have you ever had to bail?

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hamish1

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had a bit of an experience this morning, horse bolted-couldnt stop,tried everything.was comming to low branches and narrow gap-so i bailed.I hope i did the right thing? Horse was fine. Anyone been in a simular situation :(
 
Yes! When I was young and at RS on a hack, horse spooked at a bird scarer and took off. I clung on for a while, but decided to roll off since it wasn't stopping. Only had minor injury, was lucky! Horse was fine, slowed and stopped not too far away.
 
Previously worked on dealers yard - bailed many a time in fact it got to the stage i was so used to falling off i no longer even tried to stay on, think this is why i have never hurt myself i am just so relaxd :D
 
Yes when I was younger and then a couple of years ago was on a 17.2hh that suddenly decided he was going to become a nutcase and went flat out galloping round a 20 x 40 school, then started broncing, couldn't hold him and couldn't sit, no stirrups and thought he was going to jump out of the school into the car park and bailing crossed my mind as the safest option, can't remember why I didn't in the end think I thought it was a bit to far to bail unlike when I did on ponies and would probably end up more injured. Think he ran out of steam in the end but probably one of the scariest things that has happened to me recently.

Am definitely one for bailing if things are just getting too dangerous to stay on top however.
 
Yes :-( I tried out a good Showjumping pony, I lost a strirrup and it took great objection to the stirrup touching its side, so proceeded to GALLOP and I mean gallop around the arena, at least 5 times in blind panic, before I decided that this was unresolvable, so ditched out the side door. There was no other way! x
 
Yes, once.
I was working at a private yard, had to ride ride before work (7am), there were some small jumps out one morning so I decided to have a little pop, anyway small jump + fresh horse = horse jumping me out of saddle I was hanging round her neck as she galloped round the school. Tried to get back in the plate, failed, then thought oh god I'm going to have to let go, queue me sitting in the sand at 7.30 in the morning!

Another time I was out hacking and rein got caught on gate while closing it, I was millimetres from un hooking it when she realised she was caught reared up, span and galloped for home, I had one chance to bail(only soft spot) but bottled it, stayed with her hoping she wouldn't take off for the metal 5 bar on the concrete!
She didn't thank god!
After getting off, I realised that her bit had broken! That's why the reins kept coming when I gathered them up!
I still have the bit as a museum piece.
 
thanks for replies-just think its a hard decision to make-i knew the horse wasnt going to stop so felt it was the safest thing for ME to do but was worried where he would end up. felt a little bit like james bond after doing a roll on landing :eek:
 
It's always a risky option but I have done it before mainlly when I knew I was coming off anyway and staying on longer was just going to increase the pain when it happened. My previous horse had a tendancy to bronc (and I mean wild horse head between leg back like a rainbow bronc!) and when he got into it the broncs would get bigger and bigger then he'd go into a spin. I would stay on for one or two but when you felt the momentum stop going forward and start going round I just leant forward and would be off and hoepfully not under his feet while he continued for a little while. And that was the reason I sold him, 5 years, various vets, saddlers, physio's and we simply could get the ******* to stop it.
 
Yes!

A couple of summers ago, Stacy had a flybite on her saddle patch so decided to ride bareback instead. She went beautifully for 1/2 hour or so, then just as I was about to stop trotting and cool off, she started going faster and faster. Because I didn't have the saddle I couldn't get my weight back and ask her to stop, so she just got faster, went into a canter and then a gallop! We then preceded to gallop full tilt around the field, including 90 degree turns around the corners. As we were coming back to lap ourselves I knew I wasnt going to be able to stop her (was too busy clinging on for dear life!), figured I'd come off eventually anyway and I'd rather have some control over it, and could see a patch of lush grass (importantly with no poo in it!) and bailed out.

Luckily I'd been learning Ju Jitsu since starting Uni, so knew how to go into a diving roll (although its one thing to jump into a roll yourself and quite another to do one off a 16hh horse moving with considerable forward momentum!) and save myself from serious injury. Horse stopped immediately after I came off, which is what I guessed she'd do as its what she'd always do when her then owner came off in his lessons!
 
Twice.

Both times hurt myself more than I ever have done falling off!

First time, pony bolted broncing with me round the arena bareback and I'd stuck on for 3 laps of the arena [proper head between knees,rounded back broncing!] and for the third time when pony went to do it, I decided I'd had enough of sticking on somehow and went to bail....got myself caught up, got hooked underneathe her broncing round and then slatted under her and tangledround the arena fence. Wrote my neck off for a week!

Then 2nd time, horse was rearing and walking on two legs napping right on top off of a 'cliff' hill type place. One foot went off the side and I made sure I bailed and launched myself off him! As he fell over and down and I got dragged by the reins with him, but luckily wasn't on him still! Got covered in thistles :(

Anything else...Nope, never bail usually.
 
