How often do you fall off?

[Ceriann]

Twice this year. Red is pretty chilled most of the time but if she spooks she tends to go sideways and then stop v quickly! Most times I read it but occasionally I don’t and find myself sitting on the floor looking at her. She’s just had a couple of weeks off with a sore back (thanks to some field looning) and is less relaxed than usual ridden (Shes been checked over) which im putting down to excess energy. I’d prefer to not hit third time unlucky!

 

[marmalade76]

It's very rare for me to fall off these days, I haven't fallen off one of my own horses since 2002 (when he spooked in an SJ ring which was unusual, he usually saved that for hacking) and have fallen off three belonging to others once each - one stopped dead out cantering and then reversed out from under me, another put a foot down a rabbit hole out hunting and the third, a small pony, pulled me off reaching for grass whilst I was tightening the girth!

I think I stay on because the last horse of my own that I fell off was very, very sharp and spooky and had no neck or shoulders - you soon learn to sit tight! I've also done quite a bit of hunting and team chasing - also teaches you to sit tight! These days, I nearly always ride with a neckstrap and I'm not ashamed to use it! I'm also a bit of a wimp now so I don't do anything I'm not comfortable with and I stick to tiddly fences. I think if I fell off regularly now, I would probably give up because my nerves wouldn't take it!

If I were to give any tips they would be :-

Use a neck strap (a breastplate is not good enough - too low and too fixed)
Push your weight into your heels
Make sure you ride short enough for jumping - the shorter you ride, the more secure you will be over a fence. They might feel too short when you first get on, but once you're jumping, they won't.
And a good saddle always helps

 

[Mule]

Brill AE 😄
I got spooked off kira in the dark since this thread started😁she stood and looked at me sitting in the sand as if to say "what are you doing down there? " 😂

I have one like that. He stopped at a log going into water at our first hunter trial. I went over his head and landed on the log and he looked down at me with a very puzzled expression. I couldn't understand why he was puzzled, what did he expect when he stopped suddenly 🙄

 

[Mule]

It's very rare for me to fall off these days, I haven't fallen off one of my own horses since 2002 (when he spooked in an SJ ring which was unusual, he usually saved that for hacking) and have fallen off three belonging to others once each - one stopped dead out cantering and then reversed out from under me, another put a foot down a rabbit hole out hunting and the third, a small pony, pulled me off reaching for grass whilst I was tightening the girth!

I think I stay on because the last horse of my own that I fell off was very, very sharp and spooky and had no neck or shoulders - you soon learn to sit tight! I've also done quite a bit of hunting and team chasing - also teaches you to sit tight! These days, I nearly always ride with a neckstrap and I'm not ashamed to use it! I'm also a bit of a wimp now so I don't do anything I'm not comfortable with and I stick to tiddly fences. I think if I fell off regularly now, I would probably give up because my nerves wouldn't take it!

If I were to give any tips they would be :-

Use a neck strap (a breastplate is not good enough - too low and too fixed)
Push your weight into your heels
Make sure you ride short enough for jumping - the shorter you ride, the more secure you will be over a fence. They might feel too short when you first get on, but once you're jumping, they won't.
And a good saddle always helps

When I rode as a child I had great balance. I used to ride a horse at the riding school who was a bucker and a dirty stopper. (In retrospect I think her saddle was too small) She taught me how to stay on.
Unfortunately when I started again as an adult my balance had become terrible, it hasn't improved much either 🙄

 

[marmalade76]

When I rode as a child I had great balance. I used to ride a horse at the riding school who was a bucker and a dirty stopper. (In retrospect I think her saddle was too small) She taught me how to stay on.
Unfortunately when I started again as an adult my balance had become terrible, it hasn't improved much either 🙄

Small ponies (13.2 and under) are so much easier to fall off, I don't care what anyone says! They move so much quicker, there's less to catch you and any flaws in your balance will be amplified!

I fell off loads as a kid, and looking back at the saddles, no wonder! Flat and shiny, smooth and slippery! I had a dirty stopper too, fortunately not had one as an adult which is probably why I've managed to avoid falling off so well!

