Anyone ever had a near fatal incident on a horse?

ATrueClassAct

ATrueClassAct

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Had One on the roads many years ago with Arab. All hi-vized out, around midday on a Sunday after. We were just heading back when Arab decides to spook at a grid, jump to other side of the road. Behind us had stopped but this one guy on opposite side of the road doesn't stop, he beeps and revs his engine. Like a kn**. However this luckily sent Arab onto the pavement, safe out of the way. But all I remember now is seeing the guys face at the driver seat and closing my eyes.
Any other experiences?
 
I got kicked in the face at the end of last year. Stayed conscious, no stitches and hasn't majorly knocked anything confidence wise dealing with them again.
 
Not quite near death but my worst accident ended with me in hospital with seizures and bad concussion... Had horse (4 year old 16.3hh) on full livery and went away for 5 days; came back presuming he had been excercised as asked... went into indoor school, adjusted my stirrups, 30 secs later horses outside in field start pratting about, my horse goes into orbit (not having been sat on for 5 days and been put into new spring paddock with loads of grass) and I land on my head!
Come round a few mins later having put teeth through front lip and drag mysef onto yard... yard owner washes my mouth out, tells someone to put horse away and tells me to go home... luckily I phone my mum who was in and she comes to get me as I am wretching and can't see straight... Get to A&E and collapse on floor having the first of many seizures!
Never got my confidence back with the horse (not his fault) and only just starting to feel positive again with my fab new boy who looks after me... I'm still a big girls blouse compared to before but hopefully will go pre novice this year (have competed Intermediete before!) if I get brave!
 
I had a very near miss with Ned. A 4X4 was no more than 2 inches from his hind legs, going at around 60mph. I was nearly in tears when I realised what had happened.

My friend was kicked in the back and broke it. Luckily it was minor and she's back riding again!

I've also seen a girl dragged along the fence, how she didn't die I will never know!
 
This weird near-miss I had a few weeks ago might count...

I'd just set off on a ride with my friend who was in front of me (and oblivious to nearly the whole thing!). We have to ride through a stretch of mud that the horses pick their way through before reaching a gravel track. As we got onto the firmer track I lent down to look at my horse's hoof boots to make sure the mud hadn't made them swizzle or come off. At the same time, my horse apparently felt a bit excited about having got on to the firmer ground and did his little arab skip and head throw.

Somehow, my reins managed to get flung over the top of my riding hat and caught round the back of my neck. They were tight enough that I couldn't sit back up and even reaching round behind my head I couldn't get the damn thing free and my horse had started to stop and worry about the pressure from the reins. I had one of those moments that goes "there is going to be a serious disaster in a few seconds and I don't know what the hell I can do about it". Mercifully, I happen to have a Zilco bridle with quick release catches which connect to the bit instead of buckles or those hook and eye things leather reins have. I lent forwards and unclipped the reins from the bit on the left and passed them round the back of my head while my poor horse turned in a right hand circle until I could hop off and put it back together. :D

I couldn't tell you how it happened, or do it again if I tried, but it could have and probably would have been awful had i not had the quick release reins and/or my horse had started to panic. So the moral is, there will always be new and inventive ways to almost kill yourself with horses but hopefully now more people will be aware of this one and join me in being extra careful not to get your horse's reins over your head and round your neck because, believe it or not, it is actually possible and to be avoided! :o
 
I had a rotational fall on a horse I was thinking about buying.
Not a very big x-pole in a group lesson in the indoor, he was young and clumsy, he hit it with his front legs and he went absolutely a-over-t, no idea how, but for once I was looking up and I went one way and he went the other luckily, normally I tense up but I just thought 'stay floppy!!!'. Neither of us hurt in the slightest but I was tipping sand out of my ears for days.
A mother and young boy in the lesson never went back :o :o :o the wee boy was beside himself :( even though I was fine and got back on and jumped it again (for us both)

When I realised how bad it could have ended I did lose my nerve a bit but my mum paid for me to do the x-country at Castle Leslie a few weeks later on one of their push-button ponies and while I was nervous at the start I jumped everything, it was great to get my mojo back.

