Happy gentle falling off stories please!

[SEL]

I still remember my first ever fall. 25 yo Saint of a Shetland put her head down to eat and the saddle and I gently slipped down her neck

I was doing the girth on my old warmblood with cold hands (so leaning right over) when he did a tiny spook at a noise outside the arena. I found myself sitting on the floor while he trotted back to his stable!

 

[Sealine]

Many years ago I was backing a young horse when it bucked and I ended up sitting half way up it’s neck. It bucked again at which point I leap frogged over it’s head and landed on my feet in front of it and took a bow. ?

 

[Cowpony]

My most recent fall came at the end of a lesson when I forgot which saddle I was in, dismounted and caught my leg on the extremely high cantle of my dressage saddle. Landed flat on my back at the feet of of my very surprised instructor. Not exactly a gentle landing, I was a bit winded, but nothing broken.

 

[Emilieu]

Hacking wearing running leggings (shiny) instead of jodhs. Sun shining, then suddenly hailstones appeared out of nowhere. I was laughingly taking a selfie of the hail stones on my hat when Betty decided she would rather not continue and turned- veeeeeeeery slowly- for home. Distracted, one handed and leaning to one side in my silly shiny leggings I slid gently off the side and into the ditch. I had to phone the yard and tell them she was heading back without me. I was a laughing stock.

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

Cantering towards a jump as a teen. Kitten strolls out to have a poo in front of the jump. Sadly he was faster than I was. Horse skidded to a halt. I went over his neck and yes you've guessed it - the kitten was quick, but not quick enough to bury it....

 

[TheHairyOne]

I have photo evidence of mine...the day I forgot a girth going XC schooling and attempted steps down...i just kept going.



The other very, very funny one was when I was getting off, got cramp in my right leg when i was swinging it over, got caught on the cantle and hit the floor like a sack of potatoes flat on my back!!

 

[SEL]

Got on a bit too over enthusiastically and went flying over the other side!

My old instructor legged me up onto a horse once and threw me right over. Apparently I was lighter than expected ?

 

[little_critter]

Got on a bit too over enthusiastically and went flying over the other side!

I did similar. Wanted to ride my pony in from the field. I stood on a bucket and threw myself at her. I was too enthusiastic and slid straight off the other side. At which point my pony said f*** this and took herself back to the yard.

 

[daydreamer]

I was having a lesson with my (quite scary) instructor at the time and a friend of mine had come for a lesson too as a treat. I was cantering a circle in the corner when my horse slipped behind and ended up sort of lying on his side. Somehow I'd ended up stood up beside him. We were both absolutely fine. My friend was laughing and crowing about how she couldn't believe I had fallen off as I never (her words not mine!) fall off. My instructor sternly told her that I had been unseated rather than fallen off!!

 

[millikins]

Out hacking somewhere I shouldn't have been. By weaving through the trees you came to a gap in the hedge and a wonderful open grassy field which was almost always deserted. I could feel Milly getting more and more fizzy through the trees, and as we went into the field she gave a massive buck and I went flying. I landed on my back with her very beautiful dark eyes looking rather reproachfully down at me as if to say why had I spoiled the fun.

 

[scats]

Went to mount my pony in our front garden. She promptly walked under the big maple tree we had. I remember seeing branches, leaves and the sky before I landed on the floor clutching a fluffy seat saver.
If the neighbours hadn’t seen me, they certainly heard my Dads laughter!

 

[Bernster]

This feels like tempting fate! ?

 

[Reacher]

Mum reminded me of this the other day - many years ago she rode my childhood pony bareback from the paddock to the house - and took the route that went up a steep slope. She slide off backwards , grabbed hold of the tail and Beauty towed her to the top of the hill!

 

[emilylou]

My last two falls: falling off during a vetting as I galloped past a sewage sink, just as the motor clicked on, horse spooked and did 3 huge bucks, came off over his shoulder. Hopped on, finished vetting, horse still sold. Nothing bruised but my pride!

Most recently fell off a 4 yo when leaning down to open a gate, horse stepped sideways, I somersaulted off him, still holding the gate pin. landed on my feet and opened the gate in one perfectly co-ordinated movement. Was quite impressed with that one!

I've fallen off so many times I wouldnt even be able to put a number on it, 90% of the time completely unscathed.

 

[Snowfilly]

I’ve been legged up and thrown clean over the horse several times, and also forgotten I was vaulting onto a pony and jumped right over its back.

Been swept off backwards by a tree while cantering along a narrow path, landed on my feet to watch my horse disappearing up the track - luckily he stopped at the other end and waited for me.

