Glad to hear you are back in the saddle!  Things just happen so fast!  Have great day!

Thankfully, I've never had a bad fall, only a series of incidents where I really just inadvertantly "slid off" (but I've been kicked by a show steer which gave me a pretty good concusion), but I guess the most memorable one was when I was trying out my first horse at the indoor arena at the apts I lived in college (it was a good place to live :) ). The owner's 8 year old champion barrel racing daughter was there with her very expensive horses after her goat tying practice . She tied her goat to the side of the arena out of the way. Not a big deal I thought. Well, it was to my new horse. He saw that thing look at him and I thought he was going to jump out of his skin. But that's not actually when I fell off . He shied halfway across the pen, blowing and snorting with the whites in his eyes showing, but continued trotting. While regaining my balance and trying to slow him down, we turned away from the goat and the girl's brother was pulling down the poles (for pole bending) and that was it. My horse freaked out. I guess it was the white pole or something and he thought it was a really tall goat (haha), but when he crow-hopped and shied, he went one way and I hit the dirt. I think it was face first. It hurt, but I think I was more embarrassed and humiliated than anything. I got back on, but left the arena shortly afterwards in shame. LOL

I was "taught to fall" when I was younger, but I think unless you fall on a regular basis (ouch!), there really is no way to prepare yourself because it happens so fast. Like a previous poster said, practicing good riding and good horsemanship (being relaxed and balanced) is probably the best you can do :)

 Haven't we all! I have had a few actually - all of which are memorable.  I remember about 5 years ago - in Suddersville, M, I was riding a green 4 year old - Chante was his name.  Chante and I were out in the arena schooling some lower level jumps - and as we cantered up to a line, he was ready - I was ready and all of a sudden the brakes went on and instead of both of us jumping the jump - it was a one man show.  I tumbled over the fence and rolled a couple of times. As I rolled all I could see was hooves coming at me. Chante decided to jump after all!  Thankfully I had rolled away from getting hit and no bones broken.  But even though It was unexpected, I think I handled it well.  Shoulders back, eyes up, tuck your head into your chest.

I was taught to fall when I was younger - when I was eventing, I had ample opportunity to put it to the test and I do think that knowing how to fall has kept me from being injured many times. While it helps in some situations while riding, the times I've been hurt, knowing how to fall hadn't really helped. With the first horse-related injury (compression fractures in my back) the trouble was I thought I had the horse rode - I had been adjusting my stirrup with loose legs and riding on the buckle when he blew up. It wasn't until I was passing the knees from a 17.2 hand OTTB that I realized it was going to hurt. If I hadn't been confident in my ability to ride it out, I would probably have bailed sooner and been unhurt, but I was 21 and could ride anything and jump the moon at that point in my life. My second horse-related injury my mare tripped and rolled over on me (western this time) - both of us went down together and I was pretty lucky that I didn't get any really serious injuries - aside from a sore shoulder from planting it first, and a bruise/lump on the inside of my thigh above my knee where cantle and 1100 lb horse rolled over my leg. Had it been my lower leg, I bet it would have been broken. In that case too, knowing HOW to fall didn't help. But in 30 years of riding - training - and actively looking for the crazies when I was younger, knowing HOW has kept me relatively safe.  :)

  My bad fall was really a combination of falling and a very poorly executed emergency dismount.  The VERY green 4 year old I was riding was having a good day in the arena so my riding buddy and I decided to cool our horses on the track around the outside of the horse pens.  The horses were behaving themselves but 1/2 way around we heard one of the neighbors having a very loud party.  We decided to avoid it by going through the back field.  Unknown to us though someone had put a large archery target on the barn owner's property.  Well, the horses didn't care for that much.  They were ok until we passed the target.  Something about seeing it suddenly behind them sent them into panic mode.  The horse I was riding bolted.  When I tried the one-rein stop, he started bucking like a rodeo horse, kicking up and twisting his back.  Between the fear, the bolting and the bucking he was totally out of control.  There were some old metal fence posts in the tree line that was coming up fast and I felt the only way for him to regain enough composure to avoid them was for me to get off...fast.  Well I jumped off and tried to do a tuck n roll type thing.  My timing must have been waaay off so it ended up more like flop n thud.  Final tally; the horse survived and I got a chopper ride to the local trauma unit.  I wound up with 3 broken vertebrae and 7 broken ribs bilaterally.  It took months of therapy, but I got back on that horse. 

