How to "safely" fall off?

Tally-lah

Tally-lah

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So, this is totally inspired by another thread...

I have ridden all my life and, apart from one stupid fall in the summer which was totally my fault, I have never come off. I think I have been very lucky, as they're have been plenty of near misses over the years, but unlike other's who probably learnt that falling off is no big deal, I have developed a horror of it and refuse point blank to be dumped - there have been times when it would probably have been safer to exit but I have clung on.

So, is there any particular ways in which you have learnt to fall safely? I feel like there is a massive chunk of riding education missing here for me - how do I fall off??!?!?
 
Ummm nope, I probably can`t help much there, as 8 weeks ago I fell and broke my back in 2 places lol ... However, I`m planning on getting back on soon, so would love to know peoples ideas on this so hopefully I won`t end up as badly hurt if it happens again ;)
 
canteron said:
I have just signed up the horseback combat course to learn this. As i get older and take longer to heal, it makes sense to me to minimise the risk by learning how to do it well!
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That sounds like a good plan! Also get a good BP or air jacket. Wearing mine helps me worry less about falling, if that makes sense.
 
1) don't come off...
2) the times I've really hurt myself coming off I've landed on something so picking where you fall off is key.. Sometimes a tactical early ' dismount' is in order.
 
Falling off on a soft surface is not too bad, I used to do it regularly with one particular mare, but falling off on concrete is defintely bad news.
Would you be able to go to karate type classes, this would help.
My worse fall involved a knee, landing my whole body weight on it, so nothing would have saved me, it was [sort of] a [freak] mounting accident, my own fault as I knew he was a pain, but could not find anyone to hold him that day.
 
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kinnygirl1 said:
That sounds like a good plan! Also get a good BP or air jacket. Wearing mine helps me worry less about falling, if that makes sense.
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Sorry to sound all doom and gloom but it didn`t help with me, my spine compressed causing all the momentum to travel down my spine and in effect crush the vertebrae (I landed on my derriere) and that`s what cause the fractures. But body protectors are good against impact traumas so definitely worth wearing :)
 
A long time ago when I was being taught to ride a motorcycle I was advised that if you feel you are going to slide/fall and there is not another option, the best thing to do was to 'drop and roll' keeping legs up (so as not to get dragged by the bike), to curl up into a ball tucking head and limbs in. I have used this method effectively during a fall from a horse. I went for what is now referred to as 'the inelegant flying dismount', I realised that I was going to fall so took my feet out of the stirrups and threw myself off to the side, curling up into a ball (as you often see jockeys doing) I was advised by a riding instructor to stay still until I could no longer hear hoofbeat, to then move slowly making sure that I could move freely.
Nowadays I break rather than bounce though :(
 
There is a video on you tube, made by horse and hound- how to fall off. Give that a watch! Also IMO after quite a few falls, most definately safer to completely bail once you have passed the point of no return! I used to keep hold of the horse, but my instructor did that a year ago and due to the force of the fall and speed etc, she tore her shoulder from it's joint- advice: let go and roll away! Oh and try not to land in your face, like I did this weekend, split my chin and it hurts to chew/yawn/laugh! You don't always have time to plan a graceful fall, but that video is quite good to show what types of positions to go for if you do come off.
 
I don't do judo but my children do and one of the first things that are taught is how to safely. I fell off my bike one day and automatically did all the things my kids do when break falling at judo. I didn't hurt myself at all. Haven't tried it falling off my big girl though and am not planning to try it out unless I have to!
 
How, Tally-Lah, have you managed to ride all your life and never fallen off except once?? Have you never had a horse trip up while cantering, bronc suddenly, stop dead or duck out at a fence when u think hes going over? Endless times Ive come off, I couldn't even begin to count. But Ive never been injured, a few bruises/scrapes here and there but nothing that I couldn't get back up again straight away.
Where and how you fall has a lot to do with it - I think most of the 'bad' (ie resulting in injury) falls I have seen have been in an arena where the rider isn't in control, and assumes the horse is going left at the end and it goes right or viceversa.
Very few 'bucked off in open country' falls seem to result in injury, and I think my main idea is to be relaxed when you ride, and if you find yourself flying through the air you will then naturally land relaxed, soft and roll rather than rigid and hit the ground in a stiff manner with arms stuck out.
 
