# How to stay on a horse



## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

Well...
What happens before you fall off? Does the horse spook? Is it just standing there...?
You haven't given enough information for anyone to really help you.


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## Brithorse1996 (May 25, 2010)

We need more information but sometimes if there is enough momentum your best option would be how to land not how to stay on the horse


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

yep, gonna need more info.

1) make sure your position is solid.
2) make sure you aren't doing more hten your ability
3) if your horse takes off/spooks/bucks, etc while your instinct may be to throw your body forward, that's almost never the right answer. make sure you SIT UP!


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## drafteventer (Jul 6, 2009)

Well, when you ride horses, falling off every once in a while is inevitable. But working on having a good, solid position 
will help a lot. If you feel as though you are going to fall off, make sure you dont lean foward, sit up.
What I always do is if my horse spooks, don't panic because that just makes it worse. If the horse is panicking and you panic along with the horse, you're just showing that there is something to be scared of. Try and stay calm and collected and be there for your horse.

I've had my fair share of falls, but this is basically what I do, and I haven't fallen in awhile (knock on wood!!)
Just remember that even some of the greatest riders fall off, it's completely normal.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

AtheistForever said:


> .Any tips on how to stay on?


Crazy glue ?


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

Spyder said:


> Crazy glue ?


And I thought you would say carrots.
:wink:


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

I like velcro......lol


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Umm....How about you just don't fall off?

My terrible fall-o-phobia helps me stay on. I would rather hang ontot he bucking bronco horse than fall on my butt. However, it has saved me from injuries many times before and definately strengthened my leg muscles ^^


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

AtheistForever said:


> I have fallen off a few times and haven't gotten really hurt.When I think I'm going to fall I try to hang on and it has worked twice.The first time I was holding on to the neck,the second time the horse I was on stopped but I still fell because I was holding on to the side of the neck.Any tips on how to stay on?


I'm sorry but I find your thread really amusing. Isn't it the art of riding, keeping a horse between you and the ground? :lol: if you get an answer that works, pass it on!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

No one can really give you any 'tips' as such to stop you feeling off hun, sorry! It's a case of learning what not to do until you can stick on and unfortunately, that means eating dirt a few times! We've all had our fair share of face plants I'm sure! 
Really the only thing we can say, is have a solid position. Once you can sit properly on your horse, in balance, not relying on the reins to hang on for dear life, or gripping tight with your knees to hang on, then you'll be in with a running chance of staying on. As you get more experienced at riding, you start to recognise the signs of when a horse is going to crack a tantrum on you and you can prepare yourself for the ride, or nip the problem in the bud before the horse goes off its rocker! 

If you're falling off because the horse is bucking/taking off/shying etc., here's the best way I've found of getting the situation back under control. I learnt this one for internationally renowned biomechanics coach, Colleen Kelly, and by god, it works. 
Forget a one rein stop that all the 'cowboys' like to push. If you whip a horse around in a tiny circle with it's legs crossing over you're pretty likely to flip the horse over on top of you. They are DANGEROUS! Instead, sit deep, take your inside rein and place it on the seam of your pants (so on your leg, just under your bottom  ). Look up, stick your feet forward with your heels waaay down, and then as the horse starts to spin, give a few quick 'come back' on the outside rein (don't hold the rein solidly, you don't want to make your horse rear).
I've ridden my fair share of lunatics that put on a fabulous aerial rodeo display, but haven't come off ONCE since I learnt this method, and have been able to defuse the situation easily.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

One of the best things you can do (in the long run) is to work on your core muscle strength, posture, seat, and balance. Of all the people I ride with, the ones with the best balance fall the least when a horse bolts, bucks, or rears.
As someone else mentioned, avoid the very natural temptation to just 'hang on' and lean forward. Though instinctive, you place yourself in a very unbalanced situation with little or no control of the horse. This is especially tough for most people and your abilities will improve with experience and confidence.


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## SilverStallion (Jun 27, 2010)

First, keep cool.
Second of all, relax - yet never let off your guard even the friendliest horse could spook and you could fall off. If your riding English sit up straight, wear jeans, (or long pants - if you wear shorts the saddle will pinch you!) hold the reins nice and tight and make sure at all times your feet are in the stirrups.

