How often do you fall off?

How often do you fall?

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Jackson

Jackson

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On average? :D I will add a poll for your convinience.

Before christmas, I was averaging out at once a month :eek: and in one particularly bad month, once a week :o

Erm, I'm not sure what happened in the bad month, fall number one happened when I was riding in the pitch black and someone popped up on the other side of the fence, causing wonder horse to spin like a food blender.. :o
Second was again at dusk, I don't learn. he wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic about cantering cirlces and attempted a simultanious buck and sudden change of direction, I blocked it and his tiny brain had an overload of information and he physically fell over leaving me literally sat on his head :o
The third was another 180, in walk :confused: I honstly can't recall the fourth..
 
I've put every couple of years or so, but that's very much an average. Haven't fallen off my boy in about 10 years, haven't fallen off anything in about 8 years I think :confused: I'm very much a clinger-onner and refuse to fall :p though have had a few scary moments!
 
Normally: once a year. In the past fortnight: twice a week!
Pony wants grass (no t/o due to soggy fields) and will do anything to try and ditch me so she can eat.
Little minx even foiled grass reins today!
 
I spent years having never had a fall from a horse - I think the idea scared me so much that it made me cling on no matter what.
Then I got over that fear and took up Friday night jumping competitions and since then I've had two falls - the second being so bad that it's put me out of jumping for two months (due to bruising, swelling and the fact I couldn't risk another fall on top of my last injuries). I did my first full course of jumps last night for the first time in two months and have put my name down for a yard comp in two weeks, here's hoping I don't fall again.

The first time I fell off I was loaded with the cold and couldn't think straight, let alone ask my horse for anything properly. I've no idea why I went ahead with it, but I did. My horse carried me round the entire course even with me being so dire, got to the penultimate jump and stepped out from it, I landed on top of it taking four poles out in the process. :o

Second time we were warming up beforehand, different horse - he was playing up but I kept working him up and down transitions. All fine so went into canter, going really well. Up until he spooked at something, did a sharp turn and threw me out the side door. I don't know what was scarier, seeing his body follow me as he lost balance or looking to where I was going and seeing a jump that I was heading directly towards head first at speed.

I guess on average though my fall record's pretty low. However the fact I've a back injury (non horse related), I'd probably like it to stay rather low.
 
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I've had my current horse 9 years and fallen off him only 3 times I can think of which I think is rather good going considering we've evented and showjumped pretty much that entire time (until he's done his tendon 6 weeks ago :( ).

Generally I dont fall off very often, maybe once every 2 years if that. Some people seem to fall off at every single event, I have no idea how they have the confidence to keep getting back on!
 
In 6 & half years I have fallen on my haffy 3 times. My mum has had her cob 5yrs & I have come out the side door once & my youngster I have had him a year & already hit the deck twice :eek:
 
I literally do fall off twice a year and have done so every year for the past 4 years (before that it was probably more often!) It is my thing that once I've fallen off twice in a year I don't have to worry about falling off anymore! Saying that I have already managed my two falls this year so I hope this record still holds (touch wood). I don't fall off very easily anymore just occassionally when I push myself (normally trying to jump particularly big fences/awkward angles on my own horse). Or occassionally when other horses take me by surprise with sudden violent spooks, broncking fits etc, I ride quite a few young horses so have become quite stickable! If I know a horse is going to be naughty/buck/spook etc it is normally pretty easy for me to sit it.
 
Most of my falls... are not falls but ungraceful dismounts :D
Most recent has to be coming down a steep hill with a loose girth. Not good.
I rolled out the side door - and Bailey stopped at the bottom of the hill.

Most exciting fall this year has to be after pony-o was kept in for a few days and someone gave him sugarbeet... we went to the park.. and he let loose all of his energy. i gave up clinging on :D
 
I had an annual fall off my previous horse. Not come off my new mare yet for which i am grateful as she is bigger than he was. However, i haven't had her a year yet so I feel it is going to happen between now and September. Am wearing my BP more often these days!
 
Just counted 14 in 32 years although two of those horse fell as well.

In the last five years, three falls - two within five minutes of each other!

I find it an interesting statistic that out of my 14 falls most are to do with jumping!

11 were jumping related, 2 hacking out in a field (getting overexcited during fast work and bucking) and 1 in a handy pony when my pony really didn't like the umbrella which I had just picked up off the barrel.... those were the days before H&S!
 
I haven't fallen off for a few years, but then I've only ridden a dozen or so times in that time period :D. Before that when I was riding more frequently it tended to be every couple of years or so but I'd then go through a spate of tactical dismounts followed by a biggie then nothing again for a while. When I was a lot younger it was pretty much every week, I nearly always rode bareback and by balance, if something upset my balance I went bye bye :o. Luckily I have found my ability to stay on has increased as my ability to bounce has diminished ;)
 
I have had Java 18 months and fallen off about 3 times I think?

Once jumping where he suddenly stopped at some scary planks!

2 weeks ago xc where we were cantering inbetween fences and spooked and I flew out the side door!