How about some lunge lessons to help with balance?

 

[Mule]

Small ponies (13.2 and under) are so much easier to fall off, I don't care what anyone says! They move so much quicker, there's less to catch you and any flaws in your balance will be amplified!

I fell off loads as a kid, and looking back at the saddles, no wonder! Flat and shiny, smooth and slippery! I had a dirty stopper too, fortunately not had one as an adult which is probably why I've managed to avoid falling off so well!

How about some lunge lessons to help with balance?

I think the lunge lessons are a good idea. I had some when I first got back in to riding and I think more would be good.

I am supicious that medication I take may be responsible for the deterioration in my balance. A family member with the same illness takes the same tablets and has also developed terrible balance 🤔

 

[marmalade76]

Oh no

 

[Mule]

Oh no

It's ok, the side effects are worth it to keep the condition under control. There's always a trade off with taking long term medication but I'm ok with it 🙂

 

[albeg]

Not for a couple of years (when pony faceplanted) then twice this year. One was while warming up, was letting pony stretch in trot when either the fence or the sign at the end of the arena creaked and he did a 180 spin, while I kept going.

The other was at our ODE at the end of the summer. Not while doing anything much, was walking off after the SJ when a gaggle of kids ran up behind pony, resulting in another 180, some grabbing and attempting to stay on, a sideways teleport and some less than graceful landing on my feet and staggering to stay upright.

 

[SpringArising]

I've come off twice in the last year (previous horse).

Both times he spun and bolted out hacking, the second time I chucked myself off cause I knew the little f*cker wasn't going to stop and didn't fancy my chances of him crossing the main road with me on his back.

I think the last time I fell before that was in 2011 when one of Rodeo Pony's bucks got the better of me.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Used to fall off Topaz loads, but in the last few years it's definitely decreased, I think Topaz just puts her rodeo in every now and again just to check I don't get complacent . Since this thread started she rodeo'd me off in the warm-up at a dressage show this year the shame!

Little Skylla I've only come off twice at her insistence (both times objecting to saddle fit ) and once when she did a Bambi on ice moment (on snow not ice but same result) and I got off so she could get her balance back.

I definitely fell off more when trying to event Topaz, I think it comes with the territory of a difficult discipline and the learning stage.

 

[Asha]

Ive fallen off 4 times in last ten years, once when my old girl bronced on landing after a jump (4 years ago), the next time Harry reared and went over backwards ,( 5 years ago) Recent ones : last year I fell off as my ID mare dropped a shoulder after refusing a jump, then at camp last month I was thrown off. Naughty Pip decided to capriole, then bronc and then dropped her shoulder and me and span then ran back to the stables . So, now I have a horse I like and trust im falling off more regularly, brilliant.

 

[Alibear]

Just the one in the last 3 years since I've been riding again. With my saddle it's quite a feat to come unstuck but I leant back when I should have leant forwards so tipped gently out the rear side and onto the school surface. All as nice a fall as you could ask for. So I was puzzled to find myself winded and having left a crater sized hole in the arena surface. I think I need to get back on the get fit and lose weight wagon to sort that out.

 

[ShowJumperL95]

I very rarely fall off at home or training. I tend to fall off at competitions as it all depends on how my boy is feeling. I had a streak of not falling off for 3 years until the a couple of weekends ago when I fell of 5 times at a competition! Thankfully the venue is very nice and let me keep getting back on and carrying on. Was just a tad embarrassing

 

[The Trooper]

Too often .

I rode when i was in my young teens and then had around 13 years where i never rode at all, when i was younger and riding riding school/centre horses i never fell off once but i've came off around half a dozen or so times since getting back into the saddle 18 months ago.

I've come off Belle a few times, some more painful than others for a variety of reasons, in the early days it was down to both of our balances but the most recent one was thanks to a terrifying stick that she side stepped whilst hurtling up a track, that one hurt.

Bonnie my shire; i've only actually came off once and it was when i first started breaking her, i had her in a field just doing some start/stop and a little steering when she spooked due to 2 ponies being ridden in the next field charging around, she threw me and as i hit the ground she stood on my wrist, this was in June and its still really sore now - Nothing broken but my first and only hospital trip *Fingers crossed*.

