# I'm not trying hard enough if I haven't fallen?



## NoraPet (Apr 26, 2017)

I have been riding for 5 years now, started competing about 3 years ago, and yet I haven't fallen of a horse once. There have been times when I nearly fell when the horse stopped suddenly in front of a jump, but I managed to stay on even though I landed on the horse's neck, once I even hung on the side, but I never hit the ground. I honestly don't think its because I don't try hard enough, I simply get scared when I think I'm about to fall and out of reflexes hold on really tight with my legs. Also It couldn't be because of the horse being too mellow, because I ride several each with very different personalities, I even ride a female whose hormones often take over her. StillI see it everywhere on the internet that if i haven't fallen at least several times I'm taking it easy. I feel like it has become a way for people who have fallen to feel better about themselves, I mean it is amazing and inspiring that you fell and still got back on the horse, but don't make me feel bad about my riding if I haven't. So what do you think? Is it just that I don't have the experience of falling, or is my riding actually too easy going? Thank you for taking the time to read this


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Well, you are fortunate to never have fallen off, but I've also only fallen off a handful of times since I've started riding. I guess it really depends. 
Sometimes I've fallen off at a walk, trying to open a gate. :lol: I guess you've just gotten lucky and held on tight.
Doesn't make you a bad rider. And it also doesn't make you a bad rider if you do fall, just get back on & keep going! 

Sometimes people lose their balance, their foot gets loose in the stirrup, or the unthinkable happens. Yes, I've had 'almost' falls before as well, was going up to a jump before & lost my balance, luckily my horse stopped and let me get my booty back in the saddle! :lol:

You may have a fall a year from now, or 3 years from now. Or never!  No way to tell until...well, until it HAPPENS! If I feel like I'm going to fall, I either try to hold on with my seat the best I can, or if I know there's absolutely NO way I'll be able to hold on, I'll just let myself fall. Then get right back on.  

Anyway, it doesn't make you a bad rider either way- falls happen, or they don't. Horses can be unpredictable & sometimes you just fall off! Sometimes it's better to just fall rather than trying to hang on, or worst case yanking on the horse's mouth with the reins. Whenever I do fall (which isn't often), I always let go of the reins!


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

A 'female'? You mean a mare?

Everyone falls at one point or another, and you hanging on for dear life could actually be detrimental to the animal physically. Sometimes it's better to bail than drag on the horse's mouth or wrench their body trying to stay on.

I've never seen it anywhere that people proclaim not falling off means anyone is 'taking it easy'. You've been lucky, that's all. Even the best of the best fall, so it has nothing to do with those who have fallen off trying to make themselves feel better about it. 

Where is your instructor? Any good instructor will tell you to LET GO instead of grabbing all over a horse and pulling them off balance trying to stay on.


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## Luce73 (Dec 7, 2012)

Speed Racer said:


> A 'female'? You mean a mare?


Not everyone's first language is english, and not everyone learns to ride in an environment where they learn the proper terms  

OP, if you've never fallen off, GOOD FOR YOU! Maybe you're particularly good at climbing back on (once I'm halfway down there's nowhere to go but all the way down..) or maybe you've just gotten lucky. Doesnt mean you dont know how to ride, and it isnt some kind of 'rite of passage' that you need to pass to 'be a rider'. It is often made out that way, as you said, to make people feel better when they do fall off. It just offers a different perspective, rather than thinking 'I fell off, I'm a terrible rider, this is going to happen every time' and other confidence undermining things, the trainers and friends of the equestrian world tell us 'Now you're a true rider, congrast, now get back up there!'. It just helps keep a positive attitude after a fall!

Be careful posting stuff like this though, every time I post stuff like 'i havent fallen off in a long time' or 'my horse is so well behaved lately' I end up eating dirt the next ride LOL.


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Wait, so now not falling is considered a bad thing? Who made up that rule?

You sound like a mature sensible person. I think that's your problem. I have fallen several times. Most of them were when I was a kid doing something stupid. There's a lot of space between "too easy going" and "stupid kid." In my opinion, if you're jumping, you're not taking it too easy. Give it time. You'll fall off eventually. You don't need to be in any hurry.

And if all else fails, tell people that you have fallen off, but the ground was too far away to catch you.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

I was going to say the same thing. The times that I have fallen were when I was a kid doing stupid things. Not saying that every time someone falls that they are doing stupid things. It just happens to be the only time I have fallen off and it hasn't happened in a long, long time


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## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

I have, in 40 odd years of riding, only fallen off 2 times. Once I was convinced I could lean down and pick my hat up off the ground, that was big negative. The second time I was, well lets just say I was deep in the arms of Bacchus and leave it there. Now I have been bucked off and bailed off dozens (or more) times!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

i often joke about the MANY times I've fallen off, calling myself a "fallin' fool". but, truly there's nothing to be proud of in falling


