# Hold Reins or Let Go? BIG QUESTION



## VanillaBean (Oct 19, 2008)

LET GO! if you hold on you have a chance of ripping your horse's face off!!


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

I let go. I never understood why the riders I have seen in videos hold on.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

It's usually an instinct to not let go. Falls can happen so fast that you don't have time to think, "Drop the reins!"

Also, many people don't drop the reins because they don't want their horses running loose.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

I'll tell ya, everytime I have fallen off I unconsciously hold the reins. I ride western but I don't know anything about english holding and western letting go. Never heard of that.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

I think I let go. I've only fallen once, though. It's time. 8|


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## TKButtermilk (May 20, 2010)

I've noticed that with English riders too! Usually when I go flying all I have time for is to think oh s*** and then its over. however I've had people comment on how by the time I hit the ground I'm already getting up.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Depends on the situation. for me it is instinctual, in the school I always seem to let go, if i'min open territory or on the roads I hang on!


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## AQHA13 (Apr 19, 2017)

^ Same as Faye. If I am at home or in an arena I don't wanna be pulled along. If I'm out riding on a trail the last thing I want to do is lose my horse.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I always want to hold on because I'm always a step ahead of myself and don't want the horse to run off, but I can usually tell myself not to hold on and it works.


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## darkwillow (Apr 12, 2009)

If I'm riding Isabella, and she is the gentlest horse i know, then I let go because I know she isn't going anywhere. With Storm I let go, because I know that if I didn't he would take that as an opportunity to walk over the top of me. With my Arab, Bacardi, I held on because he was not the most intelligent horse and he probs would have walked onto a road or something =S


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I would say that for the rider's safety it is always preferable to let go and be more free of getting tangled, stepped on or dragged... but for the horse's safety in some situations it is better to hold on if you can.

I, like most others don't usually have the chance to think about what I'm going to do with my reins when I fall off... but usually I let go because of that instinct not to want to be tangled up in everything.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Only time I hold on is if my horse is in immediate danger, such as being near a busy road or barbed wire. Otherwise I let go, tuck and roll.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

I am usually still trying to prevent the whole ugly thing, so I instinctually hold on. Always have. All falls have been english, but now that I am riding western......
***knocks wood****


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

When I started riding I was always afraid of the horses running off if I let go, but after riding our mares for years, I realized they won't go anywhere. As a matter of fact, they just turn around and look down at me with a "What are you doing on the ground?" look and start grazing.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I noticed this too. However, I've only fallen once and it was bareback on a fat horse.. She took off, so I tried grabbing more of her neck instead of the reins because when she tried getting too fast, she'd slow down. Well, she didn't that time and I slid off with my arms wrapped around her neck. I was loped over. I agree with PaintHorse. The mare just stopped and when I opened my eyes, I was under her belly and she looked down like "what are you doing?"

I dunno. Now I wonder what I'd do if I fell again..


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

Wow a bunch of different answers(i kinda expected that) for me it's always been my natural instinct to just let go....I honestly thought it was an english thing because all of my friends who ride english don't let go and it scares the heck out of me. And a lot of the riders that do it are in arenas so I don't know why they wouldn't let go the horse really can't go anywhere.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Double post, sorry.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Also, keep in mind that in most of the English fall videos and such a lot of the falls are jump refusals; completely unexpected, so you don't have time to think about dropping the reins.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I always try to hang on because if a horse gets me off, then they are likely a green horse that I would just as soon not have running around loose. Plus, I want to get right back on if I am able to. IMHO, if you are able to hang onto the reins on a green horse, then it helps to teach them that if the rider falls, they are still not welcome to just run free, they need to stay close by. I am not terribly concerned about hurting their mouth because them hitting the end of the rein with me holding it would hurt them less than them stepping on a rein as they were running away full tilt. BTW, I always ride with leather split reins that have water tie ends.

The only thing that would concern me about english riders clinging to the reins is that they all ride with single reins and if you hang on, then both sides of the bit get yanked on and that creates a greater chance of the horse coming over on top of you. At least when I fall, the rein that I hold on to just tells the horse to face up toward me.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

I rode western growing up messing around on the farm, and now ride english. 

Depending on the fall...in either saddle....i have held on and let go. It just all depended on the circumstance. Coming off over the head I am more likely to hang on, but coming off the side, I will more likely let go. 

If there is a right and wrong to this, I have never heard of it until coming to this forum.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

VelvetsAB said:


> I rode western growing up messing around on the farm, and now ride english.
> 
> Depending on the fall...in either saddle....i have held on and let go. It just all depended on the circumstance. Coming off over the head I am more likely to hang on, but coming off the side, I will more likely let go.
> 
> ...


I'm not saying it's a right or wrong I was just wondering =D I guess it just depends on the person, horse, and situation.


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

Please let go when you fall off. If you hold on, you run the risk of getting drug and injuring or even killing yourself. No matter what you want to think, bits don't stop horses. If a horse doesn't want to stop running, a piece of metal isn't going to stop them. Your best bet is to fall off and then go get your horse, or have somebody else go get your horse.


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

It was pounded into me growing up, when you come off, let go of the reins and push yourself clear as possible on the way down. You can always catch up the horse afterwards. You will CERTAINLY be in no condition to do so if you flip them over on you by yanking their faces off.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Only two times I fell off, the horse was also on a lunge line, so there was absolutely no reason for me to not let go. 

I ride English and am pretty darn short, so there is no way I could hang onto the reins anyways, I'd be dangling from them.