I'm hoping answering this thread won't jinx another fall :D
 
Erm.. you lot are much more sticky than me then :o Interestingly, I do everything bareback that I would do with a saddle, and yet, tough wood I've managed to sit everything that he can throw at me like that :o

Who voted never? :D;)
 
I have become so scared now of falling off - even my genuine honest horse gets nervous when I ride. I think I am going to have to give up as I am ruining him. I have tried lessons yet the problem will not go away. I am just destined not to ride.
 
rhino said:
I've put every couple of years or so, but that's very much an average. Haven't fallen off my boy in about 10 years, haven't fallen off anything in about 8 years I think :confused: I'm very much a clinger-onner and refuse to fall :p though have had a few scary moments!
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This is about right for me as well as I used to ride all the naughty ponies when I was younger, although it's probably been about 20 years since I came off and that was a bale out on a horse that bolted and I couldn't do anything to stop him. Since then I have had times when there has been a good deal of air between me and the saddle but I've willed myself back on. ;)

I'd really like to not fall off again as I am beginning to get old and creaky. Hence I have started riding my new boy with a neck strap. It is certainly no guarantee but it's nice to have it there and I think the more comfortable and confident you are, the less likely you are to fall off.
 
I went through a spate a couple of years ago of it being nearly every weekend.
Before that, it had been years and I've not come off in a couple of years (famous last words - backing youngster this year), so I chose bi-annually.
 
I used to fall off weekly.... sometimes monthly on a good month and sometimes daily on a bad week :p. But *touch wood* since moving him home I haven't had a proper fall (as in him ditching me with intent) at all! I have had a few rather graceful unplanned dismounts but landed on my feet so not counting them.
 
I will tend not to fall off at all for 6 months, then fall off three times in a fortnight.

Managed to hunt 2-3 times a week all season, on about 30-40 different horses (dealers yard) and not fall off.

Then fell off draghunting in March, horse tipped up, chipped a vertebrae.
Then was sore and a bit rubbish at riding, so then got jumped off 10 days later, then one tipped up over a 2ft 6 showjump with me.
 
I've had my gelding a year and have fallen off 6 to 8 times - lost count!

Haven't fallen off for about 6 months now though but I'm not getting complacent.

He is a fantastic spooker, spinner, swerver, and sudden stopper.

Since he has a saddle that fits and his back is happy, we are both much more secure. I think I am much less stiff after a year of riding almost daily and so I am more stable, but as I say, I am not getting complacent.

It is comforting though because I am 45 and I can imagine I could have built falling at this age into being a terrible ordeal and yet having fallen off loads as a kid, I can't say this felt any worse. So I think it has increased my confidence in an odd way.
 
I voted yearly - though I've fallen off twice this year at total non-events. In 13 years of doing ridiculously stupid things with J, i could count the number of proper falls I've had on one hand, or rather 2 fingers. I've fallen off Fergs three times in the same number of years.
 
dreamcometrue said:
I had an annual fall off my previous horse. Not come off my new mare yet for which i am grateful as she is bigger than he was. However, i haven't had her a year yet so I feel it is going to happen between now and September. Am wearing my BP more often these days!
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Would you believe it!

I posted this yesterday.

Today set off on a hack with my mare and a car came fast round a corner, braked hard and skidded on gravel, horse spooked, spun, got legs tangled and fell with me! Couldn't believe it!

We are both okay, just a few cuts and bruises.

Never ever going to reply to one of these threads again.

Oh and I did have my BP on which probably saved my ribs. :D

Man sat in his car the whole time then drove off..............
 
dreamcometrue said:
Would you believe it!

I posted this yesterday.

Today set off on a hack with my mare and a car came fast round a corner, braked hard and skidded on gravel, horse spooked, spun, got legs tangled and fell with me! Couldn't believe it!

We are both okay, just a few cuts and bruises.

Never ever going to reply to one of these threads again.

Oh and I did have my BP on which probably saved my ribs. :D

Man sat in his car the whole time then drove off..............
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Thats why i'm not replying about my current horse!! But before I got my pony I hadn't fallen off for over 20 years - but in the last 3 years I lost count of the amount of times I have hit the deck!

Pony was a terrible spinner / spooker / stopper. He's so much better now - and living out 24/7 has made a huge difference to his behaviour too!
 
I've had my boy 3 years and fallen off him 6 times. Fell off him twice in same day out hunting. Not his fault. I had a few too many ports and just plopped off lol. He stopped bless him and waited for me to sort myself out :)
 
Once every couple of years probably. Had my first fall off BH this winter after three years of riding him. He's fallen over once too but I'm not counting that as it was his own silly fault :p

Haven't been off Nitty yet but I reckon she is going to push my average up. She's a bit feisty!
 
Never.

But then I am retired from jumping and I have a very genuine horse who I currently never ride so my odds of possibly falling off are none existent. :D

I'll tempt fate and tell you I've never fallen off him when he was in work, but I'm bound to have a muppet moment and hit the deck sometime.
 
I'm not scared of the falling off part it's the hitting the ground bit that I am petrified of! That's the sore bit!

I tend to come off once a year or so. The last time being last April when I had a racehorse fresh out from 3 weeks box rest. Hacking down the road, car goes past so he sets off broncing. Bronced for a good 20-30m before I finally hit the deck - I landed on my knees, the horse buggered off home and who caught him when he was in the yard? None other than Claire Balding! Oh yes! It had to go and be the day the Beeb were in doing a spot on our horse for the Grand National!

I may not come off often but when I do I do it in style :D
 
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