The one thing I really learned from that is that I wished I had a chance to learn how to do a better emergency dismount.  The article on falling could have really helped too.  I would have at least been thinking more along the lines of getting my arms up to protect myself.  I probably would have only broken an arm or something.

These kind of things never happen to me unless we have an audience.  My 6y/o TB gelding and I (I'm 45) attended a trail riding/desensitization clinic with our local chapter of the Old Peoples Riding Club ( pony club for grownups)  We did fabulously with the umbrellas, lawn chairs, pool noodles, trot poles, hula hoops, cones,walking across the tarp, even putting on the floppy yellow raincoat and taking it off..... no problem, however, when the clinician brought out the empty paintcan filled with empty coke cans on the end of a six foot piece of twine and began to drag it all around us on the ground, my horse still seemed nonplussed.  When handed the piece of twine, my horse took two steps sideways( I immediately dropped the thing) and took off across the indoor arena at a dead run full-body bucking like a bronc at the rodeo.The first buck unseated me and I lost my stirrups, (I ride english) I reached down and grabbed the front of the saddle and pulled my butt back into the saddle, rode out the next two bucks and decided to bail... I dove over his right shoulder and karate-rolled in the arena, back onto my feet.  The clinician caught my horse and brought him back to me, saying " you know, you've got to get back on"which I did,  then using us as a teaching point about knowing your horse's personality:  a seemingly calm horse that explodes when overloaded with sensory input.  I studied karate and credit my reaction to that training, also remembering the adage, "its better to stay on than to come off" and using that whole scenario, to better understand my horse and how he is wired so that I don't put him into a situation that has such a loss of control w/potential for harm to us both.

I've had plenty of falls - many of them quite spectactular - but I've been lucky to have minimal injuries (sprains, aches, and pains - although I did see stars once for over 20 minutes).  My trainer cringes when we know it's coming.  I always wear a helmet and it has saved me on numerous occasions - even from posting into a low hanging tree branch.

The best lesson I learned when I first started riding was to "dismount" at a walk, trot, or canter - at a moment's notice.  Just kick your feet out and jump so you land on your feet.  Of course, I was younger then, able to stick my landing, and getting back on was less of a chore.  Part of the reasoning the instructor gave was that the worst thing you can do is try to hang on when you've gone past the point of no return. 

 I've also learned to automatically tuck and roll; never putting a hand or arm out to "save me."  When riding my daughter's TB who kicks out once you've left the saddle, I've also learned to push clear away from the horse on my way down to avoid the kicking hooves.

I currently ride a 25-year-old, 16.2 Dutch Warmblood who doesn't know his age and gives lots of attitude.  I love it, though - the more attitude I get, the less guilty I feel about enjoying our rides together.  We've had some rough moments, but I think we understand each other now and we've reached a playful truce.  It's been a while (knock on wood) since he's sent me flying, but he keeps trying every now and then just to be sure I'm still alert.

Every ride is a great ride and after every fall, I've gotten back on (had to wait half an hour or so after the stars episode) and tried it again.  It keeps me young and I love every minute.

taximonte:

I'm a riding instructor and once a student feels comfortable on the horse we have a "falling off" lesson.

I teach them to wrap their arms around the horses neck, take their feet out of the stirrups and slide off. We start off at a stand still and progress up through the gaits. Knowing this gives them a lot of confidence.

I know it's saved me a few times from getting hurt. 