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

Indyhorse said:


> It was pounded into me growing up, when you come off, let go of the reins and push yourself clear as possible on the way down. You can always catch up the horse afterwards. You will CERTAINLY be in no condition to do so if you flip them over on you by yanking their faces off.


 
This is what I was told too. I don't know it just seems safer to let go. I would understand what smrobs said earlier about falling off a green horse and not letting them run away because it's good to teach them to stop when you come off. This is a weird topic lol


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## Tymer (Dec 28, 2009)

With the horse I ride, I know she will stop dead if I fall, so I drop the reins without worry. Unfamiliar horses or horses I don't trust...I think I may hold on, but not on purpose. Just subconsciously.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

If I am just rolling off the shoulder, I hold on. If I go flyin', I let go. But that's not due to thinking about it. It just seems to come out that way.
I did hurt my hand once when I went over the mare's head onto a jump and didn't let go. My fingers now are arthritic from that injury.


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## Amir (Nov 18, 2009)

it depends on the horse and situation for me as well.
My young green 4 year old, i will keep a death grip if on a trail ride mainly because i dont know if he would stay with the group or run off. I can't imagine him running off but i would rather get dragged than have my horse get hit by a car. We have no where to ride that avoids cars unfortunately.
If i was in a closed area i would try let go. Pulling on the horse with the reins is the last thing i worry about. Im more worried if my horse will ditch and run and hurt himself and i want to do as much as i can to aavoid that.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I can't predict what I would do, but I think my instinct would tell me to hold on so that the horse does not run into an unsafe situation. I have been riding for about 30 years, and have fallen off twice in that time. It would have to be a really bad fall for me to think of me first. Of course if I were being dragged I would let go immediately, I come first, but if I have a way of helping or saving the horse I am riding, I would always chose that option. 
Almost everything in horse training comes down to how we would deal with a split second decision. You cannot correct a horse after you google the problem and think on it for a minute.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

A knack for horses said:


> Please let go when you fall off. If you hold on, you run the risk of getting drug and injuring or even killing yourself. No matter what you want to think, bits don't stop horses. If a horse doesn't want to stop running, a piece of metal isn't going to stop them. Your best bet is to fall off and then go get your horse, or have somebody else go get your horse.


You can't go get your horse when they have been squashed by a car. Unfortunatly hacking on the roads is a fact of life in the UK as bridle paths are few and far between. I have been dumped on the roads a few times. I will always hang on so that the horse doesnt get hit by a car whilst running loose. Most horses will stop when they feel the pressure from the bit.

If the horse is looking like it will drag me then I will let go, but I've never in 20 years felt that a horse was going to drag me.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I always hold on. I don't know if I was taught it or not, but I don't want my horse to learn to run off. If i'm out alone on a ride in the middle of nowhere I want my horse to stay with me, both for his safety and so I can get back. 

If I started getting dragged I'd let go, well at least if I could remember to I would, but most horses I have experience with would stop if they felt that much weight on the reins.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

I question whether a rider can actually pull a horse over on top of them by holding onto the reins when they fall, I don't think it's a terribly likely scenario. 

What I do now does depend on where I am, the horse and the situation. If I'm out a long way from home, I tend to hold on so I don't have to walk home or worry about the horse running loose. 

On the track, a loose horse is a danger to itself and every other horse and rider. The rule on the track was if you fell off, you owed the barn a six pack, and if you feel off AND dropped the reins, you bought the barn a case. Nothing was scarier than having a loose horse on the track, and a lot of riders would jump off and hold their horses until the loose horse was caught.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

maura said:


> I question whether a rider can actually pull a horse over on top of them by holding onto the reins when they fall, I don't think it's a terribly likely scenario.


The only time I can think of that you would be ableto pull a horse over would beif the horse reared and you pulled it over backwards, That is fairly easy to do. However as I don't ride anything that is known to rear I tend to exit over the front end curtasy of a bucking session or a horse that has whiped round (very very rare, normaly wont get me off and only a major bucking session will), I realy cant see anyway that you could pull a horse down on you if you wen over the front.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

franknbeans said:


> I am usually still trying to prevent the whole ugly thing, so I instinctually hold on.





maura said:


> I question whether a rider can actually pull a horse over on top of them by holding onto the reins when they fall, I don't think it's a terribly likely scenario.


I agree with these two.

99% of my falls have been at jumps where I end up on one side and the horse has stayed on the other.

I have never managed to pull the horse over the jump with me. Sometimes the bridle has come with out the horse.

I will say, holding on to the reins is why my right shoulder is messed up. More than once it has gotten yanked well past its liked position because I am holding on to the reins of an object that is not moving.


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

maura said:


> I question whether a rider can actually pull a horse over on top of them by holding onto the reins when they fall, I don't think it's a terribly likely scenario.
> 
> What I do now does depend on where I am, the horse and the situation. If I'm out a long way from home, I tend to hold on so I don't have to walk home or worry about the horse running loose.
> 
> On the track, a loose horse is a danger to itself and every other horse and rider. The rule on the track was if you fell off, you owed the barn a six pack, and if you feel off AND dropped the reins, you bought the barn a case. Nothing was scarier than having a loose horse on the track, and a lot of riders would jump off and hold their horses until the loose horse was caught.