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

The idea that falling is some kind of "trophy" is absurd. I got my first pony when I was 5, then had horses until I was 17 and left home to go to university. I fell off my pony the first time I rode her. She reared up very gently, and I slid off. Begged to get back on her. Turned out she was severely arthritic. My parents weren't very horse-savvy. The second time, I was riding bareback and my friend (not a horse-person - see a trend here?) decided she wanted to try getting up behind me. I stood my horse next to the stool we were using as a mounting block, my friend grabbed onto me to pull herself up... and down we both went. That doesn't really count though, since the horse was standing. But that horse had raced and I used to take him to a great big field bareback, and just let him go full speed. I never fell off. He was terrified of cars, and once, I was riding along the road and a big dump truck came along. My horse decided to spin around and dive head first into the deep ditch. He spun so fast he lost a shoe. I did not fall off. 

Fast forward a couple of decades (ok, more like 3), and I got this new "bombproof" (quotation marks for irony) mare. Within the first week, I fell off her twice when she spooked badly. I can tell you, I did not feel it was a trophy. Those were the two first real falls of my life, at the age of 47. 

Be glad you haven't fallen, but it may happen, and if it does, it probably won't be as bad as you fear. You certainly shouldn't try harder just so you can say you've fallen!!!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

It's means you have a good sense of balance and the horses you have ridden, didn't want you off. Both are very, very good things. But don't get smug about it, if you ride, eventually you will fall, it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when".


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

My most recent fall happened within 30 seconds of me saying "I haven't fallen off since my return to riding after over a decade off! Not to jinx myself or anything. Hahahahahahaha."

It was the dumbest fall, too. Just got unbalanced when the horse spooked and shied while we were doing a simple change.

The upside is, it reminded me that 98% of falls are ridiculous, relatively pain-free little oopses. I had been starting to build up the idea of the next fall in my head, and it was nice to have it be such a total nothing!!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Like so many have said, it's what you're doing. 

I have fallen too many times to count. Dozens of times. I ought to be tops by their logic, right?

But I propose that it has more to do with riding bareback broncs for sport and re-schooling spoiled horses for passion and profit.

I will guarantee you my form is less than ideal and though I excel at retraining and getting manners and the basics into a horse, cheerfully, it takes someone else to do the fine tuning.

I often wish I had the opportunity to have more formal training, but I didn't, and life has still been good.

Enjoy the opportunities you have and to heck with the nay-sayers.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I got my first horse when I was eleven. I went off to college and left horses behind when I was seventeen. During that period I fell off more times than I could count. I rode any kind of horse offered and none of our horses was anything but crudely trained. We were young fools ourselves. We never had lessons, and kept our horses in our backyards. We rode sitting backwards, we swam our horses in lakes, we dressed them in sheets and pretended we were jousting, we picked fruit standing on our horses' backs -- we did anything we could think of to entertain ourselves while horseback. We were always falling off. I was bucked off, lain down with, rubbed off on a tree . . . you name it. Not sure we were even trying that hard to stay on. At least, falling off was not something we were trying very hard to avoid. Nobody ever seemed to get hurt. 

Getting back into horses 40 years later, I do try not to fall off, in that I think before I act, much of the time, which is an improvement. Still, I've gotten dumped three times in the past 18 months. The first time, I was just thinking of moving into a trot and at that stage of my riding, that meant that I was unfocused, unbalanced, looking down at my reins as I gathered them up, and my horse started sideways at a squirrel. The second time was when I decided to put my raincoat on without having ever done this before with this green horse. Uh oh. The third time, we were standing belly deep in a creek and she decided it was high time to get to shore, just when I was focused on the other horse, who wouldn't get into the water. Over the side into the creek. Each time, I was startled and somewhat embarrassed and once I fell smack onto my belt knife which hurt. But really no big deal, probably because of all the practice I got stupidly falling back when. 

Falling is just ... falling. It's not a badge of honor or anything. If you ride solid well trained horses, and have the sense God gave a chicken (that is, not like me when I was twelve), there is no particular reason you should fall.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

"That first step off your high horse is a big one.......tuck & roll!" No reason to feel bad or to be proud of falling off. I don't see not falling as not riding hard enough either. It will happen, just give it time. I've been told that until you fall off at least 10 times, you haven't learned to ride, not sure I buy that one. And "There are only 2 kinds of people, those who have come off and those who will.", that one I buy.


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## NoraPet (Apr 26, 2017)

You are right, I would never wan't for the horse to suffer just because I am trying to hold on, but fortunately it has never come to that. I can assure you that each time I nearly fell, the reins were completely loose and usually it was because I lost balance. But I will pay attention to this and I will take the fall if I have to for the horse. Thanks for sharing your opinion, and by the way, I actually am not a native english speaker, and the terminology is different here, but thanks for correcting me.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Sorry, of a horse has done something like a spook or a dirty stop in front of a fence and I hang on with all I have got including grabbing his ear in my teeth, and I unbalance him, or pull him in the mouth, tough, he should haven behaved in the first place! 