Didn't buy him though!!!
 
I was on a hack (was actually having a lesson) and my horse was spooked by one behind him tripping over something. the noise made him bolt onto a main road and up the drive into the yard carpark, where I came off onto a car.

I remember falling and the next thing, I was being put into the ambulance in a neck brace and on a spinal board.

my poor mother got a hysterical phone call from a friend who'd seen me go flying.

it wasn't the horses fault. I leased him until the school sold him on.
 
I had two whilst working in a yard, one of the horses bolted with me down a stoney track. I actually felt the horse flatten out he was going so quick, nose out and completely locked, he wouldn't turn even with both hand trying to turn him on the reins and trust me I tried everything for nearly a mile! I bailed off before the road and just cracked some ribs!
A week off and back to work whilst picking out one of the horses back feet he kicked out, I felt myself swing round and I saw my tooth fly in front of me which had ripped through my bottom lip. My lip poored with blood and I had loose teeth but still rugged up the horse and put it to bed then tried to drive home! 3 bone grafts in my jaw and a tooth implant on a titanium pin. The scar on my lip is visible but given what it looked like after being kicked I think I was lucky. My face was like a football! One inch higher and I wouldn't be here! Needless to say I didn't return back to the yard after that lot!
 
CaveCanem said:
I had a rotational fall on a horse I was thinking about buying.
Not a very big x-pole in a group lesson in the indoor, he was young and clumsy, he hit it with his front legs and he went absolutely a-over-t, no idea how, but for once I was looking up and I went one way and he went the other luckily, normally I tense up but I just thought 'stay floppy!!!'. Neither of us hurt in the slightest but I was tipping sand out of my ears for days.
A mother and young boy in the lesson never went back :o :o :o the wee boy was beside himself :( even though I was fine and got back on and jumped it again (for us both)
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I had a scarily similar experience, young clumsy horse tripped over X pole in group lesson and went over, I was fired down the arena on the side of my shoulder. Got up, bit shaken, lots of sand everywhere (when I took off my jods half the arena fell out! and the saddle got broken in the fall, but no real damage done other than a bleddy sore, purple shoulder. However, two of the littles on the lesson burst into hysterical tears and I heard one ask if I was dead (it took me a minute to get up because I was in a complete heap/knot on the ground :o )

I've yet to have anything uber dramatic, though I broke my elbow and had a jagged piece of bone pressing into a considerable length of my vein in my arm. The doctors were not impressed that I just taped it up (with Gaffa tape :o) followed by a 2 hour drive over bumpy roads/lanes etc. Had to get emergency surgery as they were worried the bone would slip and effectively slice me from the inside out, was 11 at the time so didn't bother me at the time.
 
I was once riding a friends youngster- Bailey down a road leading from the yard and she was walking besides me, as her horse was only a baby and on his first solo hack. A car sped up and purposely aimed at my friend and hit her also clipping the back legs of the youngster i was riding, sending him to the ground. I came off and turned round to see my friend Sarah flying through the air, the thud when she hit the ground is a noise and image ill never forget. She lived to tell the tale, although she suffered numerous fractures/internal bleeding and was in a coma , but Bailey her youngster, was never the same... Same friend was checking some fell youngsters with me a couple years later and bent down to look at a cut on a back leg and got kicked in the head, she ended up with metal plates in her skull and was in hospital for long time. Eventually we moved away. I wonder if we hadnt, if there would have been a third incident, as they alway say it comes in three's !!!
 
Had a horse throw itself on me when i was 16. I though he was rearing and he came down on top of me. I was black front and back from my shoulderto my knee on the left side. GP said i was fine but ive got limited range in my left hip.

Around the same time had just left the yard i worked at on a 4 yr old on our own (she was bery good) and a sierra cosworth doing god knows how fast came flying towards us. The mare shot forwards in a panic (quite rightly) and we ended up in a field the other side of a 4' gate. I didn't notice her jump it but my attention was on the car i suppose. I think she saved both our lives and i went on to jump her quite a bit for my boss after that (she'd not really jumped before-dressage yard).