I don't mean over over....I mean pulling the horse in the direction you land and they step on you. I heard about a lady at my shows who rode about a yr before I started she fell off her horse and didn't let go on the reins and the way she fell she pulled the horses body and her horse ended up doing a tap dance on her chest(not on purpose it's just that was where she was being held). That's a pretty interesting rule haha.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

I've only ever had a horse stand on me once and as I was unconcious at the time and not holding the reins I think I'll stick with holding the reins.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Let go. English reins are too short and I had an experience when horse STEPPED on me while I was trying to hold on reins (he fell in ditch with me on back). I still think I had broken ribs that time. If horse will run away - let it be, it's way better than my broken ribs, or shoulder or (if not very lucky) jaw.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

VanillaBean said:


> LET GO! if you hold on you have a chance of ripping your horse's face off!!


That's a good point too, BTW. If it'll pull violently and you dead grip the reins blocking the movement with your weight - it'll be painful for the horse for sure.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

faye said:


> If the horse is looking like it will drag me then I will let go, but I've never in 20 years felt that a horse was going to drag me.


I had this experience twice actually, very unpleasant and you just let go no matter what - can't hold anymore.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

kitten_Val said:


> I had this experience twice actually, very unpleasant and you just let go no matter what - can't hold anymore.


Yes I agree you let go in that situation but I was stating that in the 20 years i've been hacking and the multiple times I've been dumped on the road (at one point stan decided that dumping me was a brilliant idea and he tried every time I took him out, I got to be on first name terms with the A&E staff!) I have never felt that a horse would not stop or would drag me.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

I focus more on trying to stay on than where the reins are. I've done both - but each has been an unconscious decision at the time.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I have barely ever come off *knocks on wood to not jinx myself* but I do recall the most recent's..........

It was after schooling on a CC course at an Eventing/Fox Hunting Facility in the area, this past Summer, and we all (6 of us) went on a big hack out on the trails the Fox Hunters ride. We all ventured into a large Corn Field and were cantering on the outside perimiter, when we went around a bend, and out of the blue, there was this Deer Hut on the left of us and of course, it surprised the both of us - Nelson made a SHARP right, into the corn field, and I went left.

LOL, I remember coming up and out of my tack, my right side came out first while my left was still in the iron, and as Nelson was going left...I hovered for a bit and then everything came out of my tack, and I proceeded to land on my knee's....and I do remember, that I held onto the reins, with my left hand. 

The last time I came off, was when I went flying face first into that fence my last coach set up for us, the one that I ended up obtaining a rusty metal jump cup embedded in my arm. And I did not hold onto the reins on that particular flail.

It just happens. The decision you make - just as mls stated, it happens subconciously. You don't think about it to be honest - least I do not recall myself making that concious effort to hold onto the reins, or not. lol, looking back at the last two "flying out of tack" moments, I cannot recall thinking to myself "I'd better hold onto the reins here" or "Oh...I better not hold onto the reins here" - I do not think that thought really occurs while you are in the heat of the moment. I'm really thinking "Oh Shoit"


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## olliexmas (Nov 14, 2010)

I dont know what i do! When you fall off you dont have time to do anything. I just go 'oh sh*t, im going down' lol.


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## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

Oh dear its been so long since I fell off, I can't remember what I did. I think if I was in the arena I would let go. If I was near the road I would probably hang on. I'm not sure what Hunter would do. Actually now that I think of it I did fall off last summer on a trail ride. We were going downhill on a narrow trail and my saddle felt odd so I was trying turn Hunter sideways so I could get off, he put his head down and my saddle went up his neck and I was tipped over his head. He just stood there and looked at me with the saddle on his neck. It was pretty funny.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

mls said:


> I focus more on trying to stay on than where the reins are.


It's not always an option though. :wink:


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

faye said:


> Yes I agree you let go in that situation but I was stating that in the 20 years i've been hacking and the multiple times I've been dumped on the road (at one point stan decided that dumping me was a brilliant idea and he tried every time I took him out, I got to be on first name terms with the A&E staff!) I have never felt that a horse would not stop or would drag me.


Oh, yes, my response was not directed at you at all.  I was just mentioning that, because some people state they can hold no matter what. It's simply not true when horse is scared to death or something and drags - horse is much stronger.


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

mls said:


> I focus more on trying to stay on than where the reins are. .


 
:lol:haha that's what I try to do .....if I know I can save myself I do but if I know I'm coming off and there's no stopping it I just let go of the reins and let gravity take me...I guess it is just a mind thing It's been drilled in my head to let go when I fall so I guess that's why that's my first instinct...I love hearing everyone's answers though their all different in their own little way. This is an awesome learning experience


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

mls said:


> I focus more on trying to stay on than where the reins are. I've done both - but each has been an unconscious decision at the time.


I learnt very quickly with stan that hauling his head up and round to touch my knee was the only way to stay on (i.e put his head at such and angle that bucking was physically impossible) or you were going to hit the deck. so It kind of ensured that I knew where my reins were at all times and could use them effectivly even if the horse was doing a fair impression of a bronk underneath me.


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## SparksFly (Nov 20, 2010)

For me it just depends. If I am in an enclosed area or in the pasture, I will try to let go because it will be harder for the horse to get out. If I am on the trail or somewhere out in the open, I try to hang on so I don't lose my horse. lol


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## ilovesonya (Oct 12, 2009)

I ride English, and have fallen off over 30 times in the last year and 1/2 alone lol (I was training a TB gelding who would throw u off at the canter no matter who good a rider you are... It was worth the falls, becuz now he's a beginner lesson horse. anyway...) and I have only held onto the reins maybe 3 times... Last time was a month or so ago when my mare refused a jump, and I fell on the jump  but let go as soon as I realized I was still holding on.
Usually when I get thrown/fall off, I am on my feet before I realize I am off the horse, looking to see where the horse went lol


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## Snookeys (Sep 23, 2010)

I let go instinctively. I never cling to my horse, even on the ground. I can't win!