I was once told you can't call your self a horse person until you've fallen off 100 times, i don't know how true it is though Haha.

 

[Lisalou]

I wouldn't worry, just take each fall as a learning opportunity. I tend to fall off a couple times a year, sometimes more if I've been feeling brave and gone out of my usual comfort zone a bit prematurely haha

Ha ha ha it was exactly that, I’d watched a motivational clip about stepping out of ur comfort zone, so I got on n thought right tonight I’m doing it I’m Guna smash this canter ha ha but ended up smashing my shoulder instead ha ha ha,

 

[Neversaydie]

Probably about 5/6 years ago. I don’t hit the ground that often, in fact I actively avoid is as bouncing rattles my teeth

 

[Alibear]

Ha ha ha it was exactly that, I’d watched a motivational clip about stepping out of ur comfort zone, so I got on n thought right tonight I’m doing it I’m Guna smash this canter ha ha but ended up smashing my shoulder instead ha ha ha,

That is exactly what I did before my most recent fall, no damage done though thankfully. Must stop reading it’s obviously bad for my health 😆

 

[Lisalou]

That is exactly what I did before my most recent fall, no damage done though thankfully. Must stop reading it’s obviously bad for my health 😆

😂😂 my instructor said to stop watching the videos lol because it looks so easy on there and I get them on and expect that I can do it like them straight away Lol. I forgot they have been riding like 10/15years and iv only been a year n a half 🤪 😆

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I’ve parted ways with my ride once in the last 6 years. Baby Logan decided that his first XC experience needed to also be his first rider dismount experience. I wouldn’t really have called it a fall, I just slipped off one side as slowly as I could not to scare him. His mum was probably more worried than either of us

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Wow you've just made me realize I haven't fallen off since I had my old mare put to sleep which was over 4 years ago. She was problematic and I fell off her monthly. But touch wood I have never fell off both my geldings I've had 4 years nearly 5 years soon. I even backed them both myself.. I shouldn't of said that, i'll be on my ass tonight now. Ha

 

[nikkimariet]

Thankfully not as often as I expect.

I've eaten dirt thanks to Nova 3 times. First trot, first canter, then a genuine spook.

Never fallen off Fig.

Last thing I fell off was a Shetland cross 10.2hh pony so I didn't so much fall off as stand up.

 

[Millie-Rose]

I 've had Millie nearly 10 years and fell off very early in the backing process when something spooked her and she just kept rodeoing until I came off. I was mortified as ideally don't like to let them know they can get rid of you if the mood takes. Fortunately she's a kind soul and have only fallen off her 3 times since all in getting tangled in a show jump incidents - she can be rather too bold for her own good at times! Mums boy who I backed 18 years ago I've only come off once again jumping. However I ride and back other people's and have come off I think 7 times in the last 2 years doing that, generally though I get sent problems as people with nice easy horses tend to ride them themselves! That said I've started a little mare for someone this year whose been a delight. It 's nice to have one once in a while.

 

[MagicMelon]

Touch wood, I seem to average about once every 2 years. I event and SJ mainly but to be honest the vast majority of my falls over the years have been when backing horses at the beginning (the ones I back seem to chuck me off twice in quick succession early on, then never do it again!) or when the horse has actually fallen. My last fall was 2 years ago at a BE event, my horse slid over in the XC warm up. Im lucky that my horses always seem to be good honest jumpers so I dont tend to have any issues at home or in competition.

However, I dont feel Ive challenged myself much with my current horse. Just because I lack as much time lately (had my 2nd child last december) so havent been out nearly as much as I used to but Im bored. I thought the horse perhaps lacked scope to go particularily big but Ive never actually asked her! So now Ive forced myself up a level during this winters SJ season and well she won the new level last weekend! I guess if you sit well within your comfort level then you dont risk falling off much!

I do remember a girl who I used to compete with as a kid, she was ALWAYS falling off. Literally every event she'd fall off. To this day I dont know how she stayed so confident. If I started falling off regularly I would question myself.