My old tb wrapped me round a tree before when we had a disagreement about the fence i asked him to jump. He was good ait dirty stops!! I used to bounce i think.

Ive only fallen off once in the last 15 years so i count myself very lucky (def luck and not skill lol!!)
 
I was doing a sponsored ride on my old TB when he started getting very wound up so I retired and decided to hack home, I did a major detour trying to avoid crossing the course but had to do about 500 meters along a bridleway that was being used as part of the route. I rode along with 4 others who were still going round and they were very good about only walking when I explained that I'd retired because of horse rearing, anyway we reached a gate at the end and the first couple went through I went to follow and my horse went straight up and then over backwards coming down across my left hip and side, the bridleway was on a hillside so horse had trouble getting up and rolled on me several times. I don't remember him going over just laying on the ground not able to get away with hooves coming towards my face and thinking' if he hits my head I'm gonna die!' After he got to his feet I told the other people 'I told you he reared' then tried to move, don't really remember much after that,but I've been told I gave the paramedics a bit of a scare when they arrived...The fall and rolling had managed to break my pelvis, right tibia ( never understood how as he landed on my left side!),2 ribs and my collarbone.
 
Ive had more good experiences than bad on horses, ive had a few narrow squeaks but i wont let myself dwell on them because when the what ifs get into your head, you set yourself up for a fall ( pardon the pun )
 
2 for me :/
one being 4 of us riding along a country lane with numerous hidden dips on this straight road. A car came hurtling towards us at a stupid speed, then obviously seen us and swerved and crashed into a tree. Luckly still a fair few meters away from us but it sent everyones horse spining round and bolting full pelt down the road with an unfortunate bicycle rider coming the other way who crapped himself of course and ended up making a break for the hedge to get out the way! Lucky no horses injured only the car passenger was a bit battered and bruised!

Second being in work and was told i had to ride a youngster first time out on a main road (60mph) with no reins or neck strap (having no choice in the matter as the other groom was injured due to a bad accident 2 days before with the horses) I came of the baby once in the yard leading to a kick to the head and being knocked out. Had to then get back on to be chucked off about 300m down the road resulting in a broken back and more!

Though having been told by a previous boss i worked for i had a very sticky bum being the main reason i was always given the naughty horses, it must of been one big buck this horse gave me though i dont remember the accident no-one seen it happen as it was so quick !
 
Fractured skull and cerebral haemmhorage (can't spell it ) - hacking

Crushed breastbone - hunter trialling

Crushed vertebrae - hunting

The worst was when I was hacking on my 100% hunter x along a quietish B Road. Straight road, clear day, 30 mph limit, traffic all overtaking me politely. I thanked three cars. As the fourth came by I half turned to salute it; its bonnet was just under my right knee! Fleet and I were somersaulted onto the roof of the car. The last thing I remember is hitting the car roof with her coming down on top of me.

I woke up 10 minutes later in the arms of a very scared young policeman! Fleet was being held by someone, a back leg was swinging and she was pouring with blood from the leg and from her mouth. I passed out again. when I came round the second time she was being held by a different person. It was a local greengrocer, who had his own horses. A householder had brought a bowl of warm water and they were washsing the blood off her. He then came over and said "It's not as bad as it looks. the blood from her mouth isn't internal. She's been cut by the bit pulling through". Apparently though unaware of it I had been very vocal, and had told them that Fleet didn't belong to me (then), who her owner was, who the vet was, etc etc. As I was loaded into the ambulance she was being eased into the trailer to take her home.

I had minor injuries, and still have an undefined floating 'lump' under my ribs which is occasionally uncomfortable but does me no harm. Fleet's injuries took far longer. But with massive support from her owners (who never said ONE cross word about the accident) and a lot of hard work from me, she made a complete recovery, and 9 months later I was able to take her on the Badminton Airfield Ride. I was so proud of her.