I think falling is part of riding, whether it is because you are asleep or a horse bucks you off, all can lead to an involuntary dismount! 

When I was teaching I had the young riders do things that made them find their feet and land running, like dismounting at a canter. I had them play gymkhana games which again taught them to jump off at a faster pace. It was surprising how, when something untoward happened, they landed well. 

Like Avna, we did all sorts of mad things on ponies often eating Dort. We survived. Bruises were something tomboast about. Broken limbs might get you a few days off school! 

As you age the ground becomes harder and you certainly do not bounce as well. 

Out walking the dogs I caught my toe and tripped, I went right down fast and yet I wasn't hurt at all. I swear that all the falls I had taught me well, lasting reactions even in old age!


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

I've fallen off more than 30 times (I stopped counting at 30) in the first 3 years of my riding "career". I can assure you that I am most certainly not a good rider, as some people might suggest. Being bucked off, reared off and bolted off with didn't teach me to ride, it thought me to disregard anyone telling me that a difficult horse was teaching me to ride.


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

6gun Kid said:


> I have, in 40 odd years of riding, only fallen off 2 times. Once I was convinced I could lean down and pick my hat up off the ground, that was big negative. The second time I was, well lets just say I was deep in the arms of Bacchus and leave it there. Now I have been bucked off and bailed off dozens (or more) times!



Oh man. The teenager that lives with us tried that too... and fell right off. *Schmert* He however was not tooted up when it happened.

The other time he fell off he came loping up, tried to grab ME off MY horse and get me on his horse... and FAIL. I'm a big gal. I don't get snatched off a horse by a 16 year old kid, no matter how hard they try. He ended up flopping to the ground and laughing too hard to feel the pain.

OP: I'm from SE Oklahoma, and we don't have jumpers here (Unless your on a mule needing across a fence while hog hunting), and you'll never see anyone with English tack here. In fact, I get laughed at for using a full cheek d-ring snaffle on Leroy (That there's an English bit! What the heck you doin' with that?!?) We have ranch horses and horses, hog and **** hunting horses, and trail horses, and pleasure riding horse we ride just for the fun of riding. I grew up living right behind a quarter horse ranch and I remember the salty old guy that owned it saying to me: "You ain't never rode if you ain't been throwed."

Well. I've been thrown, and I've hit the ejecto seato button on a bolting runaway. He was heading for the fence, the troughs, and the bass boats on the other side of the fence, so I bailed. I chose my place of getting wadded up when I hit the ground - I got a concussion, a shirt full of dirt, and multiple bruises and scrapes out of it. I did not 'get right back in the saddle' (Mostly because I couldn't remember even unsaddling the horse, much less remembering to get back in the saddle I took off of him). I've also came out of the saddle because my big palomino, Leroy (Jenkins) face planted hard in heavy brush and timber - I also bailed, rather than pull him over or risk him falling on me and smooshing me. He's huge. I didn't want to die under a 1200 lb clutz.

Personally, I wish I could have gone through life never taking a fall, getting bucked off, or having to bail. I'm betting its going to happen again too. 

I'm going to say chalk it up to when it comes to horses, opinions and advice are like armpits - everyone has them.

(Doesn't mean they're right)


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

At my age, if I can avoid a fall onto hard ground and it means I might hurt the horse's mouth or something, oh well, sorry horse, I come first, hands down, no contest, I pay the bills, you don't.
If the ground is soft, as in snow, and it's easier just to drop to the ground, I take the easy way, seems the only time I fall lately is in deep snow, prolly because the horse is bouncy around and doing wonky things to avoid deep drifts, no big deal. Last time I can remember almost having a fall on harder ground was at a show. The class was jam packed and it was during a hand gallop, I passed off the rail to go by a slower horse and someone behind me did the same thing and cut right in front of me and that horse let out a big kick, I saw a hoof coming so I leaned one way and my horse jumped the other way. I was hanging off the side of him and he was slick from showsheen, the reins and my legs were all I had. I could see his face and I said Whoa and he stopped so I could right myself and there was horses all around us, I most likely would have been stepped on by some horse. Luckily the judge saw all of it and stopped the class right then and there, I still got second, she said she had to mark me down a little for poor traffic negotiation, lol.


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## Midwest Rider (May 5, 2017)

Oh wow . I'm a awful rider . Never actually touched a horse until after 40 . Lol . I've fallen way too much . Happens fast . Not a badge of honor . Don't worry about this . If / when it happens , well then it's done . No one else's business but yours . BTW I've not heard anywhere that a fall makes you better ( just sore) . And nope , just a bit envious of anyone that's never come off but never would say ride hard till ya fall . Quit listening to all that junk online LOL .