And, to those of you who 'plan' a landing- how on earth do you manage it? I have usually been happily on the horse then in a split second it puts in a massive buck or spook and you're flying through the air and on the ground before you realise it :D
 
stormox said:
And, to those of you who 'plan' a landing- how on earth do you manage it? I have usually been happily on the horse then in a split second it puts in a massive buck or spook and you're flying through the air and on the ground before you realise it :D
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My last 'big' fall about 7 years ago was one of those when your life flashes before you..... it seemed to go on forever...... and I was able to 'plan'how I landed. The funniest thing about it was my friend who I was riding with came up to make sure if I was alright, she thought I was dead as I was not moving, unfortunately the peak of my hat was embedded firmly in the ground.... which made me stuck for a while. The horse came walking back and took one look at me as if to say 'what ARE you doing down there?' cue one new hat and a very muddy face.
 
I have planned a couple where I have had one buck and stayed on but lost balance badly and knew anything else and I would be off so consciously dropped and rolled! I've only managed to plan a couple on my time riding, generally one minute there is a horse beneath me, the next I'm on the ground wondering what happened!
 
I have fallen off a lot in the past but the last time was eight years ago. Each time I have come off though, I have had absolutely no choice in how to land. My falls out jumping including one rotational, have not hurt me at all, but I have been bucked off and landed on my head three times. Once it didn't hurt as it was into deep snow, once was in the warm up of a jumping comp and I had a bad neck for two years, the third was out of a flat out gallop and I was knocked unconscious for twenty minutes. A recent MRI scan has shown the wear and tear on my neck as a result of these falls, and it's not pretty. But as I say, I had noo choice how I landed.
 
No advice but I know exactly how you feel - I have fallen 3 times in my life, all before the age of 15. I am the only person I know who has broken a bone by NOT falling off - if I had fallen I probably would have been fine! But with the prospect of 2 youngsters to start in the next few years I don't know whether I am hoping to keep staying on or hoping I can remember how to fall - I am not hopeful, last time I went on a bronco bull machine I had to beg them to stop it and let me off (after the had exhausted all the programs and gone onto being really sneaky trying to throw me off) because I just couldn't let go and fall!! Still have the scars from the damage done to my legs from hanging on, it was not pretty.
 
Bonkers2 said:
Falling off on a soft surface is not too bad, I used to do it regularly with one particular mare, but falling off on concrete is defintely bad news.
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Whilst I agree about the concrete, I beg to differ about the soft surface, having watched my OH fall off in the school two weeks ago. He is still in hospital and likely to be there for a while yet having suffered a massive internal bleed fron a tear of his renal artery...his best bet would have been body protector / air jacket....lesson learnt!
 
Having broken an arm in the past, if a fall is inevitable I 'try' to land on my side - on a rounded shoulder - like a rugby player or american footballer going for a charge - does that make sense? Its not an infallable method though - cracked a rib last time but better that than a broken arm or hospital trip with concussion (apparently done this a couple of times but strangely enough memory is a bit fuzzy!)To be honest I think its luck as much as anything but it nearly always hurts so stick to what works for you and do your damnest to stay on x
 
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stormox said:
How, Tally-Lah, have you managed to ride all your life and never fallen off except once?? Have you never had a horse trip up while cantering, bronc suddenly, stop dead or duck out at a fence when u think hes going over? Endless times Ive come off, I couldn't even begin to count. But Ive never been injured, a few bruises/scrapes here and there but nothing that I couldn't get back up again straight away.

Where and how you fall has a lot to do with it - I think most of the 'bad' (ie resulting in injury) falls I have seen have been in an arena where the rider isn't in control, and assumes the horse is going left at the end and it goes right or viceversa.
Very few 'bucked off in open country' falls seem to result in injury, and I think my main idea is to be relaxed when you ride, and if you find yourself flying through the air you will then naturally land relaxed, soft and roll rather than rigid and hit the ground in a stiff manner with arms stuck out.
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I honestly don't know, I have sat through broncing, vertical rearing, refusing jumps, and them trip but have never come off, although there have been many near misses.
 
i was always taught to tuck and roll and stay in a ball until the hoof beats stop and slowly take note of what your body feels like but according to someone who has just taken the horseback combat course this is the wrong way to do it.....it was very confusing the way she was explaining it.
 
tamsinkb said:
Whilst I agree about the concrete, I beg to differ about the soft surface, having watched my OH fall off in the school two weeks ago. He is still in hospital and likely to be there for a while yet having suffered a massive internal bleed fron a tear of his renal artery...his best bet would have been body protector / air jacket....lesson learnt!
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That sounds awful and hope he makes a speedy recovery. Did he land on a jump or fencing?! Having just broken a second bone in less than 2 years from falls on roads (hip this time) - I'm thinking my road hacking days are numbered! I wear a BP but will also invest in an air jacket - I seem to fall super man style (I think I'm trying to give myself distance!) - everything long and straight and I the go sblatt. Not good.
 