The woman who caused the accident was never charged. The police said she was "very shocked". The impact of Fleet and me on the roof of her Vovlo had been so great that it bent the roll bar thingy.
 
Rose Folly said:
The woman who caused the accident was never charged. The police said she was "very shocked". The impact of Fleet and me on the roof of her Vovlo had been so great that it bent the roll bar thingy.
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To me that is wrong on so many levels, the amount of cars i have had on my tail or close enough i could turn my toe and touch them ,lucky nothing as serious as that.
But what's to stop her doing it again to another poor horse and rider! I think people like that need to be taught a lesson weather it be a driving safety course, a fine or ATLEAST cover the vet bills!
 
Back n the 70's, hats were lined with cork and, if you had safety concious parents, your mum would sew a bit of elastic on to go under your chin! I was on a hack, in some wood, didn't duck right and a branch went under my hat and pulled me off my pony. I was hanging for what seemed like ages (probably only a matter of seconds) with my hat on the back of my head and the elastic around my neck. Thankfully, my mother is no seamstress and the stitching gave way, leaving me to land on my posterior. The bruising on my neck took ages to go. I reckon, had we been going any faster than a walk and the strap had been webbing, it could have broken my neck.
 
I've had a couple. The first was while I was riding a pony towards a busy junction while out hacking. He spooked when another ponies head appeared over the hedge. Shot forwards and I yanked his head around so he couldn't go forwards straight across the main road. Lucky I did as he would have run straight in front of a car driving at 60mph.

the second time my mare reared up and fell backwards landing on top of me out hunting. I was airlifted to hospital luckily nothing broken. Except my confidence.
 
I've literally been pulled through a hedge backwards.During one lesson at a riding school I used to attend, we spent the second half of the lesson going out on a hack, which we did quite often in summer.Following the usual route, which involved making a big u-turn in a local park, tit of a horse spooked at the horse in front swishing his tail (of all things:confused:), bolted across the park, I came off, with my foot still wedged in the stirrup.Cue horse flying over a hedge bordering the park and carrying on back to the stables.

Thankfully I came off about 30 yards down the (very rocky!) bridleway from the hedge, with the obligatory scratches, bruises and a sprained wrist and ankle.
 
Had just said to sister that I had none of these to recount, when I remembered the time I was taking the Old Appy to a show. I was leading her along the track to the showground when a 4x4 towing a trailer was coming towards us. He stopped the car, with almost no room to go past, we thanked him for stopping, he set off , leaving no room between the mare and the trailer, the mare jumped sideways, knocked me into the ditch and then came down on top of me :eek: I saw her shoes pass my face and she landed on my legs, fortunately the ditch bottom was very wet and squelchy AND I managed to hold on to the reins. I then took her back home, led her all the way (about 5 miles) and spent the next two days unable to bend my legs, which were black from hip to ankle. No lasting damage and no visit to A&E
 
YES, playing pony club polo.

Horse slipped whilst I was 'riding off at gallop' going full speed, I went under her and she came toppling towards me, she managed to stand to save me (she is a bloody good pony), but in doing so trod on my shoulder and face/neck. They thought I had broken my neck as I was unable to move and had to be air lifted. I was in the same position on the field for 2.5 hrs!

In fact I had broken my left arm, my right collarbone was broken and two inches out of place, and i had slit my chin/face open.

The doctors said an inch to the left, or if my hat had fallen off I would have been a gonna! Or if she had landed on me, again squashed.

Said pony is still my favourite and I can now only happily play her and my other pony, I will not borrow or hire/ride others and be happy doing so. I count myself lucky, and went out and bought a brand new three point safety harness polo helmet as I was 'forced' into wearing one that day as it was a pony club match, my normal polo hat would not have saved me!
 
got away relatively lightly recently. was hacking by myself (my horse is quite a liability so would rather not force him upon others!) and there was a paraglider learning doing small jumps in the field i was riding by. my lad reared, lost his footing as the path is double levelled and flipped back onto me. walked us home and all i had was a bit of whiplash and he has done his suspensory and given his poll and muscles round there a bit of a bash but all in one piece... someone was certainly smiling on us but did give me a serious confidence knock!!
 
oh dear...hope I'm not going to take a whole page up!

