ANOTHER event rider death

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kcourtil

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I just read this on the H&H news page http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews/391/118856.html and it really freaked me out
I was hoping to compete at Novice level next year but am swiflty being put off
I know the probability of it happening is small but with the amount of rider deaths and horse fatalities (even though at a higher level) recently I dont know if I can risk the life of my horse (and my life for that matter) just for my own enjoyment
I'm probably just being dramatic but just wandered what other ppls views were on this matter
 
Oh no not another
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its one of those tragic years again isnt it, how awful
I have to say, after witnessing the freak accident with the french horse at badminton i came home with a very wierd sensation, not a nice one, i had lost some of my motivation and did have in the back of my head 'can i really risk my horses life just for my enjoyment' although i know theres always a risk even out in the field, but it was in the back of my mind and still is
 
how upsetting, RIP.
is it just me or are these eventing deaths becoming more common?

it has put me off just doing xc with my pony after the incidents at badminton and the recent rider deaths.
i would hate for anything to happen to me or my horses.

but i suppose accident can happen any place any time, its just a risk you have to take.
 
oh poor you
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it was bad enough seeing it on the tv let alone right in front of u
i know what u mean about how an accident can happen any time any place and that theres always a risk with horses
its something we sign up for as soon as we get into horses
i dont want to turn to pure dressage quite yet seeing as ive finally got a horse than can jump higher than 1ft! i also want to carry on supporting BE and think it would be terrible if the sport were to suffer from these terrible tragedies
maybe im worrying too much and should just get on with it?!
 
RIP
Can't believe that we have 7 fatalities in 10 months, my uni friends are getting worried about me now.
It seems to be happening at simple fences and being rotational falls and several being on good ground, something must be going wrong but I am not sure what.
 
I am thinking exactly like you right now Shelly_Ksea. I currently compete at Novice level, however my aim since last year was to qualify and compete at a 2 day novice next month. However, I am now having huge doubts. I love my horse to pieces and would be mortified if something happened to him when we event for my enjoyment. I feel guilty if he comes back from the XC with a little tiny cut for christs sake! So am not sure if I should do the 2 day or just stay in my comfort zone.

It is scary, especially when some of these falls are at such simple fences.
 
I'm noticing it is always a simple jump, it is scaring me a lot as there are so many deaths/injuries and I hate uprights anyway, are these the jumps it's happening at? Are riders not taking enough of a pull?
 
It's very sad but do you think it's because, as they have mostly been over 'simple' jumps that perhaps the riders have relaxed just that bit too much; or had their mind on perhaps a more difficult jump after that or something? Just a thought but of course we will never know.
 
My heart sunk as soon as I saw the title, RIP.

Personally I have already been put off eventing/jumping since my friend was crushed in a rotational fall eventing at Novice level, but back then it was a comparitive rareity to todays common place deaths at low levels and simple fences.
I can see alot of people starting to think twice before setting off XC in the future.
 
See my thoughts come down to breeding and training. Back in the "olden days" Ginny and Lucinda etc would bring on young horses themselves and maybe with a damn good groom helping and would really put in the time on working those horses and knowing them inside out - and eventing I'd say was a lot more elitist and the plucky amateur was rare. The horses were I'd say in the main, british bred and with a significant dollop of TB and the riders really worked WITH the horse.

What has changed - and I know it was Ginny or Lucinda who did say it, just can't remember which one - is that horses now have their instincts schooled out of them. They are all about rider control and judgement (and bl**dy awful judgement in some cases) and its obedience that is controlling the horse, not instinct. Therefore rider error can be worse as there is no natural instinct from the horse to balance it.

All these big imported warmbloods - and don't get me wrong its horses for courses and if you want one, fine by me, BUT they are trained differently - they are trained to be this mega-disciplined uber-horse along different training methods - and they do as they are told not as they think themselves to some extent.

You just rarely see horses like Wideawake, Be Fair, Charisma, and Regal Realm that seemes to have all the natural talent in the world, and a good sense of self preservation and that instinct that can be vital in giving a fence that extra bit of care.

These things just didn't happen back in the 70's and 80's.

Of course thats just my opinion! But I have to say whilst I'm not likely to pop the Orange one round badminton, I would trust her instincts to get us out of trouble far more than my own, and I think I'd be lost on a completely obedient uber-machine!
 
Have to agree with all the opinions expressed above. Personally as I compete for pleasure and my horse is old (26) I prefer indoor derby's/HT's or very small XC. Unless it was my career and I had a love for throwing myself and my horse over such large SOLID obstacles, there is not a chance you will find me jumping that height!

Age is part of it, family, mortgage etc, whilst I understand the love for it by others, it does appear to be coming more common place for riders to suffer rotational falls?

I echo Gingermares comment on the good old days and the fact that horses were trained to think for themselves, and could probably go on to jump a course alone....

Maybe people are doing this type of thing before they are genuinely ready? - I really dont know the answer, it could be down to bad luck or coincidence but I really dont see what harm lowering some of the fences at these events would do, its still hairraising to burn round at speed over solid fences even if the height was brought down a peg....
 
Being a crap amateur I disagree about the horse thinking for himself - my horse has to think for himself as I am 7/10 times usually wrong. I have to buy horses to bring on as they have to learn to cope with me being crap and they have to be generous to me or else I would never get anywhere!
Unfortunately the way modern courses are designed they are demanding greater obedience from the horse - to jump a bank, bounce log two strides then skinny takes just that obedience. Look at WEG mostly obedience fences but Toytown still helped out his rider as he has taken Zara through the ranks while she was unpolished. WFP on the other hand has very disciplined horses who do not think for themselves as he is so good.
Ginny and Lucinda were jumping big and it did not demand the obedience of now.
 
I tend to agree GM in bits.

[ QUOTE ]
All these big imported warmbloods - and don't get me wrong its horses for courses and if you want one, fine by me, BUT they are trained differently - they are trained to be this mega-disciplined uber-horse along different training methods - and they do as they are told not as they think themselves to some extent.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can assure you snoop has a mind of his own! and its me! if i interfer end up causing the problems... ie fences down!

I would be interested to see yesteryears horses going round eventing tracks of todays standards.

Remember you could win on a crap dressage! not anymore! you could also be placed with a stop or fall.... NOT anymore.

Back then they had seriously scary big fences! trappy with skinny timber yawning water ditches and stonking great hedges, all what you would find on the hunting field.

Some of todays specially designed fences, the mushrooms, skinnies etc where not seen back then.

Yes even in the 80s acuracy was required, but perhaps not at the acute angles of today.

Dont get me wrong back then Ginnys horses were beautifully schooled, Luncindas werent lol she'd be first to put her hand up and say *dressage* wasnt her bag lol
 
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