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

There is no rule that you have to fall, in order to be initiated into riding horses, esp if you just ride horses already broke
There is the fact though ,that those that have trained and ridden many horses, do have incidents of coming off-it goes with the territory
At times you just have a young horse go down with you, or you are riding a green horse, that suddenly tests if you can make that 8 second ride!
Many people ride horses and never come off, but at the same time, I know not of one professional trainer that has not come off a time or two
There is adifference in riding a broke horse, and starting horses under saddle. Over time, you do get better, putting on basics that lessen the chance of you coming off, by doing more ground work, putting body control on ahorse, learning to drive ahorse forward when he bucks, take his head away, but there is the fact, that if someone says they have never come off ahorse, I then question as to how many green horses or problem horse they have ridden


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

Lol what does it say about me that I lost count of the times I fell off broke horses, but I never fell off my greenie? 

Let's see... I've been bucked off, bounced off, horse tripped and I went over the head, horse fell flat on its side, jump refusals, bad jump landings, shouldn't have done that bareback, and other stupidity... all before the age of 18. When I was in college, I saddle broke a 2 year old as part of a class. In one semester I took that colt from never-seen-a-saddle green to cantering in the round pen and trotting in the big arena with other horses. I never came off of him. 

So does that mean I was a great rider as a stupid kid, but as I grew up I lost my touch?


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

mkmurphy81 said:


> Lol what does it say about me that I lost count of the times I fell off broke horses, but I never fell off my greenie?
> 
> Let's see... I've been bucked off, bounced off, horse tripped and I went over the head, horse fell flat on its side, jump refusals, bad jump landings, shouldn't have done that bareback, and other stupidity... all before the age of 18. When I was in college, I saddle broke a 2 year old as part of a class. In one semester I took that colt from never-seen-a-saddle green to cantering in the round pen and trotting in the big arena with other horses. I never came off of him.
> 
> So does that mean I was a great rider as a stupid kid, but as I grew up I lost my touch?


Well, lets see, broke to me implies that no longer bucks ect, and if he does, he falls into spoiled horse classification
You do have acertain sense of invulnerability as akid, as I rode a spoiled stallion my step bought me , that i would never get on today.. Among other things, he reared and went over backwards. In my ignorance, I just got on him again
I also am not saying that every colt I started over 30 years, bucked me off, and the goal with training and breeding, to to create horses that never offer to buck in the first place. Many young horses that I started, never bucked or did other stuff in the first place, both by me learning better training methods, and also breeding for good minds
That does not change the fact that the more horses you ride, train, the more likely you are to come off, over time.
Yes, sometimes that green horse just falls, as happened to me, training a three year old flying lead changes in the snow
Also had a three year old trip and fall, causing me to break my collar bone
You can have a wreak with a broke horse also, just out of bad luck/fluke accident
That does not change the fact, that people just riding lesson horses, horses maintained by a trainer, a, riding only a dozen or so horses, will have way less wreaks then someone training up to 30 horses or more, every year

It is just the law of average and statistics


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

LOL! If you go by the 'how many times have you come off" rule, then as a middle aged adult on well trained horses, I totally sucked as a rider because I never fell. Now as a 'bit past my middle age' rider, I am awesome because I've crashed and burned twice off of 2 pretty green horses this year. Thanks, based on results, I think I preferred it when I sucked and wasn't coming off. It hurts less.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Falling isn't some kind of equestrian medal. The whole "you have to fall off 3 times before you're really a rider" and other mindsets is just stuff people say to encourage those who fall off, or fall off often, so that they keep practicing. It's also something people sometimes say just to be flat out mean to someone else because that other person has fallen off less.

Some people fall more than others. There are a million reasons a rider falls, or doesn't fall.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

No, that is not the point, that you have to come off in order to be ' initiated into being agood rider. That doe snot remove the fact, that any rider who has ridden many horses, trained many horses, is more likely to have come off at some point , then someone who has not ridden or trained nearly the same number of horses
I know not of one professional trainer, all extremely good riders, way better riders then the average rider, who has not come off.
Thus, my conclusion remains the same. You do not need to come off, inorder to get your 'riding stripes', but if anyone tells me they have never come off a horse, I do conclude that they have not ridden enough horses, trained enough horses, and thus are not at the level of those that have picked up a few bruises along they way, in their riding journey
There always are horses that are difficult to ride, that blow, ect, and those that ride many horses, have encountered them, and have the 'war injuries' to prove it


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## DanteDressageNerd (Mar 12, 2015)

I don't know any professionals who havent fallen off. I think we all lose count lol. I have no idea how many times I've fallen off throughout the years. My quarab got me off 3 times all times riding bareback and him bucking and rearing until I hit the ground because I didn't know he didn't like the feeling of bareback canter without a pad. He was a special cookie, difficult to develop. I fell off a youngster a few months ago because I put my leg on and he slammed on the brakes and went straight up (I have it on film) and I bailed. I was not sticking that to completion (he doesn't rear now) but it was a process to move past that point because he'd been bullied to a point where he thought rearing was his only option. Another youngster I fell off of because I was in essentially a jump saddle he bucked, I stayed on, shot sides ways hard, I was unseated then he twisted and popped his back and took off and I hit the ground. It wasnt anything I did but it was a windy night. The jerk then took off around the arena, went up behind a horse and got kicked then came back to me limping and feeling sorry for himself. I told him it was karma and laughed. So cold hosed his leg.

