# Bad fall trail riding/non-riders give unhelpful "input" about riding again



## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

It's perfectly normal to go through a phase of doubt after a riding accident. That is your self-preservation instinct kicking in. 

IMO don't take what non-riders have to say to heart, because they just don't get it. 

Even the best trained horse can spook and lose it, that's just part of the risk that you have to accept if you want to continue riding, but if you are concerned that the underlying cause may be a training issue, consult a professional for help.


----------



## cowgirl4753 (Aug 3, 2012)

I got bucked off 2 weeks ago, though I tell everyone I had an unexpected dismount, lol  it was a normal day out riding doing some loping on the normal trails, nothing out of the ordinary. Abby was quiet chill on our way home and me and a friend were chatting away when out of the blue, I'm on the ground! Turns out she was in such a la de da mood she forgot about the dog behind her and I guess he kinda bumped/ ran into her legs and she kicked out and did a buck. Completely not her fault at all. She is an 11 year old mare who has loads of miles both on the trail and hauled to rodeos so she's seen everything. All I'm trying to say is it happens to the best of us. I am sorry you got hurt in your accident, and that some people don't understand why you want to ride again, but we get it. The good times always out way the bad. Its typical they focus on the one bad ride and not all the other great rides you've had and obstacles you both have overcome!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I've had my horse Red for about a year and a half now. He gave a few sissy bucks barely off the ground when I first got him, I reprimanded him and never had a problem since...... until in the middle of a horse show in June, he was a little scared of the brown gunny sack my mother and I were doing the sack race with. Long story short he started bucking like a BRONC in the middle of the arena. I have no idea how I stayed on. But I would have never expected that from him in a million years. 

Stuff happens. Even the best-trained "bomb proof" horses are unpredictable. 

Of course your brain is going to try to protect that body of you. It's going to think about the "what ifs" and "Oh maybe I shouldn't ride anymore" etc etc. Your brain instincts are just trying to look out for you. That's normal. 

Don't listen to your non-horsey friends. They don't have a clue what they are talking about. 

Go at your own pace. When you are ready to ride again, do it. If you need to wait a while and just do ground work, then do that. Do what you need to do to prepare yourself to ride again, on your own schedule. Don't let anyone else influence what you need to do. You'll get past it on your own terms!


----------



## Maryland Rider (Jul 2, 2013)

I'm very sorry you are injured.
Don't let the non-horse people get to you.
I am not sure how long you will be unable to ride, but something to consider.
Do you have someone else that can keep some miles on your horse while you are off.
Huge confidence builder knowing your horse is behaved and ready when you are.


----------



## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Non riders are going to say the same things to you that they would say to anyone getting hurt in a sport or other activity.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Lulubelle (Oct 30, 2013)

a gal who gives lessons at the barn offered to ride her a few times a week - i had lessons with her and she knows my mare well- so i feel really good about that ( she said "i would let you know if she needed a trainer!"). 
Good to hear about the self preservation instincts- this is the first incident where i really experienced incredible pain (and a copter ride to a trauma center for surgery!), so i am really having an internal debate.


----------



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

Re: broken femur. Sorry to hear it (something I hope to NEVER repeat). After it's finished mending you can look forward to an even longer time doing physical therapy to get full use of the leg. (did they rod it?)
Took me longer to return to completely normal after my femur break than it did for cracked ribs or any other injury I've had.

Re: disparaging comments. Just ignore it. One of my children only in recent years finally stopped telling me I was too old to be working with young horses (of course my then 82 year cousin who had started working a pair of young new horses might have had something to do with it :lol. There are always people who don't ride telling people who do ride about riding or why you shouldn't. Easy way to deal with it is to tell them to give up the things they enjoy doing the most.
As for the folks who ride for show telling you to get your horse trained. Trained for what? Barrel racing, penning, dressage, jumping, endurance racing, competitive trail riding, etc., etc., etc. Training a horse for things you're not going to do is a bit pointless. If you're never going to ride dressage why spend the time and money to train for it. e.g. the last thing I want is my horse jumping.....I had to raise the fence when she started jumping the 44" dividing fence, because I wanted to discourage her from jumping.

If you're happy with your horse and it's training then that's what matters. There's nothing wrong with more training, providing it's what you want. If it's not what you want then don't.


----------



## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

Wait... She's seven. She's bucked you off before - 6 years ago? That would make her a yearling... but you bought her at two? What am I missing here? :lol:

As for the comments, ignore them. One accident in that many years is a great record, IMO. It could have happened to anybody, you just were caught off guard. I totally agree with the above poster - it's obvious that the horse is good at what it does and this was a fluke incident, not that the horse is crazy and untrained. Further 'training' would be silly. 