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## JackofDiamonds (Aug 31, 2010)

*I let go!! I have more important priorities than holding on whilst mid air!!Something along the lines DONT DIE!! I know i can catch my horse with a feed bucket so we'll be alright! jeez im a bit busy whilst flying head first at full speed gallop dodgeing trees and trying to make it hurt less!!! But i always fall dramaticly,has something to do with my lack of coordination :lol:*


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

I let go, we've been taught to. You could hurt the horse's mouth or break the bridle (seen both happen), and we dont want that.

Also usually the way we fall and land, the reins just get torn away from our hands... lol


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

JackofDiamonds said:


> *I let go!! I have more important priorities than holding on whilst mid air!!Something along the lines DONT DIE!! *


 
I'm sorry but ahahahaha that is the funniest and truest thing ever!:rofl:


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

I normally hang on...no matter what discpline I'm riding. The one time I didn let go is the time when my foot was caught in the stirrup and the horse dragged me around. The other times when I hung on to the reins the horse stopped, even in the case where a dog was running up behind us on the trail and thats why the horse bucked me off in the first place. I've never been taught to hold on, but I'm usually off the horse by the time I have time to think about holding on or letting go. I think if I was ever in the position where I was holding on to the reins and the horse started to run, I would let go.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

Phantomcolt18 said:


> I'm not saying it's a right or wrong I was just wondering =D I guess it just depends on the person, horse, and situation.


_I wasnt saying that it was right or wrong either, just that I had never heard of this being debated before coming to this forum._



A knack for horses said:


> Please let go when you fall off. If you hold on, you run the risk of getting *drug and injuring or even killing yourself*.


_Not all situations that people fall off are horses running. If a horse stops at a fence and you come over the front/side, you have more chance of getting hurt by the fence like MIE was, then getting hurt by your horse. Some horses also will stop as soon as they are riderless, so you will not be dragged or injured. Of course, there are situations that all 3 of these could happen as well, but it isnt every single time a rider gets __unceremoniously dumped off a horse._




Tymer said:


> With the horse I ride, I know she will stop dead if I fall, so I drop the reins without worry. Unfamiliar horses or horses I don't trust...I think I may hold on, but not on purpose. Just subconsciously.


_I think this is the best way for a horse to be....stop dead when you come off....wether they do it naturally or have been taught somehow._



maura said:


> I question whether a rider can actually pull a horse over on top of them by holding onto the reins when they fall, I don't think it's a terribly likely scenario.


_^^This. I could see making them take a few more steps forward or something, but nothing like actually somersaulting over top of them._




Phantomcolt18 said:


> I heard about a lady at my shows who rode about a yr before I started she fell off her horse and didn't let go on the reins and the way she fell she pulled the horses body and her horse ended up doing a tap dance on her chest(not on purpose it's just that was where she was being held).


_Accidents happen in the horse world. A horse will normally avoid trying to step on you, and a lot of people have seen or heard of extraordinary effort out of their (persons) horse to avoid stepping on them or getting near them in any way. Racehorses will even try and jump over other horses and riders who have suddenly come down in front of them if they have enough time to react._



MIEventer said:


> It just happens. The decision you make - just as mls stated, it happens subconciously. You don't think about it to be honest - least I do not recall myself making that concious effort to hold onto the reins, or not. lol, looking back at the last two "flying out of tack" moments, I cannot recall thinking to myself "I'd better hold onto the reins here" or "Oh...I better not hold onto the reins here" - I do not think that thought really occurs while you are in the heat of the moment. I'm really thinking "Oh Shoit"


_There isnt ever really enough time before you come off to make a concious effort to do something. I also think the same thing, and after I land think a lot more swear words! LOL!_


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

I nearly always do, don't know why but things happen really fast ! I have been drug though and once the horse started pullin I let go.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## darkwillow (Apr 12, 2009)

I think the only time I really didn't need to hold onto the reins was this one time when my horse cantered up to a jump and dumped me onto my butt on the jump. How I ended up facing him I'll never know...


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## Luvs2jump (Oct 11, 2010)

I've held on and I've let go. There have only been a few times when I've fallen that I've remembered to let go, and that's riding both English and Western. I was never taught how to fall properly like some have, I've seen the emergency dismount where you land on the ball of your feet and the tuck and roll but no body has ever taught me how to do so if I think about letting go, I let go, if I don't think, I'm still holding the reins.
I'd say it depends on the person, the horse, and the situation. I've never noticed that more English riders hold the reins then let go compared to Western riders. Course a lot of the fall videos I see are more English then Western on Youtube.


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

faye said:


> You can't go get your horse when they have been squashed by a car. Unfortunatly hacking on the roads is a fact of life in the UK as bridle paths are few and far between. I have been dumped on the roads a few times. I will always hang on so that the horse doesnt get hit by a car whilst running loose. Most horses will stop when they feel the pressure from the bit.
> 
> If the horse is looking like it will drag me then I will let go, but I've never in 20 years felt that a horse was going to drag me.


Yes, but what happens when your horse spooks, you come out of the saddle, and you hold the reins and you and your horse get hit by a car?

I do see your and everybody elses point that you don't want your horse to get hurt, but frankly, I'm always going to put my life before a horses'. I do ride a lot on busy country roads to get to our trail spot. If I get bucked off or lose my balance, I'm letting go and getting my *ss off the road before I go get my horse. 
Another way I think of it: A moving horse has a much better chance of surviving a car hit than me laying inbetween the horses legs and that cars tires. 