Falling off isn't really a "braggy" thing. I don't know anyone who brags about it, it's more well it happens and you laugh about it and move on. Not something you want to have happen but once it does, you brush yourself off. Pray everything is in one piece and get on with it or I've seen people rushed to the hospital by emergency because of split second, freak things. It comes with the territory. These are prey animals with a mind of their own and we do our best but ANY horse, even the most broke horse can have a moment. Horses are not machines. I rode a snappy little qh who has incredible breaks and we were trotting over a poll, approaching the poll he did a sliding stop to the poll (he was reining trained) and I came over his head and it knocked all the air out of me. I had ridden reiners before (friend has a ranch in Wisconsin with reiners, cutting horses, etc) but I wasn't prepared for it. He hadn't done that with me on him, he just didn't want to go over the poll. We walked over it. I had trotted him back forth in hand but oh well lol. I just remember the shock of it, as how can there be so much oxygen around me and I cant manage to get any of it into my lungs. I thought I was dying lol. 

If you haven't fallen off, no shame in that nor is there shame in falling off. It happens. Heck I broke my hand on a horse and didn't even fall off, just got a little unseated taking a green horse (he wasn't green but green over fences) over a fence. He seemed committed and started to take off then all of a sudden decided he was scared and jumped side ways and my hand rolled under his neck and snapped. Very freak thing. I finished the line and we jumped it again but didn't ride again for 6wks. I know a GP rider in Germany whose hand snapped riding a young stallion who is a VERY difficult horse (I don't remember the exact story) but that stallion was one you couldn't pay me enough money to sit on. He was a very mean spirited horse, one where he took the face off a very skilled, experienced handler in Germany.

Then there are horses who are just difficult. I can give you countless stories. My trainer came off of a horse from a fence, landed on her tail bone and broke her back 80% tear in her lumbar and she had schooled through advanced level eventing and rode racehorses. They didn't think she'd ever ride again. She's competing in CDIs now. *Shrugs* I've gone years without falling off and then fall off 3 times in a year *Shrugs* When I was 12-13 I probably fell off 20 or 30 times including a time when a horse lost it's footing and fell on me (I grew up in Oregon riding up and down mountain trails). It just happens and it's not a glorious thing but it happens.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

The people who are told, "You have to fall to learn" or "You need to fall X (or XX, or XXX times) to become a good rider" are NOT expert trainers.

The lady who trained Trooper & Lilly and Mia was hired to 'give a tune-up' to a horse who was getting a hard mouth. He ground worked fine. She got on. Walk was fine. Trot was fine. She asked for a canter, and he responded by bucking violently. She came off and landed rib first on a fence, breaking multiple ribs.

No one would have told her, "Oh well, you need to fall 5, 10 or 15 times to become a good rider!" And it turned out the people who hired her HAD known about the bucking, and didn't tell her. Deliberately. And they immediately became EX-clients.

There is always SOME risk involved. The horse can slip and go down with incredible speed, or tack can break, or you can think things are going fine and then have the horse freak over a smell you are not capable of smelling, etc. But the proper response to a fall, speaking as a onetime military safety officer, is to look at the chain of events to see what, if anything, could have been done to prevent the accident. Did the horse give some warning? Is there a position issue? What about tack? 

Military flying always had SOME risk involved. That is why I spent so much time strapped into ejection seats. But the risk came down to modern levels because accidents were taken seriously, and crashes were examined to see if there was a change that could be made to equipment, training, procedures, etc.

The one fall I've had was preventable. I was riding a horse who was too spooky when I was too green. We were literally an accident waiting to happen. She bolted at the sound of a two-stroke engine being worked on inside someone's garage. I got her stopped, but tried to dismount before she had her brain back. She exploded in mid-dismount. I landed back first on a rock about 1/4 the size of my fist. That was Jan 2009, and it still hurts from time to time. To this day, I often take Motrin BEFORE the ride. Let alone after.

*Entirely preventable*. Perhaps a dozen links in the chain of events, and breaking any one of the links would have prevented my injury.

Not all falls are like that, just as not all accidents involving military flying can be prevented. But if the rock I hit had been about 4 inches to the left, I might have broken my back. I did a lot of things wrong, then got at least some luck to jump in and save me from being crippled.

"*There are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots.*" 
- E. Hamilton Lee, 1949​ 
That isn't entirely true, but I've never met an old pilot who had been content to trust to luck, or who told people, "You need to jump out of 5 or 10 planes before you get good. If you haven't crashed, you aren't trying"...