And so sorry to hear about the femur! A femur is a HARD bone to break, the most difficult in the human body... And it takes a looooong time to heal. I hope it goes by fast!


----------



## mazza0007 (Sep 23, 2013)

Sorry about your femur, sounds painful!
I was bucked off and broke a vertebrae about two years ago. It was the most intense pain Ive ever felt. 

It never really crossed my mind to not ride again. (I'm stubborn like that) It did take about six months for my back to heal enough for me to get back on a horse. I'm 45 and they said I had really good bone density and it healed well, but still I'm a bit stiff these days, have to use a block to get on now. 

When I did get back on a horse I was shocked at the level of fear I had. I read somewhere that the body as well as the mind can carry fear. I was literally shaking just sitting on a horse even though in my mind I knew that I was being ridiculous. 

I found a very patient trainer, did lots of confidence building/ trust exercises etc and learnt better emergency techniques (one rein stop, emergency dismount) This was important for me, as I had seen my accident coming but didnt know how to stop it. I'm not saying that you will need this, just saying; be prepared for some fear because pain can do strange things to your mind/body. You can work through it though, I'm fine now and a much better rider in the end.

If the people who actually know what they're talking about ( ie. hubby and people at the barn) think you're a safe rider then I wouldn't even bother listening to the non-riders. Just tell them that you love riding and as an adult you choose to the risks. 

The three sports Ive been into in my life ; motorbikes, ultralight aircraft and horseriding all attract the same sort of comments. "oooh, thats dangerous, you could get hurt etc etc" 
I just tell them "Id rather take the risks and do all the things I love than live a totally safe life waiting to die of old age and boredom"


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Why not put the horse in full training while you're convalescing. Not necessarily for a certain discipline but to diagnose and evaluate why she may have blown up and to correct it. It would keep the horse fit while you convalesce and it might iron out whatever bugaboo she had that caused the bucking fit. Then, when you are ready to ride again, you won't have as many little voices in your head whispering doubts at you to make you lose your confidence. 

I'm so sorry to hear about your leg. I had a crush injury to my left foot almost 4 years ago, nearly lost both foot and leg due to compartment syndrome. It was caused by a horse, not the horse's fault but mine, but I get the issues of a lengthy healing period. I was 52 then, now 56, and I'm still dealing with some of the stuff that injury caused. My non-horsey friends all thought I should have had all my horses shot for the injury, they just don't get it. I think KNOWING for sure that the horse was not at fault and what I did that caused her to step back on me helps a LOT in keeping the doubts and fears at bay. If I had no idea why she stepped back onto my foot and then rocked back, pivoted and basically did a roll back on my foot, then I think I might have some fear working around the horses now.


----------



## Lulubelle (Oct 30, 2013)

@Shoebox... Math+meds=you got me! Must have been 4 yrs ago- shes almost 8- i have it in my head that it was before i turned 50 but that obviously based on nothing at all!
My surgeon said no pt needed -i have a rod and bolts, it is a low break, maybe that makes a difference? I am putting partial weight on and am pretty good on steps now i see him in a week so we'll see
Hey, if anyone hears of a trainer who trains horses to never buck let me know  but i could use more training in emergency techniques - as she started bucking all i could think was "pull her head up pull her head up" but easier said than done. I dont even think i SAW her head once she started- plus trail riding, esp the trail we do a zillon times(and we were almost home!), i usually ride with a fairly loose rein, so i didnt have anything to work with. Thinking a one-rein stop would work better but who knows, that might flip her 
i would like to add to my lessons learned ... 1) i was with someone that time but i now will never ride alone. 2) Cell phone on me, not the saddle. 3) you are never "almost home" ! 4) ? Well , i need to get to 5, so still working on that!


----------



## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

I'm so sorry to hear about your accident, and I hope you heal fast/well! 

If it's any consolation about the comments, people told my great grandmother to not ride when she turned 60 (with several riding injuries under her belt) but she still clambered up on horses and got thrown around some. She always told me that 'non horse people' don't understand what it's about, and that we should just ignore them and do what our body tells us is right. She rode until she was about 90 and decided to quit. My boss broke her femure and still rides and breaks green horses. You'll know what to do and what your body can handle once your all healed up! I wouldn't worry about it too much!


