When You’ve Fallen
Published by GHC • Aug 17th, 2007 • Category: Riding Advice, by Madelainaby Madelaina, age 11
So you’ve bruised yourself after a bad fall in one of your lessons or trail rides. You find yourself in fear of mounting a horse again, so does that mean you want to give up riding as a result of one little accident? When you’ve fallen you must overcome it, otherwise you will live in dread of climbing back into the saddle for the rest of your life. It isn’t easy, particularly if you’ve received a shock or embarrassed yourself in front of an audience. However, you must understand what you are giving up and what you are leaving behind.
Often it is the rider’s fault when he or she falls as a consequence of bad balance or wrong signals. Sometimes the horse might get spooked and rear or take off, leaving you on the ground. It wouldn’t be fair to discard your horse after a tumble. Have you ever thought what it would mean to the horse if you leave it riderless? Shouldn’t you get back on for the love of your horse?
I for one think falls are a benefit. Apart from sore bottoms and sprained ankles, plunges from a horse can teach you new things. You will know next time not to do something, or learn to do something, like direct your horse using the right method. If you’ve fallen once, then the next time you won’t be as scared as the first time, when you don’t know how it feels yet. The second time, when you’ve already experienced the same accident, then you’d know how to confront it the best way.
We all love horses and horse riding, and after all those years, we still do. Based simply on one fall, you can end it. It’s up to you to make the right decision, and know what is in store for you if you never get back on again. We shouldn’t be afraid of doing something we love.
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Awsome Blog Madelaina! I can tatally relate. I have been rding for a year and a half now and have fallen 2 times. The first time, my horse, Coco, refused a jump, but I landed on my feet. I wonder if I should count that. The second time, I was at horse camp, we were riding bare-back. My instructor said to trot but instead Quincy, my horse, started cantering and I flipped over his head. Now THAT couts as a fall!! ANyway, really terific blog.
Madelaina, by far this your best blog! I havn’t fallen off yet however a saddle has flipped upside down, a horse has stopped trotting dead in front of a jump, and I was the cause of someone falling which was much, much worse than falling myself. This blog though, everyone will relate to it whether it’s now or in the future. Great job! :)
Good job!!!! I got bucked of once, that was one heck of a bruise!!!! Of Course, then I break my arm chasing my brother, how ironic. Brothers are more dangerous then horses!!!!
I’ve never fallen off a horse! Does it hurt? Great blog!!!
Marisa: I dependes how hard you hit the ground, and, if your on a pony, it wont hurt as much, but, if you ride a horse, its a long way down!
Once I was riding my brother’s pony at a Pony Club rally. I was realy realy confident at that time. For the first time ever he stopped at a fence. When I was falling off it seemed to take for ever. I found it very hard to breathe at first and my back hurt a bit. I was in so much shock that I dont think it was possible for me to get back on. A few days later I had ridden again i didn’t feel as confident as I had done before and when I jumped I was very nervous. My back was still hurting quite badly so I went to the doctor. It turned out that I had fractured my spine. Fortunatly it wasnt too bad and I still ride and jump all the time now !!!!
I have fallen three times in my life. Only three. Two of the times I fell off in a month. Here are my stories.
The first time I fell off I was riding Delta. She is an old and sweet horse. She just tripped on a rock. I fell to the ground and so did Delta. I wasn’t hurt but Delta almost broke her leg. But she was alright.
The next time I fell off I was riding Duchess. She was only four, and still hardly trained. I was the first lesson kid to ride her. She did great. Right when I was climbing down, somehow, Duchess spooked. She started galloping at full speed. I went flying. (Later, when I was taking Duchess on a walk, I took her back to her stall, and she got our and started galloping all over the place. She wasn’t trained and she was at a new barn. Duchess was sold just for that. :( ) When I fell off of her, it hurt a whole lot.
A week later, on Magic, the saddle bumped me off. It didn’t hurt. I landed on my back, the right place to land.
And that is when I have fallen off.
Thanks everyone.
Tori, when you flipped over your horse’s head, did you get trampled? Just wondering but I’m glad you’re alright.
Thanks Julia! I hope your friend or whoever it is is better now. It is right to feel guilty, but don’t let that keep your spirits down!
Lydia: True, brothers can be annoying. Flying off a horse is worse than slipping off a horse.
Marisa: Tori pretty much got it covered. It also depends on the terrain you are riding on and how you fall. Whether you slid off from the side, got bucked or reared off, or flipped over its head.
I hope you are feeling more confident now fox hunting rox. Falls when jumping are quite common, and in a person’s lifetime they have to experience one at least once.
Finally…horsejo! That was a close call with Delta! You must have gotten a spook, from the fall and Delta’s leg! I guess you can’t really blame Duchess, it would be hard say if we have to move to Mars and the aliens there want us to only walk. There are lots of unexpected things at a new surrounding, and a horse’s view of things is ten times bigger! Maybe that’s what made them so greedy for treats because the food looks so big!
Madelaina: No wories, my horse didn’t trample me :) He is a very sweet horse, his name is Quincy :)
Madelaina: You are inspiring. You know, I have been riding for close to 3 years now and I haven’t fallen off….yet! I know that it will happen soon, and this really helped prepare me for when it does! Thanks, and you are amazing!!
That’s good to hear Tori, and Quincy is such a lovely name!
Thanks Horsecrazzz, lucky for you. I’m glad that my blog helped! :)
I’ve never fallen off, but i only had siz lessons, once the pony started cantering after a jump and i had no plans of learning to canter. And once i rode a pony who bucked someone off, but he was good that time. It’s wierd though. Nice blog Madelaina! :D
Wonderful blog. Almost every time i’ve fallen off, I’ve landed on my feet. I have had a couple of bad falls, though.
One day my friend and I were riding bareback out in the field. My friend was riding Pilgrim, and I was riding Danny. Danny never bolts, but Pilgrim does. Pilgrim bolted, and Danny followed. It was the fastest gallop I had ever seen Danny go. I was doing just fine until I relized we were going to run right through some slippery mud. I tried to half halt Danny and I leaned back. That’s when I lost my balance. I took a BAD tumble. I was okay, but I lost my nerve at riding in the field and galloping for a while. I have now overcome that and that fall has taught me to be more cautious while riding.
One of my favorite blogs, written by an Austrailian trainer has a quote at the top of the page that says, “They say: 100 falls and you’re a rider… 81 to go.”
I’ve lost track of my falls, but I know each time I fall I learn something!
I guess it can seem weird Animalsrkool, knowing you will or can fall and you’re not. I’m glad your lessons haven’t been painful so far!
Stargazer, all I can say is…ouch. It’s fantastic you’ve overcome it. It would be magical to gallop through a field!
Pony Tail Club, that is very interesting. I like that part about the being a rider, but the 100 falls bit I’m not so sure. lol! Thanks for sharing.