Yes, in theory, a horse _should _stop when they feel the pressure from the bit. But it doesn't mean they will. To a 1200 pound horse on a mission, a bit is a mere suggestion they can either take or not take. I do know some ill trained horses that will actually take a hold of their bit so you can't pull on it. In that situation, would you hold on? I know I'd be letting go. 

I don't ever ride alone on the trails. I don't even ride alone at the barn. So more than likely, somebody will be there to go after my horse if I am unable to. 

My last point is that I am not saying holding on doesn't have its advantages, but to me, the risks of holding on seem much greater and therefore I always let go of the reins.


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

VelvetsAB said:


> _Not all situations that people fall off are horses running. If a horse stops at a fence and you come over the front/side, you have more chance of getting hurt by the fence like MIE was, then getting hurt by your horse. Some horses also will stop as soon as they are riderless, so you will not be dragged or injured. Of course, there are situations that all 3 of these could happen as well, but it isnt every single time a rider gets __unceremoniously dumped off a horse._


That is true, but I while I am laying in agony on the ground (like I usually do) I'd rather not have the horse accidentaly step on me while he is trying to stop or move out of my way. 
The last time I fell off a horse, we were cantering around in the arena. Annie heard my instructor talking at the fence, short strided, then did a flying lead change I wasn't ready for, and I went flying off her. Annie did stop once my butt was out of the saddle, but as I hit the ground right in front of her, She reared up a bit to get out of my way and almost clipped me in the leg. 

If I would have been holding onto the reins, she would have struck me in the head, as I would have been situated differently. 

Annie wasn't being bad, she was just trying to give me some space, but it could have been worse than it was.


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## Regan7312 (Jul 5, 2010)

Every time I have fallen off I let go and always seem to be trying to catch myself when I fall which probably is not the safest thing seeing as I could break my wrists/arms but oh well. lol..I have never held on when I have fallen though.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

A knack for horses said:


> Yes, but what happens when your horse spooks, you come out of the saddle, and you hold the reins and you and your horse get hit by a car?
> 
> If I get bucked off or lose my balance, I'm letting go and getting my *ss off the road before I go get my horse.
> 
> ...


If i feel i'm going to get dragged I let go, i've fallen enouh times to be able to keep my head whilst falling and make a rational decision. 

Not all of us are lucky enough to have company when riding. I either ride alone or I don't ride at all. Heck I ride and lead alone on the roads.

To be quite frank, if a car is close enough to be unable to stop if they see you come off the horse then they are going to hit you whether or not you hang onto the horse. 
Actualy concidering the sheer amount of hiVis and reflective stuff I put on my horse when out riding I stand a better chance of being seen if the horse sticks close. a car driver would have to be pretty blind to not see 4 acres of horse bum coated in luminous pink High vis, however a rider, normaly in a dark coat with a small highvis tabard over the top is relativly easy to miss, perticularly it they land on thier front or back with thier side facing the traffic. you can get off the road just as quickly with reins inhand as you can without reins inhand, I've done it often enough to know!

I would actualy feel more vulnerable without my horse rather then with.

I would say that 90% of the hacking I do is on the roads we just do not have bridle paths round here and the nearest ones to us are a 20 min ride away and are less then a mile in length.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Yep, Regan. Been there when I came off a horse when I was 9. Tried to catch myself and got to spend the entire summer in a cast after 3 surgeries. But a broken arm is better than a broken face .

I wasn't thinking about times when you go off the front of a horse like when they stop at a jump, I was thinking about what happens every time I fall off. I am either getting bucked off or they spook big and get out from under me. Either way, I always either go off the side or out the back and I never ride with sport reins, only split reins. If I was riding with sport reins, I would sure not hang on. Not only do they pull the horse to you but they are also short enough to pull you back under the horse.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Regan7312 said:


> Every time I have fallen off I let go and always seem to be trying to catch myself when I fall which probably is not the safest thing seeing as I could break my wrists/arms but oh well. lol..I have never held on when I have fallen though.


Very very dangerous habit to get into, fracture dislocations and compound fractures of the wrist are the most common of injuries caused by putting a hand out to save yourself. Incredibly painful, need surgery to correct and can cause sinificant loss of use and artheritis in the wrists.

You need to tuck in and roll with the force, that way you minimise the chance injury and stand a good chance of ending up back on your feet.


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

faye said:


> To be quite frank, if a car is close enough to be unable to stop if they see you come off the horse then they are going to hit you whether or not you hang onto the horse.


We ride in the middle of nowhere, where most people have enough sense to slow down when they see a rider(s), let alone one that would come off. 
But yes, you make a valid point. If they are close enough, they are going to hit me. 

FOr the most part, I'm going to worry about not getting myself killed and getting out of immeditate danger. If my is horse won't move out of a car's way, then so be it. I would be devastated, but I will protect my life before the horses.


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Can't count the number of times I've tried to hang on to the reins on the way down but couldn't. Most of the rest of the time I've had to let go because the horse was dragging me or I was too close to hooves. I hold on if I'm riding on the roads around our home, so that maybe just this once I won't have to tell hubby that I fell off again...otherwise I have to call him to tell him not to worry when he sees the horse galloping home alone, & that I'm okay.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

> Depends on the situation. for me it is instinctual, in the school I always seem to let go, if i'min open territory or on the roads I hang on!