----------



## Lulubelle (Oct 30, 2013)

@Shoebox... Math+meds=you got me! Must have been 4 yrs ago- shes almost 8- i have it in my head that it was before i turned 50 but that obviously based on nothing at all!
My surgeon said no pt needed -i have a rod and bolts, it is a low break, maybe that makes a difference? I am putting partial weight on and am pretty good on steps now i see him in a week so we'll see
Hey, if anyone hears of a trainer who trains horses to never buck let me know  but i could use more training in emergency techniques - as she started bucking all i could think was "pull her head up pull her head up" but easier said than done. I dont even think i SAW her head once she started- plus trail riding, esp the trail we do a zillon times(and we were almost home!), i usually ride with a fairly loose rein, so i didnt have anything to work with. Thinking a one-rein stop would work better but who knows, that might flip her 
i would like to add to my lessons learned ... 1) i was with someone that time but i now will never ride alone. 2) Cell phone on me, not the saddle. 3) you are never "almost home" ! 4) ? Well , i need to get to 5, so still working on that!


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Lulubelle said:


> Cell phone on me, not the saddle.


Excellent lesson learned. :wink: If you attach your cell phone to your saddle, where's it going to be when you fall off and your horse runs home?

Biggest things I try to think of when a horse starts bucking
1) Grab the saddle horn with one hand
2) Try to crank their head around with the other hand
3) Yell obscenities at the horse ..... Okay, this last step is probably is probably just for my own sake!:twisted:


----------



## Lulubelle (Oct 30, 2013)

Yelling, yeah i did that! I need to get that grab-the-horn-instinct (rode english growing up)-
And the phone ended up between me and the barn, worse case scenario. Of course my first concern was her running thru tree with flapping stirrups and reins ("what if she breaks her leg too!?)


----------



## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

We have "oh crap" straps on our English saddles


----------



## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

tell the nay-sayers they had best not get in a car to come visit you, as there are a lot more car accidents every year than there are horse accidents

horses are animals, therefore not 100% predictable doesn't mean your horse is bad in any way shape or form just means that there was a series of unpredictable events that ended up in a bad situation

personally if your horse wasn't giving you problems before I don't think I would worry about sending her out for training unless it becomes a repeatable spook but even then if you can figure out how to work her through it that would be more satisfying I would think

I will bet that once you get home and into the barn to give your mare some treats and watch someone else ride her you will be longing to be back in the saddle


oh and for your list.... #5. drink more milk to help those bones :-D


----------



## 5kiddos (Nov 15, 2012)

beau159, those were the exact 3 steps I took when horse started to buck on the trail the other day (although I just kept hollering the horses name and "stop it", "knock it off" , "whoa" and who knows what else).


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I am riding a green 3 yr old and have come off him twice. The first time I had pretty bad back pain and was out of the saddle for about 3 weeks. And that's all it took for the fear to creep in. It has taken me about a year to start to feel confident on him again (yeah, he was 2 at the time). He spooked, bolted and bucked. I was pretty unprepared and couldn't regain control. But it really did a number on my confidence. I am still not back to where I was yet.

Then I came off him once this summer. He spooked and spun around (thankfully no bucking) and I got dumped in some soft dirt. Yay for a soft landing!

There was also another time that a friend's dog hacked/coughed right next to us while we were riding and my colt bucked and I ended up riding his neck with the saddle horn in my gut/groin area and I yelled "whoa" and something amazing happened......he stopped! There was no way I could have stayed on him, falling forward over his shoulders, if he had not stopped right at that exact moment. So I think it must have been a combination of angels watching out for me and a good "whoa" on my horse. The trainer put a good "whoa" on him and I really never thought about it until that one incident. Now I will randomly say "whoa" and reward him for stopping. That really saved my butt!

Anyway, I feel for 'ya! It sounds like you really have a good horse but a unfortunate set of circumstances that caused you to break your leg. But from what you said, it was a fluke. I don't think any horse is 100% bomb proof.


----------



## Lulubelle (Oct 30, 2013)

I need to get out to the barn soon and see her -this is the first time i didnt see her -or get on her - after coming off. And i know from experience she expects to see me regularly so i dont want that craziness added to the mix!


----------



## wild old thing (Jun 15, 2012)

I used to skate competitively - roller skate. I did figures and dance. I came back to it in my 60s...I figured there was an event for me so I'd skate it. There are a number of older skaters - some go until they "go". They're not doing freestyle although there are handicapped people who do. They're getting out on a floor on skates and risking all kinds of breakage because it's fun to skate. It's exhiliarating to push yourself to do something well or try to. (I stopped skating because I found riding in the meantime and I like it more.)

You do what you love. When people tell you _this_ or ask you _that_, answer: "Living is risky. This is my sport and I love it and I'll stop when I stop.". That should take care of that - if they love you. 