I think I have DFS or Armchair aura when it comes to horses! now where to start!

Airlifted to hosp after taking young hanovarian x tb out early sun to avoid walkers etc. First time out alone on him but we both knew the route well. Came to the top of a hill into bright sun from the woods onto an open clearing..and very helpfully some v hi-vized walkers(20 or so) saw us coming & were hiding in the bushes so that we could pass ..their white gsd was tied to a push chair full of tescos bags full of refreshments..namely oranges! Dog barked, Rusty spooked & slipped on the chalky limey track & slipped & slid on me as we tumbled down the steep rootey bank (like a mini cliff in the woods). 2 cracked hips & a helicopter ride later I was informed by the air ambulance crew that they only found me as dear old Rusty was graxing where they were trying to land, totally unphased despite his cuts & bruises..with 2strapping great policemen trying to anchor him by each hanging off a stirrup!ofcourse this is how you stear horses!:D

Was schooling the Barley Corn (eventer)after his owner had broken her back & took him over a few gentle cross poles in the school. Was only when we got back to the yard a few hundred yards from the school that he flipped out(first time he jumped since her accident) anyway..he decided I needed to learn about roof structure & design and bucked like an a** h*** and landed me on the stable roof/gutter & then gravity took care of the rest...2 new cracks to hips ribs & a very black bottom!

numerous more but best of the lot..my TB mare out hacking alone..fri 13th feb 2004. 4pm..we'd been schooling at the gallops & come back thru the woods & were walking the last mile back home. the road bares round in a hairpin with 6ft grass banks either side. Suddenly she was vertical rearing and we were up the inside grass bank. I sat as best & as forward as I could while trying to re position her into the hedge in hope of her not falling back-bank was so steep you couldn't walk up it on your feet...I remember 3 or 4 rears & some spinning & a loud crack. I woke 45 mins later with the vicar (in full dog collar!) peering into my eyes, telling me he'd heard me swear over his lawn mowing & had followed the horse who he saw dissappearing past his garden & back towards the farm(we were neighbours)there were bike paramedics 2 ambulances(I'm only tiny!) and an air ambulance.again!same crew!! I was asking about my whip & why wouldn't they let me get back & check where my horse was (I was temporarily paralized till the feeling came back about 9pm -all prob due to impacting)it wasn't my whip i heard cracking but my sternum & every single one of my vertebrae. Hospital mis diagnosed at the time & were concentrating on spinal chord damage-they said I was lucky not to have severed it.lots of swearing at the hosp that I would sue if they dared to cut my boots of-luckliy zip backed & a horsey nurse who 'understood!' I remember being surrounded on arrival by about 9 people who were all very scissor weilding.shame my fave jeans & top are now fit only for a patchwork cushion:-( BUT I'm alive & very much kicking! I do have ME/CFS & fibromyalgia as a result, and do hurt quite a lot and have had to leave the fire service & now can only work for myself due to this, but I was beyond VERY lucky...oh and you will be pleased to hear that the second car that drove past after the vicar had woken me & we were waiting for the air ambulance was an ex international showjumper. He was lost but staying locally...and kindly said he would make sure the horses (6)were looked after..which he did beautifully for three days till a groom could be arranged! I am incredibly grateful for everyone in the village who went out in force looking for me & my horse who apparently had put herself in her stable & was hiding in the back corner looking very guilty in her tack & had even pulled the door closed behind her!The next day was Valentines day & the dr's had been holding chocolates for me to reach (only way to get me to co-operate as i was not aware i couldn't move and was getting very cross telling them to set me free as I was chocked & wedged onto a spinal board) the next day the nurse explained to me that i had not actually been taking the chocs from him but that they had to put them in my mouth tho I was fully convinced I was reaching out for them, I wasn't. That was when it all came home what a lucky escape I had. Always take your guardian angel with you AND a mobile phone..if you can't use it, someone else can.
 
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