Horrible fall from my horse this morning.

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Tash88

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Will try to keep this short, but it has really shaken me and I'd like some advice on what to do next, or opinions on what happened, if possible.

This morning I took my 5 y/o gelding out for a little hack, just around the roads that he knows and up a little common. It usually takes about 45 mins and he is fine on the roads and out alone, I've had him for three months.

He was going perfectly and had been past scary objects easily, then really suddenly he spooked at something; reared and span quickly to the left and then dropped his shoulder. It was so unexpected, even though I was concentrating I couldn't have stayed on, I just fell off the side. I was fine and got straight back up, and he was galloping down the road, he'd obviously frightened himself. I called the police as he was on the road (no busy roads though) and got a lift back to my yard and myself and my YO went looking for him. We found him quite quickly as someone had found him and led him to a yard near mine. I just walked him home in hand (only 10-15 mins) and he was absolutely fine, more relaxed than I thought he would be.

I haven't lost my confidence or anything, at least I don't think I have, I just feel terrible. But neither of us are injured and I don't think I could have prevented it. I am going to hack out in company for the next few times I go out, I think he will be fine though.

I'd be really grateful for any advice/words of reassurance.

Tash x
 
Thank God you are both ok! I think I would be riding out with someone for a short while just til you see how he is hacking out again. I haven't really got anything useful to say but am glad you're ok.
 
Just hack out with friends for a while you could consider knocking back his hard food a bit all mine are turbo charged this week.
Don't make to much of it.
 
Firstly thank goodness you are not hurt and nor is the horse.

I do understand how you feel....I had a fall last summer from my show jumper hacking. The fall wasn't my fault nor the horses, just one of those things, he spooked, silly rear, lost his back legs and we both went down. Unfortunately I banged my head rather hard and needed months to recover. My confidence was hit and I spent many an hour thinking about the 'what if' scenario.

So don't dwell, its riding and get back on and go out for the same hack but with company as you say. That should offer some comfort to you and your horse.
 
Glad you weren't hurt!
Unfortunately it's one of those things that can happen with any horse. Try not to dwell on it too much! Hacking out with another steady horse for a while sounds like a very good plan for both yours and the horse's confidence.
 
Thank you for the replies, and of course you're all right, I just need to try to put it behind me, it is one of those things. I bought him from my YO so she knows what he is like, he is generally safe and a really sweet little horse, but also sensitive and wary at times. People say that we are a good pair because I am rather sensitive as well, and ride sensitively; my YO actually said that he is the horse version of me!

I will probably lunge him tomorrow as my arm is rather sore, school on Friday and hack out with a friend on Saturday morning. I think he will be ok. And I need to go and see the lady who took me back to my yard with some chocolates, as well as take some to the yard where he ended up!

Tash x
 
Unfortunatley these things just happen sometimes, I was riding my 5 year old - he had always been good out on hacks but a dog spooked him - he dropped to his knees I lost my stirrups and he span and bolted down the road - I had no chance of getting stirrups back and without them couldnt pull him up so baled out on the verge (missed verge and hit road) he carried on and a farmer caught him and I got back on - was shaken and bruised/bleeding but otherwise ok. My stomach used to drop everytime I got on him for about the next 6 months - I had no one to hack out with at the time so had to get on with it.

Its never happened again (hes now 9) - just one of those things. !

glad you are both ok - deep breath and get back on and get on with it - not your fault just one of those things !! if you need to hack out with someone for confidence for a while do it but dont let it get you down - I think something similar has probably happened to us all at some point X
 
As everyone's said - these things happen! Thankfully neither of you were hurt. Sounds like he scared himself with what he did so I would certainly take him out on hack with someone else if you can to get his confidence (and yours) back. He's only a baby after all.
 
Hi Tash,

I know how you feel I have a new youngster. I bought him knowing he had few issues, but he is a sweet boy.

I have ridden him twice....

and fallen off twice!!!

Sound terrible when I write it down! But these things happen occasionaly with youngsters. They were both differant types of falls

I dont feel like I have lost my confidence but I do feel a bit crappy and I am scared I will loose my confidence! So I am basicly scared of being scared!