 

Interesting. I have used the "grab neck" method a few times to stay on when I get popped out of the saddle. Looks like it works both ways. :)

I have only (Thankfully) had one bad fall.  It was one of those freak accident ones that could have not been prevented.  Even if I did know how to fall that wouldnt have helped me in that situation.  It was last summer in August and I was jumping in my last class of the day on the first day of a 4 day show.  All was good untill we came up to about the 5th jump.  My horse slipped and crashed through the jump.  I flew one way and he the other.  He actually saved me by manuvering himself away so that he didnt land on me and of course get crushed by him.  I got up almost immediatly thinking I was fine.  I was very very wrong.  The paramedic came and looked me over.  She thought I was fine so I got up on my horse again(BAD idea) and said to just walk around.  WHen I tried to use my right arm I felt a searing pain shoot up it.  The pain intesified when I got off.  I walked around 2 days before I finnaly got checked out.  Turns out I had broked my collar bone, needless to say the doctor wasnt very happy with me or my mom...  In freak accidents not a whole lot can be prevented and I really couldnt have done anything differently.  I dont really do anything differently for falls because I never know when they are about to happen.  I make sure that I ALWAYS have a helmet on when im riding because you never know with horses.

 I was offered the use of a vacant block behind a house for a part Arab horse I was leasing. I jumped at the chance, because it would save me some feed costs. But there was one thing I did not foresee. The horse in question panicked when in that pasture - he could hear traffic, and people, and other sounds, but could not tell where they were coming from because there were houses and other barriers between him and the sounds.

As a result he was in a panic when I went to ride him. He fidgeted, looked around, and his muscles felt hard to the touch. I should have known better than to saddle up (difficult to do when your horse will not stand still), but I did not get much opportunity to ride, and thought I could ride it out of him.

I ended up leaving the halter on and putting the bridle on top, because I thought if I took the halter off, he would bolt away from me before the bridle could be put on. Turns out it was lucky I did.

I got on him, somehow (more fidgeting and nervousness from him), and tried to get him to settle. I thought he was doing ok, when suddenly he left the track, stopped, and bucked. Big bucks - four of them and I hit the deck, landing on my butt, and winded. I lay there struggling for air and watched him gallop off, to his old paddock.

Once I could breathe again, I struggled to my feet and walked after him. By the time I got home someone had caught him and tied him up for me, and were looking for me, in the wrong direction. The horse had bolted past the house and then turned back, so looked like he was coming from the opposite direction.

I got back on him, reluctantly, but felt I had to, and rode for another 10 minutes. He was much calmer, although still felt like a coiled spring, but he didnt buck again that day, or any other time I rode him afterwards.

The lesson for me was, if a horse does not feel safe, no matter their behaviour before that day, don't saddle up and ride. Look for reasons for their change in behaviour and address them. Only ride if you feel safe enough to do so.

I was sore for a week, and needed a chiropractor to fix me up. It could have been much worse.

My bad fall was out on a trail alone (not a good idea, I know).  It was March, cool and windy, and my grouchy old mare, then 23, was snorting and fussing.  Something set her to bucking, and after two or three, I didn't think I could stay on any longer. I thought "I'll just slide off to the ground and then grab her!"   Well, I stood up a little too soon, she was still bucking away and launched a kick at me.  I instinctively raised my arm in front of my face, and caught the kick with my forearm.   She promptly ran back to the barn, leaving me more than a mile from home with a broken arm and the heel off my boot, yelling words that can't be posted in a forum.

Fortunately, I had my cell phone with me. I called back to the barn to make sure someone grabbed my mare when she returned, and I started the long walk back.  No one could drive out to get me because I was riding through a very muddy river plain, and vehicles would sink in the mud. 

I never "learned" to fall, although that mare gave me lots of practice ;)   I'm glad I was wearing my helmet and carrying my cell phone!

 A helmet will save your life.

I found this out this past summer, the summer before my senior year of high school.

I had just purchased my SaddlebredXQuarter Horse after been leasing him for 4 months.  Jay Dee was a dream come true, i rode him in my 4-H events at our county fair. Tradition is that after the show  the "4-Her's" will go into the arena and just ride with friends. Its quite a relaxed atmosphere. I was riding with my best friend and decided to show off and pick Jay's canter from a walk. That was a stupid mistake, he was tired, i was tired. 

I picked up the canter and went about 8 strides when he fell to his knees. i flew over the top of his head. I landed on my head and immediatly went uncontious. Jay trying to redeam his footing acidently stepp/ed on my head, not that i felt it, but he was scared and stood by the other horses. 