And decided to ride bareback one evening in a new pair of leggings, didn’t realise they were shiny and had absolutely no grip. Slid off three times, the third because my friend was howling with laughter at the first two and cantering her pony in circles around mine to try and get him to take off, which he did. The joys of being 14 and stupid!

 

[Tarragon]

We used to have a childhood pony that would just scrape you off his back using low branches when he had had enough!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Sorry havnt got a falling off story that hasn't bloomin hurt!! My most recent fall, last year, was at a standstill!! Horse had scooted forwards in canter unbalancing me, panicked a bit, then stopped dead. I wS hanging round his neck for ages, slowly heading for the ground, no chance of recovery, fell in a heap and he buggered off when air vest went off!!

 

[Annagain]

I was out hacking and we'd already been past a double decker bus, a lorry, a JCB and a fire engine with lights and sirens (at first, they stopped when they saw us). We turned off the main road and onto a much quieter lane. I was turned around in the saddle talking to my friend so was already off balance and the next thing I knew I was in a hedge. My horse had spooked at, of all things, a beer bottle in the middle of the road. Because I landed in the hedge first, I sort of slid to the ground (un)gracefully and the only damage was to my pride.

I must have fallen off at least 100 times and the only ones I remember are the bad ones (three or four) or the funny ones (another three or four). Most of them are very mundane and consequence free. I think it's important to remember that.

 

[Birker2020]

Previous horse was a nightmare for breathing out when you did up the girth so it often felt tighter than it was.

I went on a hack I'd been on hundreds of times before with about 6 gates which we used to navigate in seconds for each one as Bailey was amazingingly good standing and moving over through gateways. But this was a new gate the farmer had installed on a bridle path, which was about 12ft wide, made of wooden panelling so quite heavy, and was at an angle so was already very hard to open as it was angled away from me. I pulled it towards me to get through and as I went through it the ground angled away sharply, I was tilted a little too far over my horses left shoulder, girth was loose, she stumbled and I came off the side Air jacket cushioned the fall so it was more the shock than anything.

Had a little weep (always do lol), brushed myself down only to find Bailey had galloped off down the hill, saddle under her belly, stirrup leathers hanging down by the floor, stuffing her face with the grass, not a care in the world.

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

Most stupid was probably when I decided to ride my dads hunter in from the field. Field was steep.. I slid backwards straight off his bum. My brother was wetting himself.

 

[Fjord]

I was cantering low branches at camp. I got really low, right down by her neck on the right hand side, when she decided to veer slightly left. I carried on and just sort of rolled over on the ground. I was laughing, normally I cry when I fall off. ?

 

[PurBee]

My favourite fall, because it was so gentle was during RS days, indoor school lesson, small evening group.
I had been given a horse everyone loved at the RS, because of his hogged mane, his name ‘gremlin’, his chunky cobby-ness bordering on a baby shire, his lovely character. I was so thrilled to ride him, finally!

It was the first time riding a much bigger, chunky horse, rather than the 13hh ponies with teeth-crunching paces i was normally given.
We were told to cross our stirrups and do sitting trot. We often did this, i liked riding without stirrups.

Gremlin‘s trot was very long and slow, compared to the frantic up/down of ponies, and i wasn’t used to his pace at all, so literally after just a few strides, i was slowly sliding off the saddle towards the outer wall of the school. I tried to correct but i had less leg grab due to his size and rounder barrel, there was no mane to grab when i realised it was too late, and i slid off very slowly and gently, and was softly deposited on my backside sitting in the deep soft sand that’s always piled deeper in the corners of a sand school!

I sat there like a gnome giggling, and Gremlin carried on with the line of horses, the instructor was distracted with someone else the whole time, and once she saw Gremlin trot by without rider, she scanned the school calling my name ‘what happened?!’, i was still chuckling as i remounted to try again.

 

[Fransurrey]

My first fall was from standstill. Waiting for a walking friend to catch up and her pony (who I was riding) gave a spontaneous buck. I went full 360 and landed on my arse in a cowpat.

Can't remember fall two, but I do know that at university I had a jumping lesson when I apparently threw myself to the floor after landing. The instructor didn't understand. I doubled my fall off tally in one lesson. Later discovered that this is a dyspraxia trait - I tend to throw myself against trees and gateways, too. It's really odd!

I was bucked off by my pony on a road, not long after I loaned him. I again went full 360, landing on my feet. Annoyingly, nobody to see and admire my gymnastics.

