If you fall......

Brontie

Brontie

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If you fall, should you old onto the horse?
And please explain if the rule changes when your hacking or schooling.

Thank you to anyone who takes part.
 
i think it depends on the extenty of the fall when i was learning to ride i was told to always let go (still do now have had to run after horsey a couple of time good job shes too lazy to get very far
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but alot of people say don't let go and i don't if its a pathetic fall and ive not hurt myself
 
I'm an idiot so I hang on for dear life no matter where I am
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I think you should try and hold on if your hacking but any other time I don't think it matters.
 
TBH i think it's safer to let go, unless you're on/near a road. i've seen someone fall off, keep hold of the reins, and as they fell they yanked the reins, and because of this the horse swung round and very nearly stepped on them. (both horse and rider were fine apart from bruises)
 
I fell whilst hacking, I fell onto grass verge so held on. Silly fall one I knew was happing so did it in slow motion.

Held onto reins and was dragged in slow trot along verge, went back to yard with a mud go faster strip form bum to top of hat!!!! attrative!!
 
I think it depends upon the circumstances!

if you are in a safe enclosed place, then don't hang on and roll away safely away from hooves etc.

If you are on a bolting horse, or falling at high speed,hanging on could result in dreadful drag injuries, if not death. There is a significant risk of entanglement.

I think it is a decision you have to make at the time. Even if you are out in trafic, or the loose horse might cause an accident, you must put your own safety first. In certain situations, hanging on will make no difference to the outcome, just put the rider further risk.
 
always been told to try and hang on when not in an enclosed space (basically when hacking)

but if in an arena/fenced field then let go, it is safer than holding on!

someone even said to me try and teach your horse to come back to you/stand by you if you fall off, but how the heck are you meant to teach that? i dont want to be falling off 5 or 6 times a day until my horse learns to stay near me when i fall!
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I have a stupid reflex where I seem to always hold on to the reins!

I think if you are enclosed then you should definitely let go, now I just need to make my brain understand that
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I have to hold on because I know if I let go i'll never catch the bugger afterwards!
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Grr he used to be a nice little pony and just stand there if I fell off, now he is grumpy and doesn't want to be ridden!
 
Is it a choice? Everyone's got quicker reactions than me! I never have time to think what I ought to do! Luckily he never goes further than the nearest patch of grass.
 
I always let go. I have found with experience that holding on generally achieves nothing, if the horse is going to bolt you holding won't stop it and if it isn't you holding it won't make much difference! All you get by holding on is the chance to injure your horse and you a bit more IMO.
 
Well I usually hold on everytime I have fallen off I have held on, But the other day was an exception I fell off at speed and the thought never went into my head to hold on, I would have been seriously trampled, its bit hard to hold on to ben all the time as the reins arent very long as hes so big lol.
 
i always hold on, no matter what. it's pure instinct. i've been pulled along on my front for about 100 yards before ('dragged' isn't the right word, as i could have let go at any time!) while the horse backed away from me, and NO WAY was i going to let go and risk her galloping off and getting hurt. i just kept saying 'whoa' until she got the message! i've got bucked off so violently that i've inadvertently lost the reins though, and then they've gone awol, to my disgust and horror!
 
Lol thats how I come off the reins slipped out of hands as I was trying to sit to some flyer bucks in gallop
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did well sat about 5 fly bucks on the big beatie
 
I always instinctively try to hold on, mind you I know have a badly broken finger, another one is dislocated and my left side is shot to the extent that sometimes I find it hard to change gears!!! Now I will let go in an enclosed area but still cling like a muppet when out riding!!
 
I try to hold on at all costs, especially on a hack, I live in crop country so there no fences ANYWHERE. Last time I fell off Sov on a hack,I did have hold until his feet were nearly on my face, I let go and he cantered off towards some ponies in a field, but then turned round and cantered off down the road on his way home. He was herded into a friends driveway and I could see him with these people holding him wondering where he had come from!
I was seriously tempted to go home with out him that day!
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for some reason my hand/s always stay glued to the reins but have always been lucky and had a horse that just stopped straight away.

Fell off my baby though for the first time and held on, as I do, and got dragged through the stingers and brambles for a couple of strides. She then stopped and looked at me with eyes on stalks and an expression that was quite clearly 'what on earth are you doing down there!?'
 
I always keep hold of the reins but its not a decision I make, its just the way it happens
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Luckily my girl just stops and looks at me as if to say 'oops I think I'm in trouble again!!'
 
Touch wood
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I say this with gritted teeth, I've not come a cropper with Ralph 16.2 and me a dwarf
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But Fly my pony God bless him, I fell off quite a bit and the truth be known, he was so damn quick I never had a chance to hold on, cos it was over and done with in seconds
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I can't ever keep hold of the reins, they just seem to disappear!

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Ditto!
When i fell off Quinn i dont really known what happened, and when i fell off hilda i jst fell and didint even think about the reins!
 
I have held on, on both occasions. Once was out hacking when I came off mid jump/gallop lol. Fortuantely Tyler stopped as soon as I came off. The second was in the school when Tyler decided to suddenly change directions while I was trying to sort my reins in trot (stupid idea !!)

I do it automatically and dont even think about it to be honest.

Probably nto fallen off enough to think abotu it lol.

Jenny
 
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