About 15 minutes later i redeamed contiousness, i could hardly open my eyes because they were swollen from my glasses being crunched into my face. I had a bloody nose from the impact and i seriously ate the dirt. When i opened my mouth you could see the arena in it mixed with blood(it was one of my more delicious moments ) 

The EMT's were asking me all of these questions and i kept replying in random anwsers

...."What is your name?".....

....."Blue?"......

finally i got it together and my parents were called and i was brought to the hospital.

3 hours of X-rays and catscans to be wait to be lied too. :( 

they told me i fractured C-6 in my vertebrae i was like what are you kiding me!!! i broke my freakin neck!!!!

then they did a catscan and it was just a flaw on the x-ray i didn't break my neck i was fine. They did tell me the only  reason i'm alive was for my helmet. if i didn't where one the impact from the fall + the weight from Jay = paralyzed or even worse.....dead.

I was scared to get back on Jay hell knows he was scared too, but when i built up my courage it was the best ride i have ever had with him.

that was the worst fall i have ever had to this day i have enternal pain in my neck and i twist my sentances around. i can't concentrate on my music nor on some of my homework.

i recomend to all those young/old horse enthusiest wear you helmet. i almost lost my life in the begining stages. 

love kelcie and jay

Recently, I had what I consider to be a horrific fall! But what's kinda comical, was that while I was lying in the Hospital, contemplating my riding, my age and the crappy situation I was in, my girlfriend gave me my copy of the August PH magazine and we both laughed when we saw this article! I had fallen off my horse, Winston who I have raised since he was 6 months old and he is now 12. He's usually kind, calm, gentle and no one could believe he "did" what he did! I however, knew I had broken many of the rules one should follow while jumping and cut some corners so was somewhat to blame for the fall! I had jumped a perfect triple...2'6 to 2'9 ending with a 3' oxer. We jumped it perfectly the first time and I should have stopped, right then and there...but ya know how that perfect jump feels...I just wanted to get that feeling one more time..! He jumped and it was great UNTIL he landed after the third fence and I leaned way over his neck praising him! WRONG! I KNEW I should have stopped him and THEN praised him! Well this boy bucked like he was trying out for some honky tonk rodeo! I tried to pull his head up and I pushed my heels down as far as I could...but I knew I was history. Just as I threw the reins and was tring to dismount he gave one last thrust and I remember going through the air thinking...'This one is really going to hurt!'

Long story short...I broke my neck, dislocated my collar bone, fractured all my ribs on my left side, punctured my lung and was knocked unconscious! Nice, huh? I was flown by helicopter to Anchorage, Alaska and was told by the neurosurgeon two days later that I had angels on my wings that day! My neck will heal....will probably be back up on the good ole' boy this Spring! I'm 52 and a tough ole broad! Everything happened so fast, that to be honest, nothing I had learned about "emergency dismounts" was put in to play fast enough! What I do KNOW is that because I was in GREAT physical shape and was strong and not overweight, I handled the fall better than if the opposites were true! The doctors were amazed at how well I came through it without even worse injuries. They all said my physical shape may have saved my life!

Riding's dangerous...I was hurt once when I was jumping out of perfectly good choppers in the Army and got bit by a baracuda while skin diving. Riding is my PASSION, not a hobby but a passion! I don't know what the doctors will say when I am evaluated 30 October...but I know, one way or another I will be riding and soaring over jumps with Winston just like I always have!! I respect this sport, but it is something that I will do forever regardless of how dangerous! I'm just not the knitting or Western Pleasure type!

Who hasn?! Haha

The worst one I've ever had was on a style pacing gelding, he was about 22 years old, that was so hyper literally the minute you sat on him he started to sweat! I was on a saddle that the stirrups where stuck in one place so I didnt use them. I tried to take him around in a small place but he wanted no part of it. He took off running as fast as he possibly could have & went back to the field he was in, I knew I had to bale off but as always there wasnt any where to land at that speed that would be easy! I jumped off & hit my tail bone & had a mild concussion. I had to carried a hemroid cussion around with me at school for a month! it was horrible!