Horse fell on road :(

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Stary

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We were out on a lovely hack this AM, we were waiting at a junction to turn right and a car coming gave way to us as they wanted to turn into the road we were coming from. No other cars but there was a St Bernard jumping and barking at a gate opposite the junction. My pony spotted him but kept walking following by partners horse as we were turning right.

Now I'm really not sure what happened, I think another St Bernard ran up to the gate I think my pony tried to step sideways/ a slow spook and then we were both lying on our sides on the road with my foot underneath him. Then Smokey got straight up and stood looking at me even though dogs still barking, I scrambled up too. Smokey just stood there I checked no obvious issue then I started leading him home. We were about 2 miles away after quarter of a mile I still couldn't see any lameness and my foot was really hurting so I get on and he walks home perfectly. We even encountered a spaniel chasing him and barking at his feet so turn him to face dog until owner manages to retrieve it. He stood perfectly. Then a dog fight again he just waited patiently.

He's normally fine with dogs so I really don't know what happened and now not knowing why he fell is making me worry. My friend thinks it was just a freak accident and says don't dwell. He has a superficial graze over his right stifle and I have a big fat foot but I can walk on it so don't think fractured, but otherwise we seem ok. It could have been so much worse :(

He hasn't got shoes on, the road was flat and dry and we were walking. He's only 5 and a little unbalanced in the school but when hacking he's never even tripped when I've been on him let alone fallen over. Fingers crossed he is still ok in the morning, I can't find any other external injury. I cold hosed his leg and he's having a bute tonight.

I'll use hoof boots in future as have more grip and maybe think about teaching some lateral work so he's more balanced?

Anyone else have a baby fall over with a spook?

Sorry for the waffle needed to put my thoughts down. Still cant believe we seem ok...x
 
Is there any chance he stood on the edge of a cats eye thingy on the road? My pony did that once and slipped straight off it again but nothing major

Glad you are okay, how scary for you both
 
I'd just chalk it up to 'one of those things'.
I broke ribs once when a saintly horse spooked slightly and slipped/fell on top of me. First and last person to ever have fallen on that horse!
 
I can imagine how scary it was, but I do think your friend is right that it is just one of those things. Sounds like the dog made him jump and he just lost his footing - frightening, but not something that's likely to happen again.
My old mare fell twice with me but that is over the course of nearly 15 years. On one occasion she just went splat sideways and fell on a bridleway as we were starting to canter, and on another occasion she fell over in my lesson when I asked her for an ambitiously sharp turn. Not entirely sure how/ why she fell, but they were very much one of incidences.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll try to stop worrying :) I might go and have another look at the road, it's in a tiny village so don't think there were white lines or cats eyes. Definitely could of been tripping on his own hoof though. I'm so glad he went sideways not onto his knees and he's only 15hh so not too far....
 
I've had a horse fall sideways with me, just bad luck that he slipped and I never fell off him again in the 10 years I rode him.

I'd get the physio out to check him out for any sore or tight spots (unless he is obviously unwell in which case he needs a vet, but I doubt that from what you said). Also make sure you rest, ice and elevate your leg as well!
 
Definitely just one of those things, try not to overthink it - if you are worried pop some knee boots on - glad you were both ok :)
 
Sounds like one of those things, my Po went down on his front knees on a lane once, only time he has ever done it in the 12 years I have had him, took some skin off, I was so upset for him, he didn't seem that bothered, sometimes things just happen, I wouldn't worry unless it happens more often.
 
Sounds scary and I hope you're not too sore but as others have said it was just slip up that will probably never happen again. Not me, but a friend of mine was pootling along on her cob a couple of years ago, quiet lane but went past a house with a barking dog and her cob stepped sideways and they both ended up on their sides. No harm done but she thinks he just got his legs in a tangle. Put it behind you...she's never had it happen since.
 
Yes a situation like this happened to my horse when she was 4, she has only been broken in for around 6 months :( I was walking along my horse on the road while my sister rode her and car came past speeding extremely fast and almost touched my horse as it came that close, my horse spooked and fell onto the road right over onto her side. She got straight back up and seemed fine, had the smallest scratch on her hip and her fetlock and seemed fine but we lead her back. Didn't ride her for a few days but noticed in the field she was lame in trot, got the vet out and found out she had fractured her sesamoid, que about 9 months box rest! Like yours my horse doesn't wear shoes and the road was flat and dry but was just unfortunate :) my horse is now 6 and is absolutely fine now, hope yours is ok :)
 
Happened to me once too, had her fifteen years now. She shied, slipped, then next minute we were on the road. She had easyboot gloves on the fronts, I always did think they were slightly slippy. Worse thing was that I was wearing an airbag and as she scrambled up she inflated me, what a waste of a cartridge!

It was just a one off for us, so I'm sure it will be for you too.
 
Something similar happened to me when I was 14, my pony slipped right over on tarmac and fell on my, breaking my arm. Mine was shod, I think the tarmac was wet and slippy and she lost her footing. I'm glad you are both ok x
 
Stary said:
We were out on a lovely hack this AM, we were waiting at a junction to turn right and a car coming gave way to us as they wanted to turn into the road we were coming from. No other cars but there was a St Bernard jumping and barking at a gate opposite the junction. My pony spotted him but kept walking following by partners horse as we were turning right.