Yep, just this morning of a fashion.
Hacking out I was on Pebbles (16.2hh) and G was on Kelly (14.2hh) and as we reached our canal bridge before the estate, we see YO in cows field surrounded by cows - now last time we saw this, all the cows were suddenly released into the next field cue Pebbles jumping, trying to spin etc etc (and it feels HUGE). YO waves frantically to us mouthing "GO BACK!"
So back we trek to the yard, just reached the cow shed and next thing we hear hooves turn round and see a cow trotting down the hill towards us!! Expecting a whole herd, G shouts "get off get off get off!!" we both leap off spooking horses and try to hold them steady...turns out they only wanted the one cow :rolleyes:
Nobody was hurt and we went back to the yard to remount and headed back out again - met the bin wagon this time!!!!!! ;)

ETA, never had to bail off a horse moving with considerable speed though...wouldn't like to have to!!
 
Yep once! Only been bolted with twice, first time was on my first loan pony, First time I tried her out, she just went and didn't stop. I had no idea what to do, was used to school ponies. So I jumped off. I didn't hurt myself, but the owner thought I fell off and I was too embarrassed to say I flung myself off (I was only about 11) :D She never did it again, and was a wonderful little pony.

Second time I was bolted off with, was on my second pony, he was going way too fast and think I would have really hurt myself had I jumped. So I sat tight, he nearly took my leg off on a concrete pole :mad: But when he had reached his stable, I took him back to where he started and made him walk it back. :D He only did it the once too. trying it on the pair of naughty bums :D
 
ive never really been in that situation so dont know if i did the right thing-its playing on my mind now-i know no one was hurt but dont know if i should of sat tight-but then I thought it could of ended up worse e.g getting knocked out by branch or knee caps taken off-can you tell im a bit of a worrier lol. Its these things you dont get taught though. :o
 
Once, baby horse got stung & took off Bucking & plunging. Def wanted me off the back, she was headed for a wire fence in a blind panic, i couldn't turn her or get through to her in anyway, so i bailed. Sadly broke my arm in 4 places!
 
Oh, yeah. Not too long ago, as a matter of fact. My mare stumbled and couldn't get her feet back under her - my weight was throwing her off so I opted to bail. Luckily, years of experience have honed my tuck-and-roll to a fine art.

Most of my bails aren't bails - they're "aw, ****, I'm going down!" Glad you're okay and the horse too. Sometimes it's the best thing to do.
 
Yes but nothing as dramatic as your experiences - I do not know whether I could fling myself off something moving so fast - gulp!!!

My usually rock steady tall gelding once spooked whilst I was leaning right out of the saddle doing a gate latch. I was never going to get back in the saddle but unfortunately he had gone back down the slope and was stood in the middle of a river on a freezing cold winter day. I had no option but to lower myself into the water!!!!!!

My daughter them nearly fell off laughing - needless to say it was a short hack brrrrrrrrrr!!
 
Yes but only once - shamefully in my BHS stage 1 exam! Was on a huge horse, about 17.1hh. The group were doing the bit in the exam without stirrups and taking it in turn to trot to the back of the ride. The horse in front of me went into trot and mine decide to follow, wouldn't pay a blind bit of notice to me asking it to stop, then decided to canter. He wasn't tanking off with me just cantering around and around for about 5 minutes. It tried everything, aiming him at the wall, small circles and he just kept going. After a while my legs were aching so much that I couldn't hold on any more so I baled out the side and think I landed on my feet. To be honest I was probably gripping with my legs and made him think I was asking to go forward but it was so embarrasing I just wanted to cry.

Surprisingly I still passed! Had to get on the second horse afterwards and my legs were so jelly like I could hardly run for the trot up. Needless to say I haven't bothered to do any of my other stages.
 
I was riding my cousins new horse through some woods when he decided to bolt. He jumped a 5 bar wooden gate (with overhanging branches above!) and continued going. We were fast approaching a BIG metal gate at the bottom of a steep hill and i decided to bail out instead of risking the possibility of him getting his legs tangled and me coming off worse than having a sore bum! .. The horse went straight back to the yard and i met him there .. grr! :)

Trouble is, when i got back onto my horse and she took off (which normally i wouldn't have been terrified about) i decided id rather jump off than suffer the consequences of having no control..
Not good. Purely psychological that time and something i desperately need to get over. Id rather bring the horse if possible to a stop without it injuring itself or anyone else..
 
Only twice, when the horses fell and I flung myself off as they went down.

The first time was on my friend's dressage horse who had an uncharacteristic clumsy moment and tripped over his own feet in the arena.

The second time was on my horse when he was 6 or so - took off with me in the school and was fly-bucking, which I could sit, but he landed wrong and his foot went right through the arena surface to the hard layer underneath. I flung myself off just before he hit the ground and slid across the floor - I was terrified for him but he got up without a scratch. I had a couple of bruises though.
 
