your helmet needs checking for hidden cracks that can occur.*_
None of us know exactly what our body did/does in that split second of impact...
That helmet allowed you to have protection of your brain better than being bare-headed...
With that, if your helmet was dirty when you got up from the ground, has a abrasion on it or is unknown did it hit, then it needs at the least a check by the manufacturing company and since my brain is worth a lot to me...it would be replaced.
No one knows how much "impact" is to much for the helmet and did it sustain a stress crack that if you should fall again could impact you getting up sore but unscathed or be facing a serious brain injury, a "TBI" they are referred to...
When you can't remember or know exactly what your body did during.._get the helmet checked by the manufacturer at a minimum or replace it..._
I also cut the harness off when replacing a helmet so no one else can use it again by dumpster diving/shopping and retrieving junk/garbage...
You don't need to fall off a horse to damage a helmet either...
Dropping of it, a knock against a wall or object....take good care of your helmet as it takes excellent care of our brain.
🐴... _jmo..._


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Since misery loves company, I got knocked down last night bringing the horses in. I opened the pasture gate and was holding one of them. We have 2 12 foot gates across the pasture opening. Because of my knee surgery 3 weeks ago, I was holding on to one of the gates and had pushed the other one open wide. Cloney came through like a gentleman, Boo came rushing the gate and hit the one I was holding with her hip. That pushed me backwards and because of trying to protect my knee from over flexing or twisting, I went down. Landed not even hard on my backside, right butt cheek area, just enough to make me mad at the time. Of course, I can't run right now and couldn't catch up to her to get after her. Add insult to injury and I had 2 hands and a butt cheek full of sand burs (curse burs 'cause they make you curse). I played traffic cop for Patti and Goldie, held up my hand and told them "Don't even think of it!" and they stopped on a dime. I closed the gate and put Cloney and Boo up and then came back for Patti, Goldie and Snowy. By the time I had all 6 in their stalls, I was stiff and grumpy and achy. I got the groceries in and put away and then texted my husband to grab me a burger on his way home from work, I could barely stand or walk. Pitiful, have a house full of groceries and don't want to cook. I took some Aleve and sat down to pick the burs out of me and my clothes. I was walking like a stiff robot by the time I went to bed and this morning...............Aaaarrrrrgh! My neck, back, hands (from the stickers) and my left knee, the one I tried to protect, hurt like Hades this morning. I'm so stiff I look like someone starched me. I didn't even fall from a distance, just sat down hard. I think I'll go back to bed and start over later.


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

@Dreamcatcher Arabians.... so sorry you got banged up and around,_ but _your description did make me chuckle too.
You got driven over by the truck the driver not even stop to say "How do.." to you.

I sympathize on the knee..
Mine was of my own volition and own fault...no animal involved.  
Take care all of us.... not fun going bump and splat.
🐴...
.


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

horselovinguy said:


> @Dreamcatcher Arabians.... so sorry you got banged up and around,_ but _your description did make me chuckle too.
> You got driven over by the truck the driver not even stop to say "How do.." to you.
> 🐴...
> .


Seriously. I was so mad at that mare, if I could have caught her, I would have hurt her feelings. 

Now here's the funny part. Skippy the stallion, walked like a gent, slowing and letting me put my hand on his shoulder for support. Ditto Cloney. Patti & Goldie were less concerned but still walked like ladies through the gate and up to the barn.

Snowy, the deaf horse, the one everybody said, "Oh my no! She's totally unpredicatable! You never know what she's going to do. Really, she's dangerous. You should get rid of her.". Walked out the gate, stopped while I closed it, gave me a good sniffing to make sure nothing was broken (I guess) and stuck her head under my arm and walked with me to the barn. Mind you no halter or lead. Let me hang on to her blanket over the rough stuff and was very solicitous.

When we passed Boo's stall, she stopped, looked in there, flattened her ears, pinched her nostrils shut, and gave Boo the, "I see what you did. I'm gonna discuss it with you later." look. Since they live in the moment, I suspect that was the end of it by the time they got turned back out. But, she's the one who got after Dolly after she came barrelling up and slid into me and knocked me under Snowy's feet. She looked at me, let me grab her blanket and get up and then she was off after Dolly like a shot and then kicked her around the pasture. She stuck to me like glue that day and kept Dolly out of my space. Yesterday, she was extremely calm and genteel about going in to eat and she's usually the one who runs bucking and heels flying. She's been sticking to me ever since I twisted my knee. Never had a 'horse walker' before. So that's my dangerous, unpredictable mare. I'll take 2 more just like her.


----------



## BethR (Feb 17, 2021)

Acadianartist said:


> Interesting. I got a deceleration concussion from flying off my mare as she spun suddenly from a gallop. I never hit my head, yet I blacked out and lost memory of some parts of the event. I have brief memories of trying to get up, and laying back down, then walking up the trail, then being in the stall with my horse, not knowing what I was supposed to be doing. I did not know you could get a concussion without even hitting your head! The dr. said it was like shaken baby syndrome. My brain just got rattled.


AA, that’s exactly right. You don’t have to hit your head to get a concussion. My doctor explained it just as you said: your brain rattles around in your head.
I didn’t hit my head when my car was rear-ended, but I had a concussion, whiplash, and stroke in my brain stem. Like you, I had only vague memories of the time immediately afterwards.
I suggest that the OP see a doctor as well; whiplash is, or can be, very serious.


----------



## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

Acadianartist said:


> Interesting. I got a deceleration concussion from flying off my mare as she spun suddenly from a gallop. I never hit my head, yet I blacked out and lost memory of some parts of the event. I have brief memories of trying to get up, and laying back down, then walking up the trail, then being in the stall with my horse, not knowing what I was supposed to be doing. I did not know you could get a concussion without even hitting your head! The dr. said it was like shaken baby syndrome. My brain just got rattled.


That sounds scary. I am happy that you got over it.


----------



## Luna’s rider (Jan 23, 2021)

I fell in roughly the same way (but we were at a trot) on Friday and am still a bit bruised today - fell on my backside really but my shoulder, arm and neck hurt, too. I popped a pain killer. I send you good healing vibes.


----------



## Strugglingrider (Oct 31, 2021)

horselovinguy said:


> After a fall........
> What doesn't hurt....nothing.
> Everything hurts some...
> 
> ...


Yes, been feeling much better. As most have mention as we fall we tense up, and twist our bodies without notice, and what not. Body ache is almost gone and the soreness in my neck is less. The day after the fall it felt like I had slept in a bad position, now starting to feel normal (not too achy) again.


----------