These are very basic tips but you haven't given enough information to answer properly.


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## thehorseguy (Jun 27, 2010)

I agree with the advice to relax,alot of people tense up when they are on a horse,espescially one that they have "fallen" off of before. This causes you to not adjust your balance to the horse's movement and you will fall off. 

That is the best I can do with the provided info,Good Luck!

~~THG


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## AtheistForever (Jun 25, 2010)

*More information*

The first time I lost my balance.I was learning how to canter.I was doing it,went around a corner and was losing my balance one side so I leaned to the other side and lost it completely.
I was cantering towards a jump and my horse stopped in front of it.
My horse was going too fast over some jumps.
I can't remember what happened to make me fall the other times but the horses I fell off never got spooked,taken off suddenly or bucked.


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## ridingagain (Jun 13, 2010)

Ride bareback at a walk, trot, canter. That will help you feel the movement of the horse and find your center of balance. It has helped me.


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## AtheistForever (Jun 25, 2010)

ridingagain said:


> Ride bareback at a walk, trot, canter. That will help you feel the movement of the horse and find your center of balance. It has helped me.


I go to a riding school so I can't.Thanks anyway.


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## SilverStallion (Jun 27, 2010)

Another way to improve balance is to ride without stirrups. You get a better feel of the movement of your horse.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

When I start to loose my balance it's more often than not either a) I'm slouching and being lazy or B) I've uncentered myself somehow, probably because of (A). Now I've been riding for 18 years and I've fallen off many times. The way I was taught was to look at how and why I fell off so I know what might be the problem next time I start to lose my balance. So I've come to the conclusion it's normally my fault if I hit the ground. 

So if I feel the slightest off balance I correct what I'm doing wrong. I posture myself which centers me and I check that all my weight is where it should be and evenly placed. I have naturally good balance so I guess I find it easy but when I was younger and learning to ride I took a couple good spills because I was learning where my center of balance was on whatever horse I was riding. I've only taken one spill within the last 4 years and that was all my fault. I turned the corner wrong, didn't guide her correctly through it, didn't trim her feathers up enough (she tripped), and I wasn't paying attention to my seat. It was a 'try my hardest to stay on with her nose close to her knees trying to balance herself' or ' just fall off' situation so I just kinda went with. 

Just when you start to feel it slipping away if you can't correct it when you're moving, stop, re-seat yourself (standing up heels down in the stirrups helps me with this) and see if that's the problem. Lots of accidents and falls are because of unbalanced riders or so I've heard. Bareback does help a lot, I ride bareback at least twice a week but since you said it's not an option for you someone suggested no stirrups would work as well. Maybe try it and see if it helps at all. Hope that helps!


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## King (Jun 25, 2010)

I've got a knack for staying on... and to be honest I wish I'd just fall off already!
Now I'm so scared of falling off, I just want to (stop looking at me like a crazy woman) 
Now I've just bought a 4 year old, I'm expecting to fall off plenty of times


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

You said that both times you fell, you tried to hold onto your horse's neck. To hold onto my horse's neck, I have to lean forward. If you're in a position where your horse is spooking or getting too strong, forward is the last place you want to be. You want to be sitting tall, deep, square with your heels sinking into the earth so heavily they'd leave a dent. I would suggest reading the two Sally Swift centered riding books. There is a lot of good insight there about creating a solid base of security in the saddle. If you go to any horse show or training event where there are a lot trainers around and a horse gets out of control, you'll hear every trainer simultaneously shout "sit back". Fetal position will get you off every time.


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## squeak351 (May 20, 2010)

I have to agree with not leaning forward. It signals them to go faster. I did something stupid this morning, My daughter was riding bareback and made it look really easy so I hopped on. I started to slip a bit and not thinking leaned forward (to correct my balance) off she took, I held on as long as I could hollering "Whoa" at the tops of my lungs. She started to stop but it was too late and I tumbled off. My husband said I looked like a ball rolling downhill. I guess I mastered the tuck and roll but I think I broke my tailbone anyway. So remember to sit up and not lean forward and don't panic it only makes the situation worse.


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