Agree'd, If i'm at home in the paddock, or out at a show inside the showjumping arena or inside an enclosed space of any sort I will let go because I know my horse can't run away and hurt herself.
If I'm at a show, outside the arena's and my horse puts in a dirty one, **** straight I'm gonna hold on tight, she's hard to catch!! and I don't want a hard to catch horse running around scaring the other horses, or wrapping the reins around her legs and breaking them!! If I'm on the road, or in any space that doesn't have a fence/walls around the outside, I'm gonna hold on for dear life, I'd rather bubbles gets a jab in the mouth and needs dentist work done rather than be hit by the speeding cattle trucks out here and need surgery or euthenasia(sp?)
Depends on the situation I guess though  But if she were to freak out and start running around dragging me or endangering her and myself, yeah, I'd let go.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

A knack for horses said:


> We ride in the middle of nowhere, where most people have enough sense to slow down when they see a rider(s), let alone one that would come off.
> But yes, you make a valid point. If they are close enough, they are going to hit me.


Thats anouther difference between where you are and where i am. I too am in a rural area however, the speed limit on the roads I ride on is 60mph (not that you should be doin anywhere near that speed but people do try to do it). Farmers and other countrysidey people may slow down and go wide round you but the boy racers and idiots who have come from the cities for a drive in the mountains certainly don't.
i've had my stirrups take off by car wing mirrors in the past. Been close enough to kick the window of a car. had idiots go speeding past redicluasly close.
I've had mouthfuls of abuse from cityites for riding on the roads in MY area simply because it slows them down. I've even been threatend with physical violence, there is not alot that a 50kg girl can do against a group of guys but a 50kg girl on 600kg of horse is in a much stronger position.


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## Reiterin (Mar 28, 2010)

I ride with split reins and without gloves.. if I try to hang on, the reins will be ripped through my hands and give my 'rope' burns as my horse runs off going "I'm Free!!"

*is not amused*

She does Not _Try_ to get me off, but if I do come off, she takes off!


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

faye said:


> Thats anouther difference between where you are and where i am. I too am in a rural area however, the speed limit on the roads I ride on is 60mph (not that you should be doin anywhere near that speed but people do try to do it). Farmers and other countrysidey people may slow down and go wide round you but the boy racers and idiots who have come from the cities for a drive in the mountains certainly don't.
> i've had my stirrups take off by car wing mirrors in the past. Been close enough to kick the window of a car. had idiots go speeding past redicluasly close.
> I've had mouthfuls of abuse from cityites for riding on the roads in MY area simply because it slows them down. I've even been threatend with physical violence, there is not alot that a 50kg girl can do against a group of guys but a 50kg girl on 600kg of horse is in a much stronger position.


The ignorance of some people. :-x My instructorwent riding almost got hit by a city slicker from Chicago driving a porshe 55mph down the counrty road going to his vacation home. Boy did my instructor want to rip him one.


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## Luvs2jump (Oct 11, 2010)

A knack for horses said:


> The ignorance of some people. :-x My instructorwent riding almost got hit by a city slicker from Chicago driving a porshe 55mph down the counrty road going to his vacation home. Boy did my instructor want to rip him one.


That's one thing I've always been afraid of riding down the back roads to the indoor arena. Seeing how these people fly down a dirt road where signs are posted everywhere that there are horse and riders on the road. I'd be tacking up and cringe when I'd hear a car flying down the road and some of these people live on these roads!


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

> That's one thing I've always been afraid of riding down the back roads to the indoor arena. Seeing how these people fly down a dirt road where signs are posted everywhere that there are horse and riders on the road. I'd be tacking up and cringe when I'd hear a car flying down the road and some of these people live on these roads!


Amen to that D:< My own cousin and his mates passed me and bubbles on the road the other day and he knows a lot about horses, his dad has race horses that he helps with, and they have two minis and he knows **** well I ride down the road. So his mate is driving and speeding past and waved, which I was fine with because bubbles is bubbles and doesn't care, but he tooted the Freaking horn!! not once, but TWICE, poor bubbles nearly had a heart attack. I'm lucky I seen them and went as far away from the road onto the grass as 
I could, If I had have been 10m further up the road when they did that, bubbles and I would have ended up down the bottom of a cliff in a creek!!!
And if I was on my other horse she would have flipped over on top of me!! (Hence why I dont ride that one up the road )

And we had a green horse my friend was riding, I was riding a bombproof kick-along, we knew the greeny had a problem with cars so when we heard a horse truck coming, she got off Barney and tied his reins to his saddle and held onto him, incase he got loose so he didnt wrap them around his legs or neck etc. Now being a horse truck, we expected them to slow down to pass the... TWO HORSES... but ohhh no, no way were they slowing down in their horse truck, just sped past like no tomorrow, scared the crap out of Barney who proceeded to take off down the road at full gallop, with me and Billy in hot pursuit as we didn't want him to end up in the very very deep drains. We caught him (Billy called out) at the end of the road which lucky for us was a dead end. If my friend had been on him, god only knows what would have happened, cause he was out of there like someone had just shot him right up the a** with fireworks.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I've been able to hang on at times, and others didn't even think twice about letting go! If I am riding on or near a road, I try to hang on, or atleast shag the horse away from traffic...I also will often times loop the mecate through a belt loop, that way I have quite a bit of line to work with and not just the reins. I will do the same thing with a lead if I have the halter on the horse, and just loop it through a belt loop, rather than tie it around the neck or around the saddle horn.