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

I think theoretically you could be an excellent rider and never have fallen off a horse. Practically, I have never seen this happen. 
What tends to happen is that people become excellent riders through riding many different types of horses. Once you dabble into the "different" types of horses, you find out that some of these make you come off more easily than others. 
Of course there are many good riders that are content to ride one type of well trained horse, or only in situations that are less likely to cause a person to fall off. 

I'd submit that with some horses, you can never be reasonably sure that nothing will come up that you and the horse can't handle together. But what more can you do...? After training, hours in the saddle, doing everything you can to prepare the horse - eventually you have to get out there and try. In order to ensure that you will always be perfectly safe, you must only ride horses with a calm temperament, and never get into tricky situations. I'm not sure how to avoid tricky situations, myself, without a reliable way to see into the future.
There are no guarantees.

Saying that falling off makes you a better rider is an exaggeration at best. It may help you recognize things that can be precursors to a horse beginning to buck violently, or spook, but that doesn't necessarily correlate with you staying on or reacting appropriately the next time. 
But saying that a person is a better rider because they haven't fallen off or haven't fallen off much is ridiculous also. It might say that you are a very cautious person, or that you don't have access to horses that are less predictable. But it doesn't mean your skills are better.

If the jockey at the Kentucky Derby had fallen off the bucking horse today, it wouldn't have meant he was less cautious than the other riders, or less skilled or more skilled. It would just have meant that his horse happened to buck when faced with something that professional trainers and handlers thought he was ready to do without bucking. Or some freak thing caused him to buck that might have made any of the other horses buck, if they'd seen, heard or felt it too. 
One thing is for sure: he didn't want to fall off any more than any of us other riders do, but sometimes it happens.


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

It's a silly saying. You can become a good rider by taking a difficult horse and learn on it until you don't fall off anymore. Or, you could ride 10 or 20 horses of "intermediate level of difficulty", _slowly_ work your way up to that one horse, and thus achieve the same skill level, potentially without ever coming off. Accidents, on the other hand, have _nothing_ to do with skill level. ("I forgot to tighten my girth, so my saddle went sideways, and I fell! I must be an awesome rider!")


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

How much risk to accept is an individual choice, and it affects one's goals. If I wanted to learn to jump 5' oxers, I would need to accept more risk than I want - so I don't do it. If my goals included steeplechase races, or eventing, I'd need to accept more risk than I want. So I don't do those.

OTOH, I think it is interesting to ride a green and/or nervous horse through neighborhoods and the desert. A fall on asphalt obviously involves more risks than some other falls, and a spinning horse can lose its footing. A fall when riding in prickly pear country can mean spines thru the eyes and permanent blindness - but I ride there all the time, and I don't use goggles.

Once you settle on a type of riding you enjoy, you can start to learn how to make it safer. Not "totally safe", but safer! Much of my last 9 years of riding has been oriented toward A) staying on a spooked horse, and B) how to teach a horse confidence without a lot of spooking. Much of my risk avoidance has become rooted in recognizing increasing tension and learning to handle it BEFORE the horse explodes violently.

The full quote from the former mail pilot runs:

"*Don't be a show-off. Never be too proud to turn back. *There are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots."
- E. Hamilton Lee, 1949

Or:

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty." 
- King Solomon​ 
The underlined section is relevant to those of us who like teaching a nervous horse confidence...in the desert, or on the pavement. It probably applies to a LOT of riding. 

The lady who broke her ribs on the bucking horse was willing to work with bucking horses, but she would have done more groundwork first, used a bucking strap, lowered her stirrups a hole, made sure someone was around in case she did get hurt, etc. And there are people who get paid to fly into hurricanes, but they do it in specially equipped aircraft and take other precautions. It is still dangerous, but they minimize the risks they can and accept the rest.

I think that ought to be our attitude toward riding. We can't foresee everything, and luck will always play a role. But we ought to take our risks like thinking people...


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

In 50 years of riding and training, I have to admit I've never come off a green horse, even when they've bucked. Every time I have come off, it was on a well-broke, dependable horse. Why? I think because with the greenies, I tend to 'ride' them, in that I'm very aware of every move they make and paying attention. The broke horses? Well, since I trust them to be steady, I don't always pay attention to them... and that's when that little spook, spin, stop for the horse ends up as a spook, spin ... where'd the horse go? cuz I didn't stop. ;-) Or the steady-eddie who turned into a NFR champion bronc when the cinch broke while I was focused on the other 10 horses I was herding. Or my silly antics as a kid where, well, who knows why I came off?

It isn't a rite of passage. And at my age now, I'll be quite happy if I never again have to prove gravity works. Heck, I tripped the other day while feeding and three days later my knee STILL hurts.


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## ChieTheRider (May 3, 2017)

I wish I never fell off. I mean I usually don't but if you're riding a barrel horse bareback...