I think the best thing to do is to get back on asap and do something within your comfort zone the next couple of times you ride
 
Glass half full (you were participating in a risk sport with a young horse in a dangerous situation and neither of you are permanently hurt and you met nice new people) or half empty (you had a fall and are a bit stiff)?

I'll never forget the only time I lost a horse out hacking... was a field but I last saw him cantering onto a relatively busy 60mph road. Never felt to sick around horses before or since...

BUT we were both fine and I'm sure you both will be too. :-)
 
Hugs hunny.

I find that having a large dog tag (in my case, pink with a heart on it :rolleyes:) attached to my saddle, with the phone numbers for: me, hubby, and daughter, on it makes me feel much better. I know that whilst my horse is freezemarked and microchipped, this simple tag will make sure that whoever catches her, as long as she still has her saddle on, will be able to contact me :D

The feeling of security helps me to relax when we're out. D1 has one on her saddle as well, which gives me, as a mother, a degree of comfort.
 
Agree with those who've said to hack out next time with another (senisible!) horse, or even someone on foot just so you know you've got someone there.

Glad you're both ok.
 
Thank you for the replies, will definitely get a tag for his saddle. I just need to accept that this can happen to any rider and so doesn't make me a bad rider, it is just one of those things.

Brucea, I think it was someone putting their bins out! There aren't really any pheasants in my area, and I was riding down the road.
 
oh memories ;)

thought I had dealt with my horses fear of whips and was out on endurance ride ........

well she was ok with me holding a whip but not someone else waving one in her face when negotiating a gate :eek:

whipped round while I was unbalanced leaning for the gate leaving me on the floor and her bolting down the lane past the stewards and onto a very busy main road :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

despite all the stewards / radios etc she was missing for over 20 minutes before being found shaking and drenched in sweat in an industrial estate.
Neither of us in a fit state to continue but once we got back to the start and cooled down I got back on in a safe area and we pootles around a bit bareback and on loose rein....... for me getting back on then was the best thing I did rather than leave it and stew.

sometimes if had a bad one it takes a few days or weeks.... just go with the flow :)


glad you are both fine ........ hope the next few hacks are less adventurous...... and the positive is that you have identified a learning opportunity ;) , some de spooking practice based around bin day :D



tags on horse .... great :cool:
 
Awww glad you are both ok!

Some horses spook!

Mine got ridden for the first time for 5 days yesterday! He decided he had NEVER hacked before in his life despite being in his 20's! There were serious MONSTERS everywhere according to him!

He is known in the area for coming home by himself! All the locals and farmers have a hot line to my yard now and just ring the YO saying the usual brown horse is on his way home!

I ride with a point two on so my air jacket has been fully tested! The joke is now my friends buy me cannisters all the time now for presents instead of easter eggs, valentines, birthdays and chrimbo!!!! I seriously could make some serious new age art now with the empty cannisters as statues!

I also have one of those Locata's on him so if he did ever stop to talk to someone and ask directions he can be helped if he needed it but usually he gets home in record time in true black beauty style saying 'well I am home but not sure where she is, you will need to go and find her'

http://www.jmrt.co.uk/locata.htm

Anyway! It happens to the best of us! Best thing to do is dust yourself off, thank your lucky stars you both are ok and try again! Totally agree to go out with a couple of friends for a few hacks.

It's always a worry though when they go off on the road by themselves!
 
I am glad you are both OK and as others have said, it is just one of those (horsey) things.

When I first got Harry he was six, I was forty eight and we were both very green. He had a wicked anticlockwise 180 spin and dumped me on the floor on numerous occasions. He never got a telling off, as he was only acting on instinct, and within a year two things had happened: 1) I had developed a seat like superglue. (2) He was no longer green, was confident and we had a superb bond, which has continued to grow.
 