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## Regan7312 (Jul 5, 2010)

faye said:


> Very very dangerous habit to get into, fracture dislocations and compound fractures of the wrist are the most common of injuries caused by putting a hand out to save yourself. Incredibly painful, need surgery to correct and can cause sinificant loss of use and artheritis in the wrists.
> 
> You need to tuck in and roll with the force, that way you minimise the chance injury and stand a good chance of ending up back on your feet.


yea i know it can be dangerous, thanks though..i will def. try tucking and rolling next time. : )

as for the time I got bucked off, of course i let go of the reins lol and just landed where ever which happened to be on my tailbone/back.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Regan7312 said:


> yea i know it can be dangerous, thanks though..i will def. try tucking and rolling next time. : )
> 
> as for the time I got bucked off, of course i let go of the reins lol and just landed where ever which happened to be on my tailbone/back.


Sometimes there really is no chance to tuck and roll...been there done that! Most of the time i actually land on my feet, which is weird, but just the way it seems to go with me! :lol:


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

I probably hold on to the reins with said 'death grip' but the thing for me is that if a horse is going to get me off, it's going to take some decent well timed bucks to do it. In my mind, I am convinced I am going to stick all of them and letting go of the reins is really giving up altogether, even when you _think_ you are gone. You would be surprised what you can ride through just by not falling off in your mind first. 

Unfortunately every now and then (luckily for me not very often) I find myself unseated and in complete disbelief as to how I ended up on the ground rather than in the saddle and really only let go of the reins just before I hit the dirt.


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## Regan7312 (Jul 5, 2010)

mom2pride said:


> Sometimes there really is no chance to tuck and roll...been there done that! Most of the time i actually land on my feet, which is weird, but just the way it seems to go with me! :lol:


 
haha like a cat :lol:^^..I dont know that I would think to tuck and roll when I am falling anyway, it happens so fast I dont really think much before i hit the ground lol


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

mom2pride said:


> Sometimes there really is no chance to tuck and roll...been there done that! Most of the time i actually land on my feet, which is weird, but just the way it seems to go with me! :lol:


Suprisingly landing on your feet is not good for your back because you dont always have time to flex your knees you tend to jolt up your spine. 

Tucking and rolling is instinct for me, however I've been taight to fall correctly. I actualy learnt to fall properly through martial arts classes. Go into the classes and ask the instructor 9 times out of 10 they are more then happy to teach you how to fall correctly without you having to learn the rest.


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## JekkaLynn (May 21, 2010)

VelvetsAB said:


> _There isnt ever really enough time before you come off to make a concious effort to do something. I also think the same thing, and after I land think a lot more swear words! LOL!_


I have to disagree with that. I know that my mind process things kinda strangly so maybe this is just me but I almost always have time to think about what is happening and how i'm going to react when I fall off a horse. The last time I fell my horse tripped and I was riding bareback with a halter and I remember consciously deciding to throw myself clear instead of just hanging on because I could feel her back end starting to come up and her nose was in the dirt and her head had stopped moving but her shoulders where still going forwards and I thought she might do a summersault so I let go and got flung clear instead of clinging onto her neck. I also consciously decided to tuck and roll to protect my head. Twice I have slid of a rearing horse and didn't really stop to think just let go and landed on my butt on the ground but every other time I have fallen off a horse I have made consious decisions about what I was doing.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

faye said:


> I too am in a rural area however, the speed limit on the roads I ride on is 60mph (not that you should be doin anywhere near that speed but people do try to do it).


_This actually isnt that fast. I go that fast on a dirt road, but I come intact with brains and slow down + move over when I see someone walking their dog or riding._



faye said:


> Suprisingly landing on your feet is not good for your back because you dont always have time to flex your knees you tend to jolt up your spine.
> 
> Tucking and rolling is instinct for me, however I've been taight to fall correctly. I actualy learnt to fall properly through martial arts classes. Go into the classes and ask the instructor 9 times out of 10 they are more then happy to teach you how to fall correctly without you having to learn the rest.


_Yes, but its quite obvious that lots of people havent been taught how to fall off, so are just doing whatever happens._



> I have to disagree with that. I know that my mind process things kinda strangly so maybe this is just me but I almost always have time to think about what is happening and how i'm going to react when I fall off a horse.


_Some people will be able to react in time to do it, but some will not be able to. I make a concious effort to stay on, as falling off is something I like to do. And when I do fall off, I will try and hold on if I can, because I want to be able to try and land on my feet, and pull my horses head around so they are looking at me. Its easier to scold them when you can point a finger in there face!_


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

VelvetsAB said:


> _This actually isnt that fast. I go that fast on a dirt road, but I come intact with brains and slow down + move over when I see someone walking their dog or riding._


Ok I drive these roads every day, 30mph is realy pushing it on parts, they are one way with passing places, big ditches or walls on either sides and lots of twisty, turny and blind corners - typical country lanes in the UK. So yes 60mph on these roads is idiotic in the extreme but people do try to go that fast and sometimes faster.
I've had one horrific accident on these roads that required me to be cut out of my car as a van driver came round a blind corner at 65mph and there was nowhere to go. My car got squashed between the van and the wall. I was doing 20mph and that is the max speed that anyone who knows these roads will ever do on that section.
we have a running tally of the number of cars per year to end up upside down on the corner just past my house. Its a nasty turn with no warning and people going too fast either plow through out fencing or they clip the bank, flip over and end up in the field accross the road. Last winter, between november and march our tally was 11 cars. So far this year, since the beggining of november alone we are at 2


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## westerncowgurl (Jul 14, 2010)

ive always been tought to let go of the rains then tuck and roll, ive only fallen twice the first time i let go of the rains and just kinda floped down (i should of rolled i got my arm stepped on) the second time i was yelling in my head TUCK N ROLL lol. i think its a little safer to let go i was at a show and my friends horse reared (not high) and she lost her seat fell off and pulled the horse down with her, i didnt see it happen but she said the horse fell beside her.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

sarahver said:


> You would be surprised what you can ride through just by not falling off in your mind first.


