Feature in Horse magazine

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CharlotteRS

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Hi I am writing a feature and need to speak to people who have lost their horses after falling off when hacking - or even at a show. So many horses go into a blind panic when they lose their riders - and just keep on galloping. Has this ever happened to you? Or do you know someone that it has happened to?
Please get in touch by emailing charlotte@herdesk.org
thanks v much
 
The horse that I used to hunt (he's no longer with us, sadly) was notoriously funny with people he didn't know, hard to catch and a bit scared of men.
Hence I was always a bit worried about falling off out hunting.
It only happened once, and by the time I extracted myself from the hedge, he was long gone. I phoned my husband who was following in the car, in the hope that he could find the horse and catch him, but he hadn't seen him.
Just as I was wondering what to do, the hunt secretary's daughter appeared on the horizon, leading him from her horse. Apparently she's spoken to him and he'd let her catch him and lead him back across several fields (another thing I didn't think anyone would be able to do!)
I got back on but realised I was too battered to carry on hunting, so I thanked her and sent her off to find the others while I prepared to hack painfully back to the lorry. Normally he was a pain when you tried to head for home, but strangely he seemed to know something was wrong and he carried me as if I was made of glass at the walk back to the lorry, along an A road and through a busy village without a murmur, before letting my novicey husband load him on the lorry.
Makes me think that horses know more than we realise!
 
I've caught three horses in 30 odd years, which came galloping around the corner with tack flying and no rider. I didn't have much trouble in catching them (although it can be very dangerous) but the worst bit was walking back in the direction they had come from hoping not to find a seriously injured rider in a ditch somewhere. Luckily they were all walking wounded and relieved to find their horse safe.
 
I once put my Ex on my horse who had been slowly learning to ride in the school and we went for a lovely walk up the lanes, I got on, gave her a canter round the field then he got back on to walk back.

She was fine for about a mile, then like lightning she took off towards home, down the middle of a narrow lane

I just remember legging it after them, coming across him in a ditch at the Xroads and just screaming at him, asking him where the horse had gone! (no asking if he was alright- which later got me in trouble!)

She raced down the lane- hurded up an old lady on her retired hunter, and all three (two horses and old gal) went hurtling towards the main road, on to the main road, and down the driveway back to the yard!

At the time it was absolutly flaming frightening and could so have ended much worse.

When i asked him why he didnt try and stop, he said he daren't touch the reins as i had spent far too long lecturing him about pulling horses about in the mouth, so instead had lent forward (que horse going faster!) and whispered to her to slow down....??!!!

we are no longer together! LOL!! xx
 
I was out drag hunting on my excellent little hunter. We had just taken off to jump a post and rail fence when we were cut up by a young horse. My horse swerved in mid air, and I got caught by the post between my saddle and leg. This flipped me off onto the road on my back. I could just about see my horse galloping off after the hunt from my postion in the middle of the road!! I managed to get up but could barely walk! My horse had jumped into a near by cemetry! Luckily someone followed him and caught him. He had to jump back out of the cemetry riding his horse and leading mine!! He handed him back to me and I walked painfully back to the lorry. On closer inspection I had gravel inbedded in my backside, I had hit the road that hard! Horse was fine but couldn't ride him for a few days after!!
 
I was 'working' in a secretaries tent last year at a local riding club show, in the show jumping ring opposite a horse stopped at a jump and deposited his rider over his head with the bridle in her hands, this horse then galloped off around the arena went through the rope pulling the posts with him, scattering people all over the place, he jumped a babies buggy with the mum screaming and trying to get out of the way, then jumped into the working hunter arena, went through more ropes then out the other side scattering working hunter competitors everywhere then jumped out of the ring and then jumped a parked moped which he destroyed, no one else was hurt and it was all covered under insurance - phew!
 
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