Now I'm really not sure what happened, I think another St Bernard ran up to the gate I think my pony tried to step sideways/ a slow spook and then we were both lying on our sides on the road with my foot underneath him. Then Smokey got straight up and stood looking at me even though dogs still barking, I scrambled up too. Smokey just stood there I checked no obvious issue then I started leading him home. We were about 2 miles away after quarter of a mile I still couldn't see any lameness and my foot was really hurting so I get on and he walks home perfectly. We even encountered a spaniel chasing him and barking at his feet so turn him to face dog until owner manages to retrieve it. He stood perfectly. Then a dog fight again he just waited patiently.

He's normally fine with dogs so I really don't know what happened and now not knowing why he fell is making me worry. My friend thinks it was just a freak accident and says don't dwell. He has a superficial graze over his right stifle and I have a big fat foot but I can walk on it so don't think fractured, but otherwise we seem ok. It could have been so much worse :(

He hasn't got shoes on, the road was flat and dry and we were walking. He's only 5 and a little unbalanced in the school but when hacking he's never even tripped when I've been on him let alone fallen over. Fingers crossed he is still ok in the morning, I can't find any other external injury. I cold hosed his leg and he's having a bute tonight.

I'll use hoof boots in future as have more grip and maybe think about teaching some lateral work so he's more balanced?

Anyone else have a baby fall over with a spook?

Sorry for the waffle needed to put my thoughts down. Still cant believe we seem ok...x
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Yes two of my liveries and my young ID did in Feb as per this thread with pictures http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?723954-Knee-boots. This in turn made her lame for a few weeks and caused me to fall and frature my shoulder which is still not right now and been to recent CT scan last week as it is still painfull and cracks and cannot raise it

She now goes out with knee boots every time.
 
My New Forest fell over on the road with me on Saturday too. He spooked (nothing unusual there) but lost his footing and landed sideways on the lane, luckily throwing me clear. He was a bit shocked but ok. I have a sore shoulder and gravel rash on my hand though! I led him home, but i was only 15mins away. I guessed that as i was sore, he probably was a bit too, although he went straight to his haynet and munched away!
 
Not on road but mine spooked and fell over before I hadn't come off for years so was quite freaky.She got up and seemed ok though so i hopped back on as still good hour hack back to yard. only after i got home (and cleaned all the mud off!) did i realise my arm was bruised and bleeding. I now have a permanent scar from it. At the time i thought shall i get studs,shall i do this,is something wrong with her? But honestly it really was just an accident. I know ive gone tits up before guess my horse can do the same lol Mud is slippery and roads can be very slippery also! Don't give it another thought.
 
My unshod mare fell with me on the road when I had just got her. She was green and unbalanced and span and fell when a car came round the corner and braked on some gravel. We were both fine though she had some minor grazes. I was wearing a BP and was unhurt. It never happened again so don't worry about it.
 
I had an older horse fall over backwards on me during a slow spook, few nicks and cuts but nothing serious, doesn't seem fazed either
 
I agree it's just one of those things. It sounds like he hasn't worried about it, so you should try not to. Easier said than done I know!
 
LJR said:
Definitely just one of those things, try not to overthink it - if you are worried pop some knee boots on - glad you were both ok :)
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Westropp do some really good boots, they are knee and brushing boots in one so never slip down and you can canter with them on too.
 
I've been fallen on twice on the road by different horses. Both in spook situations. Dust yourself off and forget about it. Even horses have a clumsy slip occasionally :)
 
My old horse did it when he was an unshod youngster the first time he met a bus. I'd pulled into the entrance of a side road to let the bus pass and the air brakes went off and he fell over. I do think they are less balanced when starting out and learning to carry a rider. We were both unharmed - my stirrup saved my foot from being crushed.

If it's any consolation, it was another ten years before he fell over again and that was a spook on to the verge when startled by dogs on the other side of the road and he tripped up. Now that time was slightly more painful as I broke my little finger and my car keys stabbed me but, again, he was fine!

Definitely take it as a one off - we can all get our feet in a tangle sometimes. Glad Smokey is OK and hope your fat foot has subsided.
 
Stary said:
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll try to stop worrying :) I might go and have another look at the road, it's in a tiny village so don't think there were white lines or cats eyes. Definitely could of been tripping on his own hoof though. I'm so glad he went sideways not onto his knees and he's only 15hh so not too far....
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Could it be a new road surface? A few years ago our lane was resurfaced with some new sort of stuff and our Sec D went down much as yours did. He was being ridden by my daughter and when I went to run and help much the same happened to me. Goodness only knows how we coped driving because the surface was dreadful, really unsafe. Ours went onto his knees and, having seen the damage to his knee boots I have sworn that none of ours ever go out on the road without them.
 
Thanks everyone for the comments and advice. Rode today for first time since the fall and he went really nicely :) Will get physio booked in but she's very busy atm. Grazes seem to be healing fine. I'll look into knee boots.
 
A friends horse did similar, simply spooked, but managed to tangle his own legs/stand on his own feet and hit the deck. Honestly just one of those things, I`m not the steadiest on my own feet half the time :D I`ve had a couple of daft falls off my own 2 feet lol
 
My horse did this when he was young & also not wearing shoes spooked at a pigeon flying out of a bush and over we went the road was dry & flat anyhow decided to put fronts on him after that as he was very sharp & spooky as a youngster but has never fallen since
 
Ladyinred said:
Could it be a new road surface? A few years ago our lane was resurfaced with some new sort of stuff and our Sec D went down much as yours did. He was being ridden by my daughter and when I went to run and help much the same happened to me. Goodness only knows how we coped driving because the surface was dreadful, really unsafe. Ours went onto his knees and, having seen the damage to his knee boots I have sworn that none of ours ever go out on the road without them.
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Yes I have found freshly Tarmaced roads can be slippy :-(
 
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