Ceriann if you are worried your hips are vulnerable, someone I know who has had hip replacements rides in some sort of underwear (I haven't seen,she was telling me) that's designed to protect the elderly from breaking their hips if they fall- kind of underpants that has Kevlar inserts in the sides I think
 
Learning to fall seems to have gained popularity, which is good. A few years ago I began teaching people how to fall safely, I gained my knowledge from 25 years of martial arts training to the point where rolling became second nature.

When I came back to riding six years ago, I was always falling off, for a variety of reasons, some to do with me, and some to do with my pony. I never hurt myself, not once; I even fell on stony ground after I positioned myself appallingly badly while going over a jump, I didn't have so much as a bruise.

If you can tuck and roll it will help, but also remain relaxed, tensing up and waiting for the BANG is where the bruising comes from. Of course there are a lot of falls that are really never going to end well, landing on your feet or on your behind (as others have already said) for instance.

If you want to learn to tuck and roll, find your nearest Martial Arts group, especially Judo, Aikido, Jujutsu, Ninjutsu and have a word with the instructor, I am sure that for a small fee / contribution to club funds, they will be happy to show you the basics, that you can then practice in the comfort of your own garden / field / school. There are also a lot of good youtube video's that cover the same subject.
 
stormox said:
Ceriann if you are worried your hips are vulnerable, someone I know who has had hip replacements rides in some sort of underwear (I haven't seen,she was telling me) that's designed to protect the elderly from breaking their hips if they fall- kind of underpants that has Kevlar inserts in the sides I think
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Thanks - I've read about those. Think you can get diff material implants. Positive to hear of someone with replacements still riding. I've been told if pins work I should once healed have a "normal" hip but i am now very aware of my inability to bounce!
 
I hear people bring this up all the time and I wouldn't know what to suggest. Of course there are 'desired' ways to fall off, but can I remember them while I'm being flung in the air? Can I *******s!
 
dollyanna said:
No advice but I know exactly how you feel - I have fallen 3 times in my life, all before the age of 15. I am the only person I know who has broken a bone by NOT falling off - if I had fallen I probably would have been fine! But with the prospect of 2 youngsters to start in the next few years I don't know whether I am hoping to keep staying on or hoping I can remember how to fall - I am not hopeful, last time I went on a bronco bull machine I had to beg them to stop it and let me off (after the had exhausted all the programs and gone onto being really sneaky trying to throw me off) because I just couldn't let go and fall!! Still have the scars from the damage done to my legs from hanging on, it was not pretty.
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I think I have built it up in my head to be the worst thing ever. I wish I had fallen a lot as a kid/teen and think I'd be less horrified at the prospect now...

I have backed a few youngsters too and not come off them... Yet!
 
tamsinkb said:
No, justnon the surface from a speedy trot, nothing broken or fractured......everything got squished internally..... it has really made me stop and think!
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He sounds terribly unlucky but agreed. One hho story I won't share with my hubby as he is now convinced we need a manège when we move (I think he'll lock the gates to the outside world when I get back on!).
 
NeilM said:
Learning to fall seems to have gained popularity, which is good. A few years ago I began teaching people how to fall safely, I gained my knowledge from 25 years of martial arts training to the point where rolling became second nature.

When I came back to riding six years ago, I was always falling off, for a variety of reasons, some to do with me, and some to do with my pony. I never hurt myself, not once; I even fell on stony ground after I positioned myself appallingly badly while going over a jump, I didn't have so much as a bruise.

If you can tuck and roll it will help, but also remain relaxed, tensing up and waiting for the BANG is where the bruising comes from. Of course there are a lot of falls that are really never going to end well, landing on your feet or on your behind (as others have already said) for instance.

If you want to learn to tuck and roll, find your nearest Martial Arts group, especially Judo, Aikido, Jujutsu, Ninjutsu and have a word with the instructor, I am sure that for a small fee / contribution to club funds, they will be happy to show you the basics, that you can then practice in the comfort of your own garden / field / school. There are also a lot of good youtube video's that cover the same subject.
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Thanks. Great idea.
 
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