Last hilarious fall was walking along. I bent over for some reason and pony mis-stepped, meaning I slithered down his shoulder into an ungainly heap.

 

[Goldie's mum]

As a youngster; first hack out with the older teenagers that I was in awe of. Cantering across the moors faster than I was used to but trying to pretend it was all cool. Fell off sideways on a corner onto a big pile of springy heather. Not injured at all but SOOO ashamed because the girl behind me just shouted "She's off" like they'd all been expecting it!

 

[Sprogladite01]

My favourite fall off my pony - I didn't have my heels down or any weight into my lower leg at all - pony spook at sunlight glinting off a trotting pole (terrifying!) and I went down his shoulder in slow motion, landed light as a feather, rolled over and stood up all in one motion.

If carlsberg made falls...

(have since gotten MUCH better about keeping my heels down...flaming spooky ponies! )

 

[scruffyponies]

Years ago, my eldest daughter (10) was concerned that my youngest (2) was crying, too scared to ride.
Her solution to this was to get her attention by yelling "look, it's fine, it doesn't hurt at all", and hurl herself enthusiasticly from the pony she was riding onto the floor.
Pony wasn't at all fazed and simply waited for her to remount whilst we fell about laughing... toddler included.

 

[HorseyTee]

I've only ever came off twice. The first time was when I was new to riding.
On a big 17.2, having a trot and I panicked and screamed....so he stopped. I carried on, down his neck, and face first into the sand school.
absolutely fine though and got straight back on.

 

[fidleyspromise]

There was the time I jumped on my mare bareback and slid right off the other side.

I had a pony jumping and didn't keep her straightvand my leg on so she ducked out the side and I went splat in front of the jump.

My second lesson I was at the back of the ride (about 6 riders in an indoor) and my instructor told me time and again I was too close. Horse I front kicked out and my pony cantered off. I managed to stay on until he emergency stopped beside the instructor and I didn't so landed at her feet.

A few years ago my mare said no ro going forwards due to a new sign and went sideways up the bank beside the road. She turned, facing downhill and I felt myself slowly tumble. She kindly lowered her neck so I slid down it and landed on the road on my hands and knees laughing.

Theres also the time a car coming towards me stopped and turned its engine off. My horse spooked and forgot to put her legs back down so she fell and I managed to land on the floor so now I'm standing on the road still holding the reins - between my legs - and my horse stood behind me. The couple in the car were so apologetic when they'd done everything right. My mare was more used to cars flying round corners and had never seen overturn the engine off.

More recent I had a canter in a stubble field and looked down to see my saddle sliding up mares neck. Before I could do anything she bucked and I went flying. Hands out in front of me as I hit the ground on my chin and stomach and kept going - it was very superman style I'm told.

Fun times and so many amusing stories at my expense ?

 

[Lacuna]

My favourite was similar to another one in the comments. Didn't realise I hadn't tightened up the girth sufficiently. Ended up touring the car park at high speed with one leg over his back and one arm over his neck going 'wooooooahhhhhh, stteeeaaadddyyyyy'. Had to slide off once we slowed down/stopped and landed on my butt on the grass

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I did another one trotting. There were 3 of us out. One lad on a fresh as paint baby, one idiot on the safest of the safe horses we have and me on an ok mare who once you got the hang of her she was grand. Trotting along by the stream, buckle end and leg long, a duck flew up from under my mares feet. She did a 180 and I landed on my knees. It was one of those falls where you don't even realise you have come off until you are on the floor as it happened so quickly. The mare bogged off back up the gallop and into the barn. The boss saw the loose horse from another part of the gallop and made bets with the rest of the string as to who had come off before she set off after the horse. Apparently I was the last one anyone had expected to come off!

Another mare - I went through a phase of coming off of mares - cantering round the fields a few days before she was due to run. Got to the top of the hill to pull up, which she did, a few others didn't manage to pull up and so this mare decided to canter/bronc down the hill following them. I was halfway down her shoulder when I managed to stop her and was still perfectly capable of regaining my saddle. Until she spooked at me being half way down the side of her ??? and so I was neatly deposited onto my knees again next to her ??? She just looked at me as though I was stupid and politely waited for me to hop back on before we carried on with our work.

No one dares laugh when I come off at work, they are all too scared to ?? even when I am laughing myself!

Touch wood, in 18 years I have only had 2 bad falls from the racehorses. One was 6 months into the job when I got absolutely mullered off of a bolting horse (true bolter) and one a couple of years ago which I entirely blame the head lad for when my horse lost his feet on the icy road and went splat. That was round 2 of 4 in a bad 6months for my head at the time.