Does/would your horse go out of his way to save your butt?

[beaconhorse]

Having seen quite a few riders fall off over their horses head when the horse stopped at a jump.

Then when it happened to me having Beacon throw his head up really really fast to save me on more than one occassion. I feel very privilaged and humble that he cares so much.
Especially when other riders come and tell me how their horse would have dropped their shoulder to make sure they hit the deck.

The last time it happened was Wednesday he got his striding wrong and crashed into an oxer, I shot right up to his ears, he threw his head up and I went a little way down, then he put it up some more and braced his neck as I pushed back on him to get down, then I was sitting in front of the saddle and had to push back on him again to get back in the saddle.

Bless him

 

[tigers_eye]

Remember a pony once (kindly?) doing that to me xc and she knocked me out whilt sitting on her! My mum said afterwards she couldn't work out why I spent so long mooching about in that field after our stop!

My boy in avatar was very good to me at Blenheim, the fourth fence was a big step up with a bounce to a hanging log landing on a downhill, then 3 curving strides to a skinny brush. He jumped the log so big my hat fell over my eyes, but he still turned and jumped the skinny - it was only his effort over the skinny that put my hat back where it should be! I have it on video somewhere!

 

[allijudd]

nope....romes has in the past looked atme on the floor with shock as if to say what the hell are you doing down there woman.......!

 

[frannieuk]

One of mine looks after me - if she can keep me on top she will UNLESS she is having one of her fabled tantrums, in which case she usually broncs me off pretty sharply. If I get in a mess through misfortune (ie not cos she's having a tooty!) then she will do all sorts to get me to stay there. The other horse has enough trouble keeping itself sorted out to worry about what I'm up to!

 

[Super_Kat]

Storm will throw up her head to stop me going over the handlebars and in the 5 years I've had the bugger I've come off her three times, I think thats pretty good

Missy would have no hesitation about helping me hit the deck, fell off her when trying her out, touch wood *touches head* I haven't come off her since I got her in may, I've learn't to hang on for dear life when she does her bronco act's, it's a long way to fall!

 

[ladylisa]

no if mine ditches me she dont even look back, she just runs for home and when i finally get there she's all "where have you been"

 

[tormor]

I've only come off django once and that was when a phesant flew and him and hit him, which sent him into orbit. Other than that he tries hard to keep you on. Reilley is also quite good except when he has his rearing fits, but once he has you off he does come and check that you are alright. i think he must feel a bit guilty. When i got kicked riding him he was a superstar i was basically lying on him cause of the pain, he just turned around and took me home. He also can't deal with people crying.

 

[showjump2003]

My horse is normally pretty good. She has NEVER bucked or reared and never gets arsey about doing stuff. With refuards to jumping she is normally pretty honest and sorts out most of the mistakes I make when it comes to striding ect. When she doesn refuse it's not a nasty refusal.. if that makes sense? I rarery hit the deck although I did last week! My own fault, just assumed she would jump a pathetic sized filler, was too far forwards with no leg, she stopped, I went over her head and landed on my feet on the other side of the jump. She always stands carmly with me after I fall off lol.

My pony on the other hand isn't so trustworthy!

 

[filly190]

I think most genuine horses hate to have their rider fall off and if you do, will avoid at all costs treading on you. They usually stop and come and see what's happened and some get very upset, in case they are in trouble for you falling off. I think the whole experience is unsettling for a horse.

I dont think its human compassion, or that type of emotion, I think they see you as pack leader and horses look after one of the pack in their own way.

 

[spooks]

otto crashed into a jump once and threw his head up so ash could get back in the saddle, on the occasions she does hit the deck he just stands there..... or takes a bow ! lol

the welsh one, depends on her mood...she fell at a fence with ash's friend once and they both slid about 10 feet and the pony was doing her best to keep her feet away from the riders face, other times if you land on her neck..she puts he head down even further until you fall off!

 

[Theresa_F]

On the one and only time I fell off Cairo he did his best to help by instantly stopping the moment he realised it was going pear shaped and not moving an inch whilst I slid slowly round his neck to land in a heap at his feet. He then stood still whilst I extracted myself from him.

Jemima also would stop instantly on the rare occasion I got it wrong and often I could push myself back onboard as all I had to do was concentrate on staying onboard and not having to control the horse.

I have found most of my horses try to slow and help apart from one naughty pony I used to ride who the minute she felt you unsecure would do her best to finish the job.

 

[KateStartin]

Yep, my horse has done this quite a few times. He threw his head up after nearly somersalting over a xc jump, think he was keeping himself upright as well but it threw me back into the saddle!

Other day i cantered him into a bog (not the brightest idea but it looked like grass!) he went in well over his knees and by the time i had thought about what to do he had stopped and side stepped out of it-clever boy!

When i did fall off straight under his legs everyone thought id been trampled but he had managed to not touch me!! he is warmblood as well, but believe me he can think for himself!

 

[MagicMelon]

No offence but I doubt horses go out of their way to help you. I would love to think mine help me out when Im almost falling off but they do something which puts me back in the saddle, but TBH its probably just coincidence! Or your horse probably just doesnt like having someone falling off over his head, hence why he puts his head up so high (which you then think is him helping). I know its lovely to think our horses help us sometimes but Im just not sure. I think you do get some nice horses who are quieter than most so chances are they are the type to stand still and wait for you to wiggle back on! One of my horses is the sweetest horse who has 'helped' me in the past a lot however if I actually began properly falling off I know he'd freak out (so Id hit the deck), not because he's nasty but simply because he's scared!

I think most horses would prefer we didn't fall off as it cant be very pleasant for them either (having seen a few riders who fall off over the head ripping the bridle off too!). You do however get the odd horse who has learnt to get people off and will do anything to do so!

 

[Clodagh]

My oldest boy had a welsh B who used to jig him back in the saddle if he was wandering off to the side. It may have been the weight shift hurt or something, but she definately used to shove him back upright again.

 

[PinkFairy]

I'm not sure. I see MagicMelon's point of view but I also think that some horses genuinely know that its a bad thing if the rider goes over their head/under their feet and so maybe they actually stop that happening by throwing their head up? I wouldn't know but I do know horses i've had in the past have actually done the same for me. Just like in the movie - the horse whisperer, when robert redford told scarlett johanson that he "thought that horse loved you so dam much he'd do anything to protect you" which was his explanation for her horse rearing in front of that truck! I thought that was amazing - such a good movie. At the end of the day, all horses have natural instincts and yes, maybe we get in the way and it SEEMS like their protecting us but I think its nice when you actually feel that your horse is doing it out of his own love for his owner.

 

[malibu211211]

Nope, probably not

Anyway the amount of times I fall off he'd be forever saving me and he has much better things to do with his time.......like eat, wee and poo

 

[jemima]

Hmm I don't know but can say that we have a small section D who is a fantastic performer but has been badly abused in the past and is often terrified. We know for certain that he'd not done any cross country for six years when my rather nervous daughter took him round Ickworth for her first cross country round ever. he was a superstar that day. Especially as when they jumped down into the water she was a bit unseated and thought she was coming off but he stuck his head right up and shoved her back into the saddle and then jumped cleanly out. She came back with a HUGE grin on her face and he was smiling too - he just knew he'd been a good boy. The really nice thing about this episode is that it was all captured by the photographer, including the panicky look on both their faces and the the absolutely noble "I looked after the little one" expression on the pony's face on the jump out of the water. That was a year ago and she loved the whole experience so much that she's hoping to BE next season! (but not on the little pony).

I just found the sequence - you can see how proud of himself he is!