Years ago my friend bailed off her pony when it was bolting towards the main road. Fortunately the pony stopped soon afterwards and neither was hurt but I always swore I would never bail out.

Cue a few years later when my new horse bolted with me (and I mean bolted, not just going too fast, as he was running blind, ignoring the track leaving me with no steering or brakes). We were going flat out downhill and I knew there was a very sharp turn at the bottom of the hill leading into a concrete tunnel. I knew we wouldn't make the turn so I threw myself off. Fortunately some bushes broke my fall and I was uninjured. My horse stopped in the tunnel and when I caught him there was a huge scrape down my saddle from the side of the tunnel.
 
Yep, plenty. Never been more than a bit bruised. Would rather time it well & bail than wait for gravity to win and not have a choice.
There have been 2 occasions I wish I'd bailed, both times I hesitated and once meant I smashed my knees up (could hardly walk for the scabs on them for a week!) and pulled several muscles, the 2nd time resulted in a broken elbow. I've learned to think quickly!!
 
riding my arab full pelt along a track that we rode down alot, went round a corner, tree down across the track resting on the branch of a tree on the other side of the track high enough for my horse to go under (14.1hh) but no way i was going under so baled into a bramble bush (didnt see that one before i lept!) and into a bog!! pony stopped straight away and looked at me as if to say what the hell are you doing down there!

another time riding a horse i rode for a lady down the road when i was about 12, a nice 15h tb x cob. hacking along the road, dog chasing a cat jumped over the hedge, mare bolted and swun left into a big gateway with a cattle grid and i decided to bale incase she went down in the cattle grid it was a huge one and i really thought she was going to end up in there with broken legs, but she flew over it beautifully and shot round the field a few times, i had some lovely grazes and had to go to a and e to get the gravel dug out of my arms and knees! i so should have stayed on that time!!
 
Only twice so far. First time he bolted when a crow scarer went off and scared a herd of horses we were near and well, he followed. Reins snapped and he wasnt stopping and heading for a 3ft dry stone dyke and a farm track so I bailed in the nice soft field - which wasnt that soft and I broke my ankle and knocked myself out.

Second time we were in the school next to a road and a lorry with a badly secured load of wood came along with the tarp flapping like mad, he took off at a dead gallop across the school to the Fence which was just wire/electric so I baled but I got dragged instead, backwards - and ended up with pants full of sand so Had my pants down in the corner of the school trying to clear them out :(. Not nice.

I've grown out of it now as I learnt how to stop him fast - I would only do it now if I was in real danger. Not just scared.
 
I haven't had to bail, but my dad did once out hunting. Looking back now it's hilarious, and we've since heard this story many times at the dinner table.

He tells the story much better than me but here goes:

They were out hunting (this was before the ban, so it was all much more excited and you never knew where you'd be going next) and he had to dismount, because there was a problem with a gate, and it lead out onto a road. He let the field out, and a couple of people stayed with him, and he went to get back onto Po (his horse), who suddendly took off down the road after the rest of the field. Po wasn't bolting, but was just tanking off. This normally would not have been a problem, but my dad had somehow missed the saddle and was sitting on Po's back behind the saddle :D

The field then took a turn off the road, and were now cantering down a grass field, parellel to the road, with a ditch on the right and they were heading towards a hedge.
Polo, was pulling like a train to catch up, and my dad couldn't stop him, or get back into the saddle, and was weighing up the odds of surving the hedge. The options were jumping the hedge with no stirrups and behind the saddle, or bailing into the ditch on the right, he chose the ditch.

The two people following him said it was hilarious to watch. I think they were probably all a bit sozzled by this point too.
 
I only bailed once... and it seems I'm the only one who has done so in these circumstances!!

Took a jump badly with Fat Cob, she landed and stumbled badly, corrected, and stumbled again.

In short, she couldn't put weight on her left front leg. I was mortified she'd broken it.

Third stumble I bailed, no way was I sitting on a horse with a broken leg any longer than I had to and I knew she'd stop when I hit the floor (she tends to hurt other people if I'm wounded and she can't get to me!!!). Hit the floor, badly (but too relaxed to care as I was more worried about Fat Cob!) and rolled over to have a look...

... at Fat Cob standing on all four legs looking at me like I was an idiot.

Basically, she'd picked up the top pole with her back legs and then kicked it into her front legs, knocking herself over. In correcting, she'd somehow managed to pick the pole back up, and knock herself over again.

In bailing, I'd made her stop, so the pole dropped and she was able to step over it.

I don't like to think what may have happened had we not bailed... As it was a hefty pole from a builders merchants rather than a jump pole!
 
Yep! Cantering around the school in my jump position, saddle suddenly goes sideways, as pony was only 13hh decided to bail rather then cling on as I was rapidly accerating (sp) towards another horse! Turns out they put the wrong girth on said pony, as I done it up 3 times before I bailed :rolleyes:
 
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