Tash88, glad you're both OK. Perfect advice on this thread, take it slow and find a pal with a nice old schoolmaster type to hack with for a while. I've heard that a rub of surfboard wax on tack and chaps etc can enhance one's "stickability" and I'm tempted to try it myself as one of my horses has looky and spooky days for neither rhyme nor reason!
 
carrying on from the tag idea - what does everyone have engraved on it ?

I was thinking of the following on a large dog tag in a bright colour, one to go on the bridle (if can do it) and one to go on the saddle

on the front - I live at (lane name and village)
on the back - my mum is (my name) her number is (my contact number)

any other ideas ?
 
I came off mine yesterday! spooked suddenly, span and I came off, fortunately on the verge and I managed to hand onto her! Got straight back on and she was fine. I think as others have said, one of those things. Must be something in the air atm

Good luck x
 
Gentle hugs to you. Treat it as a learning experience and take the positives from it.

- You're ok.
- He's ok.
- Everyone else he met on his way home is ok.

I have tags on my horse's saddle and back harness area of my riding hat. (A horse can lose a bridle more easily than a saddle). The tags are the plastic keyring tags that take a little slip of paper. They carry my mobile, my husband's mobile and our landline phone numbers.

Defo hack out again, with some company to assure your short-term nerves!

If we ride horses, we're bound to part company with them at some points during our relationship. Part of the deal!
 
excellent idea about back of hat as OH has pointed out to me if I did have a fall and knocked self out noone would have a clue who I was (although always carry mobile on me with ICE number on it)
 
One thing that I have done with my youngster is do a flatwork session for about 20/30 mins, lots of transitions, nothing exciting, but making him work properly - then get someone to meet me out of the schooling session to have a short, acompanied hack as a cool down.

You'll both be fine.
 
Glad to hear you are both ok despite a shaken up obviously.

I really don't what advice to offer other than ride with sensible company (while your horse is still young) or just tell you that it's just one of those things, it's a risk you take when riding young horses out...well any horse really but when there at that age, it's natural for them to run away once spooked. I came of mine a few times out hacking and he did the same, thankfully he made his way across the fields but it wasn't fun running after him with half the field clogged to my boots!

Make sure you and your horse are high vizzed up, wear a BP (trust me they come in handy when your on youngsters due to moves they bust when spooking at things) and tell people where your riding, make sure you always have a phone, tag your saddle or bridle with your name and mobile number so if you horse gets loose again and someone finds him they can contact you asap.

Knee boots are a good idea as well if your doing a lot of road hacking and road studs to prevent them slipping.
 
Not much to add really other than I hope you are both feeling ok.
The only thing I would change is put a keyring on your saddle with both your mobile number and the yard number on it just in case you part company. Then anyone who finds him can contact you or the yard.

oops - only just saw Kenzo's post above!
 
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When riding out youngsters I always have a longish strap from the D ring to D ring. I hook a couple of fingers through it so I can hold & use the reins normally at the same time. It has saved my bacon many a time in just your situation. It holds you down to the saddle & also stops you jabbing the horse in the mouth which will make any rearing worse. Give it a go.
 
Thank you for all your kind replies. Definitely getting tags made for his saddle and bridle at the weekend, with my name/number and the yard's name/number. I lunged him this morning and he was perfectly fine, tomorrow morning I'll go in the school.

I'm still a little sore but feeling much more relaxed today, working from home which is quite nice.

Vetwrap - I like that idea of schooling then going for a little hack, he is a reasonably fit horse so should be able to cope with that.

Tash x
 
Sorry to hear of your incident but am glad that you are both o.k. It wil probably never happen again but a good idea to hack out with someone else for a while.

Having very sadly lost my trusty 29 year old cob prior to Christmas I am now the prowd owner of a 6 year old heavy weight cob so am taking things carefully as one might say.

Being a mature gentleman (me that is - not the horse) of many years I ride out with a crash hat, a body protector and a long sleeved hi-viz jacket, hi-viz hat band, hi-viz reign and nose bands and also Jeffries knee pads on the horse. I also have a large dog tag on both the saddle and bridle with my various telephone numbers on one side and that of the vet on the other side.
 
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