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

I posted yesterday morning that in 50 years, I've never come off a green horse. Well - karma strikes. Yesterday my 4 year old colt decided to spook, spin and buck and off I went. Not counting a few scratches and a real pretty bruise, I'm fine - except for the beating my pride took. ;-)


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Change said:


> I posted yesterday morning that in 50 years, I've never come off a green horse. Well - karma strikes. Yesterday my 4 year old colt decided to spook, spin and buck and off I went. Not counting a few scratches and a real pretty bruise, I'm fine - except for the beating my pride took. ;-)


This is one thing that I have learned to take seriously, Murphey's Law lol. Working on the railroad has taught me to Never Book a Flight the same day that I'm coming in off the road. Guaranteed late train. If you don't want to walk two miles on ballast to check a train that went into an emergency stop, Don't wear new boots. If you are having a good run, just be quiet and don't talk about it. If you do, someone is going to break down in front of you on single track. Guaranteed, every time.


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

LoriF said:


> This is one thing that I have learned to take seriously, Murphey's Law lol.


Don't blame me. It's just a job. Somebody's gotta do it.


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## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

mkmurphy81 said:


> Don't blame me. It's just a job. Somebody's gotta do it.


 That's funny!:rofl: To clarify my earlier post, I don't consider getting bucked off or having to bail because your knot headed mule was running through a fence falling off. Those situations, generally, are beyond the rider's control. I consider "falling off" when the rider is goofing off, not present, and suddenly finds himself on the ground.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

6gun Kid said:


> That's funny!:rofl: To clarify my earlier post, I don't consider getting bucked off or having to bail because your knot headed mule was running through a fence falling off. Those situations, generally, are beyond the rider's control. I consider "falling off" when the rider is goofing off, not present, and suddenly finds himself on the ground.


Hey, in that case, I've never fallen off a horse!!


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

NoraPet said:


> I have been riding for 5 years now, started competing about 3 years ago, and yet I haven't fallen of a horse once. There have been times when I nearly fell when the horse stopped suddenly in front of a jump, but I managed to stay on even though I landed on the horse's neck, once I even hung on the side, but I never hit the ground. I honestly don't think its because I don't try hard enough, I simply get scared when I think I'm about to fall and out of reflexes hold on really tight with my legs. Also It couldn't be because of the horse being too mellow, because I ride several each with very different personalities, I even ride a female whose hormones often take over her. StillI see it everywhere on the internet that if i haven't fallen at least several times I'm taking it easy. I feel like it has become a way for people who have fallen to feel better about themselves, I mean it is amazing and inspiring that you fell and still got back on the horse, but don't make me feel bad about my riding if I haven't. So what do you think? Is it just that I don't have the experience of falling, or is my riding actually too easy going? Thank you for taking the time to read this


I've totally said to kids "congrats you're a real rider now!" but it IS meant to make them feel better, I wouldn't say that to an adult, at least not in a serious sense.

And don't believe everything you read on the internet!

I also have a very good "monkey cling". Makes me not so great an equitation rider but a more solid rider overall I feel. I have slid off plenty of times (clinging the whole way and landing on my feet) and only "fallen" off ONCE in 20 years. It wasn't fun (my own gelding throwing me at a WALK and me somersaulting over his head and landing on my back) and wouldn't have happened if I had been paying better attention. I sure don't consider myself more or less of a rider for that. It just is what it is.

Saying someone taking it easy because they haven't fallen is absurd.

And saving yourself from a fall doesn't necessarily mean dragging the horse around unbalanced...

There's stupid falls, there's the horse throwing you, and then there's the most common "something" happened and we parted ways And you want to know what? All 3 of those happen to everyone.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

6gun Kid said:


> That's funny!:rofl: To clarify my earlier post, I don't consider getting bucked off or having to bail because your knot headed mule was running through a fence falling off. Those situations, generally, are beyond the rider's control. I consider "falling off" when the rider is goofing off, not present, and suddenly finds himself on the ground.


If I went by that definition, I've NEVER fallen off a horse!


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

A a Hunt Meet they were filming for the BBC series Upstairs Downstairs.
Everyone was dressed in costumes of pre WW1 - fantastic sight! 

The idea was that w woman's horse ran away with her and jumped a gate and she fell off. All done by a stunt rider. Unfortunately she did it to well amd busted her collar bone. My then boss offered me to take over. 

I had to ride sidesaddle which was fine but, it is nigh impossible to fall when doing so. I jumped the gate umpteen times and had to fall to the side I was sitting. The only way I felt I could fall was by going off to the right, which I didn't want to do as it meant landing on my back. 

In the end I unscrewed the leaping head, the hooked part your right leg rests on then it was easy! 

Did it twice and was told it was a shot. When I saw it months later on TV it didn't look to bad, for all the effort and the bruises I received £5 !


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Wow, five whole pounds! Guess you liked the challenge!