Living our lives, we risks, like when we drive - if we exceed the speed limit, when we don't look before walking, even when we ride a bike. S**t happens digging up weeds in your yard. When your time comes it will come, whether you ride or not. So enjoy your life while you are living it. 

I hope you heal up fast. Injuries suck. I've had a couple this year that had me doubting myself and riding - I'm gonig to be 67 in Jan and I'm new to riding. But you gotta live. No regrets.


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I have a friend in her 70's who rides with me on a regular basis (2-3 times a week). In many ways she is braver than I (and I am in my late 30's). For instance, last week we went out in high winds (33mph with 50mph gusts). She wanted to ride and I didn't want to be the one to back out! So I took my sanest horse and we had a fabulous ride! I've never ridden in such wind and we actually had a blast. So you are only as old as you feel (and your health allows).


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Lulubelle said:


> i would like to add to my lessons learned ... 1) i was with someone that time but i now will never ride alone. 2) Cell phone on me, not the saddle. 3) you are never "almost home" ! 4) ? Well , i need to get to 5, so still working on that!


Good lessons, after my wreck I also learned:



Wear a helmet, I'm glad my head didn't look like my helmet!
Cell phone, yes on you, and either no lock on it, or your emergency contact details as a screen saver.
DO the PT, it helps, from day 1, or when ever the meds let you think straight.
Don't rush, I am still not back in the saddle 4 months later, but now I am wanting to try, just need to wait until I can get someone here that I trust to help me.




beau159 said:


> 3) Yell obscenities at the horse ..... Okay, this last step is probably is probably just for my own sake!:twisted:


Adds this one to my list.



frlsgirl said:


> We have "oh crap" straps on our English saddles


Very useful



trailhorserider said:


> I yelled "whoa" and something amazing happened......he stopped! There was no way I could have stayed on him, falling forward over his shoulders, if he had not stopped right at that exact moment.


:thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## womack29 (Oct 30, 2011)

I had a horrid fall a few years ago and was ctricized by many. My hubby rides dirtbikes and has a tshirt that says you can die sitting in the couch. Get out and ride


----------



## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

Your friends I am sure have been in traffic accidents before and I doubt that you were so brazen as to merely suggest that they no longer drive again. Why would a "friend" advise you to stay away from one of your favorite activities or question your need to continue with it. I think those comments border on cruelty tinged with a touch of jealousy. 

Ignore their own obvious display of insecurity and ride. Just ride.
It's what you love to do and you are fortunate to be able to. 
You will heal and your life will continue


----------



## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

You can tell all the naysayers this: "The only truly safe horse is a dead horse."
And who wants to ride a dead horse?


----------



## onuilmar (Feb 8, 2013)

Sorry to hear of your fall. And I can certainly relate, as I broke about seven ribs when I was bucked off about two weeks ago. And yes, I get the same reaction, when people know. Mostly, I don't bother telling them, as the only obvious symptom of the breaks is that I move slowly.

Mostly, though my answer is a cryptic "alpha errors and beta errors." I come from a family of scientists and basically when testing any hypothesis, the rigor of the tests are subject to either false positives or false negatives. In other words, it's never possible to get it just right.

Now how that relates to riding is that physically problems are either acute (breaks, bruises, etc.), which usually heal completely, or chronic. 

At 55, I believe that moving and putting myself at risk of acute injury is actually staving off the chronic issues. (And some of the research bears me out.) I am one of the few that takes absolutely no pills and has not felt any real decline in physical ability. Except for the current moment, which is temporary.

At least this is what I keep telling myself, even if the explanation is rather long winded and prone to being pedantic.


----------



## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Lulu, Sorry to hear about your fall. If you chose to ride then the risk is there. Sometimes it hurts; sometimes you can laugh it off. Sometimes you break a bone. That is the down side.

If you are 55 then you and your horse have enjoyed a lot of good rides otherwise you'd have given the sport up years ago. That's why we love horses.

There is no reason why with appropriate treatment you can't ride again. That's for the specialist doctor to say and not well wishers like me. Whatever you'll need to regain your riding fitness - so start reading about Pilates exercises and try to find a local therapist.

Those onlookers who say "give it up" have invariably little idea why we mess with equines who weigh half a ton and have mouths the size of alligators. But you and I know why. I am almost 75 and my riding days are over. I last rode at the age of 73. You, once healed, can think of riding until sitting on a horse becomes uncomfortable.

It is up to you and your determination. But I'll tell you now that walking the dogs through the woods is no substitute for riding my horse through those very same woods.