This is a great quote. Not just for horses, but for life as well.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

sarahver said:


> I probably hold on to the reins with said 'death grip' but the thing for me is that if a horse is going to get me off, it's going to take some decent well timed bucks to do it. In my mind, I am convinced I am going to stick all of them and letting go of the reins is really giving up altogether, even when you _think_ you are gone. You would be surprised what you can ride through just by not falling off in your mind first.
> 
> Unfortunately every now and then (luckily for me not very often) I find myself unseated and in complete disbelief as to how I ended up on the ground rather than in the saddle and really only let go of the reins just before I hit the dirt.


Yeah, that's the way it is for me...it takes alot more than a couple of crowhops to get me off as a general rule! I tend to fall off like once every couple of years, even while training horses...the last time I came off, I basically slid up and over my mare's neck and onto my feet like as if I just jumped off...this wasn't a bronc fest either, just a disagreement in which direction each of us was going, and I was bareback sooooo...! Haha...the last time before that, with my RB horse, Pride, he spooked at a flag, and he went one way, I went the other...I was bareback on him, again, just landed on my feet. I let go of the reins on both of those occasions, but the horse didn't go anywhere, fortunately. 

The times that I fell off (years ago), that I didn't land on my feet, I did tuck and roll...one of those horses kept on bucking, and wound up right over me at one point, so even though I rolled away from her initially it didn't matter...however, I was totally unscathed minus a bruised knee; definitely a 'miracle'!


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

Sunny said:


> This is a great quote. Not just for horses, but for life as well.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Thanks Sunny! I didn't mean it to be so philosophical but happy to take all the credit!!


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## Kawairashii Ichigo (Jul 18, 2010)

I let go. I can catch my horse after, I don't know how well I could handle it if I got dragged.


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## boldstart (Oct 11, 2009)

Bascially I try and stick whatever the horse is trying to do, but when I do fall I let go off the reins.

I rather be as far away from the horse as possible just in case it falls, trips or anything like that.
And also I wouldnt want the bridle to come off, and then have the task of catching a loose horse without a bridle. =/


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## Azaria (Nov 10, 2010)

I let go. I don't want to get tangled in the reins AND I don't want to injure my horse. I was asked, after leaping off a sassy horse on a trail ride, why I would just let her go. Hmmm, a broken arm (or worse) from being caught in the reins as you fall is a lot worse than a horse running off a ways in the forest. Chances are the horse will stop not far from the group and possibly even return on his own unless he's in a panic. I see the reasoning behind keeping a hold on the reins--to avoid the horse taking off/to avoid injury to another horse and or rider--but I personally want to be as clear from the 1000+ pound animal as possible when I hit the dirt!


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Azaria said:


> Hmmm, a broken arm (or worse) from being caught in the reins as you fall is a lot worse than a horse running off a ways in the forest.


Thats all well and good if you ride in the forrests however some of us don't have that luxury and have to ride on the roads. You let go on the roads and you are risking not only a dead horse if they get his by a car, but you are also risking the life of the drivers and passengers of any car that is on the road. A horse going through the windscreen will kill who ever is in the front seats! I'd rather take the broken arm and the horse having a sore mouth!

I also very rarely ride in a group. I have my own yard and I'm very lucky if I can pursuade my brother or sister to come for a ride with me. So I go on my own, if I let go the horse will head for home if it possibly can and that means crossing roads that are fast and busy!

That is why I keep hold on rides. 
In the school i let go!


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## Azaria (Nov 10, 2010)

You're right--every situation is different. I choose to let go for the reasons I stated. I am lucky I can ride where there are no vehicles, I am sure I would have to re-examine my choice if I did so.



faye said:


> Thats all well and good if you ride in the forrests however some of us don't have that luxury and have to ride on the roads. You let go on the roads and you are risking not only a dead horse if they get his by a car, but you are also risking the life of the drivers and passengers of any car that is on the road. A horse going through the windscreen will kill who ever is in the front seats! I'd rather take the broken arm and the horse having a sore mouth!
> 
> I also very rarely ride in a group. I have my own yard and I'm very lucky if I can pursuade my brother or sister to come for a ride with me. So I go on my own, if I let go the horse will head for home if it possibly can and that means crossing roads that are fast and busy!
> 
> ...


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## EquineLover (Jan 24, 2011)

You don't really have time to think. I let go and I ride English. But if I was riding out, opposed to in an arena, then I'd probably have the sense to hold them.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

It would be too bad to lose a horse on a road and it's something I worry about. However, I always remember that Christopher Reeve got his hands tangled in the reins and that was part of why he landed so badly. My friend came off once on someone else's horse so she was worried about letting the horse go. She broke three fingers as the horse didn't stop right away. If a horse is going to run away right after you fall off, the chances of you holding on is very slim. I've had a good grip on reins and lead ropes many times when a horse decided to run and I've rarely been able to hold on. When the rope burns your hands they let go instinctively just like they jerk back when you touch a hot stove.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I came off recently and let go, often the type of fall dictates whether you hold the reins or not. For some reason I think i was taught to hold on to reins. I'm rather confrontational so me falling off turns into me vs. horse in my head and holding onto to them helps me win.

I'm glad i let go of that horse though, don't want anything to do with her ever again.

I've had the kind of horses that stop when you fall and they're brilliant. I don't think i am going to ride anymore but if i ever get another horse i'm going to get one that stops dead when you come off.


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