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Basically, I think the OP has a slight mis interpretation of her topic.
The concept behind that statement, is those who ride a lot of different horses, do have horses that they come off of over time, as it comes with the territory.
Thus, the idea being, as you gain more experience ride more different horses, like green horses and spoiled horses, law of averages say you are going to come off, sooner or later, even as your riding skills improve at the same time
That does not mean a new rider should seek to ride horses that they are going to come off of, as there is also truth to the statement that green plus green equals blue


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Looking back to my younger days, it was a common practise to fall off. We did a lot more 'risky' things like jumping big grids without stirrups or reins, taking off and putting on our jackets. Removing the saddle whilst cantering, all part of a lesson. We also cantered, without stirrups down some pretty steep hills. 
As I have said we wore bruises with pride and a broken bone was something to really show off and never stopped us riding. We learned how to fall, how to land on our feet running. 

Nowadays practises like this would end in court.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Another thing we did was exercises, bending one hand down to touch your toe, same side and then opposite side. Leaning forward touching the mane with your face and then back so your head was resting on their butt. All to help strengthen core muscles and keeping legs in position. 
Around the world and scissors, fun exercises. All this started at a standstill but as we progressed we were expected to do it at a canter. 

I will say that the one thing I wanted to do but never attempted it was to go under a horse's belly and up the other side. Saw it in a circus.


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## Captain Evil (Apr 18, 2012)

Removing the saddle whilst cantering? I can't even imagine such a scenario.

Ny mom told me it would take twelve falls until I was a good rider, and I stopped counting at about 22-23 falls. I took down stanchions, got tangled in bridles and peeled them from the horse while flying over their heads, I've fallen off while the horse was standing still. 

One horse, Sugar, who I rode bareback, dumped me at least once an hour by ducking her left shoulder when cantering, right out from under me. I would wind up on my feet, next to her, absolutely bewildered as to how I got there. Another time I fell off while trying to zip up my jeans. The horse was trotting, and trotted right over a small jump while I wasn't paying attention. All those falls, and I am still not a really good rider. 

My cousin, who rode jumpers in "A" shows, has never fallen. Once I saw her unseated after a big jump. She popped out of the saddle and landed around the horses neck. Then she wiggled her way back down the neck and into her saddle. She IS a really good rider. 

So I think counting falls is no indicator of riding ability at all.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

So I think counting falls is no indicator of riding ability at all
^^^^^

Again, you miss the point. We are not working on an oxymoron here !

Riding many different horses, of all types, just goes hand in hand with some falls, either the hrose going down with you, or just riding difficult horse 

Ifyou take that same experienced good rider, and that average rider, who has never come off a horse, and put them on a variety of hroses, I will put money on the fact that the experienced rider would come off less, if at all
Coming off does not prove you are a great rider, as the goal is not to come off in the first place. Having come off horses just happens to be afact of life for most that train horses professionally, who are very good , riders, but who get on horses the average rider never gets on, or at least, not until they are broke.
I know not of one good professional trainer who has not at some time or another, had a horse wreak.
You can fall off of old Dobbin ten times, and all it will prove is that you have along ways to go, before becoming a decent rider!


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## updownrider (Mar 31, 2009)

Captain Evil said:


> Another time I fell off while trying to zip up my jeans.


There has to be more to this story. :shock:


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

Foxhunter said:


> Leaning forward touching the mane with your face


Did that exercise last Sunday at a canter. That low branch was coming at me really quickly!


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

mmshiro said:


> Did that exercise last Sunday at a canter. That low branch was coming at me really quickly!


I think I do that exercise, or laying back flat almost every time I trail ride. Our trails around here are "groomed" for ATVs, so sitting on top of a 5' horse means there are a lot of places where the ATV can go equal extreme 'low clearance' for me! 

And - going back to Smilie's comments - I agree. If you only ride broke horses you can still become a good rider without ever hitting the ground, and that's fine! But if you train, riding babies, or ride high-strung or rank horses, chances are you'll find yourself on the ground. It doesn't necessarily mean one or the other is a better rider. 

I believe there are two types of riders. There are the ones who have taken lessons and perhaps ridden several different horses in their progression toward excellent horsemanship, and there are those who like the challenge of turning a young or bad horse into a good horse. The second type take the falls so the first type don't have to! I love hearing that a horse I've trained and sold became an excellent cow horse, or trail horse with no spook and no buck. Means I did my job. I don't train for other than my own pleasure now, but if I ever do have to sell Tango, he'll be a much better horse than the wild animal I brought home.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

mmshiro said:


> Did that exercise last Sunday at a canter. That low branch was coming at me really quickly!


Almost de decapitated my youngest son that way, when he was five
I had him on alead line and we were cantering along. I ducked for the low branch, though my son would have no problem fitting under it, except there was also alog under that over hang, which his horse decided to jump big !


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Well, most likely...SOONER OR LATER!
I have had horses for close to half a century. About 30 years ago I fell off a horse standing perfectly still. Was just sitting on my horse in a friends back yard. Next thing I knew I was on the ground. Surprised me, my horse and certainly my friend. No clue what happened. Nothing like that has happened since.


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