Get well soon and don't give up either your riding gear or your horse yet.


----------



## Cherrij (Jan 30, 2013)

I am sorry about your injury! I hope it heals soon and well. I had looked at this thread before, but did not think much of it. Now I have been re-thinking all kinds of things, to fix my mistakes, realise my progress etc, and remembered a few falls I had.. 

1) We were racing with my friend down one trail, full gallop, I was in front, but as it was wet the girl behind had mud in her face, so did the mare she was riding. We came to a fork in the road and I decided to go straight, as turns in full gallop are no fun. The other mare went left. Mine, which was lower in the herd hierarchy, but always fighting for the top spot, realised she is alone, slowed down, jumped left, I didn't let her, jumped right, dislodged me, jumped left again, and I slid down her side pulling a few strands of hair out of her mane... the other girl found us just when my feet hit the ground. Nothing too scary, but she could have jumped 180° from full gallop and I would probably have eaten dirt... 

2) another time with the same mare.. we were calmly walking past a huge stable, the pastures were empty, the horses were just looking around, when suddenly, I notice my mare is getting nervous at a water tank about 30 ft away from us, she spun 180° with her front feet lifting from the ground over the side of a massive ditch and I found myself on the ground, in the ditch. I did have my senses to let go of the reigns this time, as I felt her pull me, not calm down. The other mare trotted forwards, mine galloped, but she stopped nearby in grass, and so the other one waited there whilst I found my glasses in the grass and climbed out of the ditch. Mind you, I was stupid and did not have my helmet that time (Now I never ride without it, even though I have a bombproof horse ). I walked to them brushing all the mud off me, we walked and trotted home, as I did not feel like canter. All my muscles hurt for 2 weeks after that, my Gran asked me if I will still go visit the stable, once I fell like that.. (the mares we rode were not ours, but our neighbour's who let us do whatever we want with them) I said that ofc I will.. I even had ridden afterwards, just at home, not trails, because I realised, that if there was no ditch where I fell, I probably would not be alive. I hit the ground with the side of my face first, then my body and I rolled down the slope a little.. SO I guess that saved me.. 

Even though I am not too old, I do have some back issues, and so on, so I try to be very careful, I rarely jump, I try not to do crazy stuff, always wear a helmet, and if a horse spooks too much of something, I rather hand walk him past the thing to boost his confidence, even if it takes a few times, rather than risk falling somewhere with him because he panicked. He is kinda perfect, but sometimes new things in the trails scare him ****less. 

The best is to keep riding, improve all your skills, and you know, a safety handle on trails might help a lot, however, I did have a strap in front of my saddle that time I fell in the ditch... but I forgot to grab hold of it... 

Though I doubt I have ever really been scared to get back on a horse.. I know I stopped a jumping lesson once after a bad jump, the horse stopped and then jumped, dropping the whole 2ft oxer. I felt weird, so i got off (my back hurt after that jump and I sure as hell did not want to land in it)


----------



## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

onuilmar said:


> At 55, I believe that moving and putting myself at risk of acute injury is actually staving off the chronic issues. (And some of the research bears me out.) I am one of the few that takes absolutely no pills and has not felt any real decline in physical ability.


Same here. I refuse to keep track of my actual age, 'cause of all the people who'd keep saying "slow down, act your age, take it easy" and similar cr*p. And I see my contemporaries spending their time in front of the TV, barely able to walk to the car to drive to WalMart, where they'll use the electric carts to ride around the store - while I'm out hiking, biking, skiing, and yes, riding the horse. I'd rather break than rust.


----------



## NeryLibra (Oct 9, 2013)

There will be a doubtful nay-sayer in everything you do in life, regardless of how stupid it is for them to be negative about whatever it is they're negative about. I almost guarantee you have at least /one/ nay-sayer who doubts your cooking, dislikes your significant other, hates your car or where you live, says you shouldn't ride or drive or whatever else. Even if they don't say it to your face.

The thing about nay-sayers is simple. Don't pay them any attention, don't get wrapped up agreeing with them, accept their opinion for what it is and move on. You fell off, you got injured, you don't have any plans on changing what your hobby is (unless your going to sell the mare and quit riding for forever.)

Take your time in this recovery, do things right (getting a physical therapist or whatever,) so that you can enjoy the sport for even longer after you've healed. Listen to their opinions, discard them if you don't like what they have to say, and carry on. Because in the end it's your life. Don't let anyone negative control what you want to do.

And. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, but they all produce a certain kind of stink.
(Yeah that's my kid friendly analogy for the popular saying.)


----------

