Instructors! Roll up roll up I have a genius idea to save us all lots of arnica

Mo-Jo

Mo-Jo

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So today, the pony bucked and I came off. As the ground got closer I had time to think lots of useful thoughts like "where has she gone" and "why am I still holding the reins, they aren't going to stop me" and "I'm glad I wore my body protector today". What DIDN'T go through my head was any sort of crisis-management strategy, like bracing or rolling or anything. I just fell like a sack of potatoes and probably made it worse. I'm pretty sure I went head first as well, which could easily have been avoided if I had had some presence of mind.

I'm sure I saw a clip ages ago where event riders were being trained on a sort of crash dummy horse that went along a track then stopped and 'bucked' so the riders could practice dropping a shoulder as they fell off to absorb the fall. Ice skating instructors teach people how to fall, why don't riding instructors? What if instructors could hold classes at gyms or whatever where we can practice falling off safely until it's automatic. That way, if you do come a cropper then you will have the muscle memory in place to lessen the damage.

I'm sure I will fall off again, so please someone, teach me how!!
 
A good instructor should be teaching how to fall & roll, its a very basic skill imo that should be a priority. Unfortunately, as you have found out the hard way the emphasis is on safety gear instead with lots of riders.
 
Any martial art trainer can teach fall techniques :)

Other than that I'd save on arnica by not buying arnica, as there is absolutely no proof it has any positive benefit (and plenty of evidence showing it has no effect whatsoever above placebo) ;) :D

ETA homeopathic arnica that is, the herbal version I won't use either; even the FDA has reclassified it as an 'unsafe herb'
 
Goldenstar said:
It takes 10000 repetitions to gain muscle memory that's a lot of practise falls.
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I don't believe that, I can't have typed all of my passwords 10,000 times! Also I've never used arnica, much to my Grandma's chagrin, I was just sayin.
Maybe I'll just practice on my own in the hay barn.
 
I spent most of my earlier riding career (childhood and teens) at various riding schools. Not once was I ever taught to fall off (although I fell off plenty). I do agree that it would be a useful skill.
 
This is something I would love to learn too.

I am sure there was a martial arts instructor on here who did a training day up at Kerilli's place at one point?!
 
littlelegs said:
A good instructor should be teaching how to fall & roll, its a very basic skill imo that should be a priority. Unfortunately, as you have found out the hard way the emphasis is on safety gear instead with lots of riders.
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Maybe a good instructor should be trying NOT to let you fall off? A good instructor should be able to tell what is likely to be the pre-cursor to a buck, badly timed jump etc, and putting in place strategies to ensure that you have a good progressive lesson? Of course there will always be a time when the horse and rider part company - but I doubt that this should occur (mostly) in instruction performed by a professional? Most accidents, are generally preventable with a bit of foresight, and that includes the unpredictable that are horses.......! I think that I might change my instructor if they started off the lesson - should you feel that you are about to fall off - this is what you should be doing, to avoid breaking something...? Unless I was perhaps instructing at the British Racing School......x
 
I never said the instructor should be encouraging anyone to fall. But it can be taught without having to recreate or encourage the rider to hit the deck. With kids especially it can be taught from a pony stood at halt, with the adult to break the fall. Surely as falls are unavoidable, it is better to learn how to do so in a safe controlled environment, than wait till you are in a situation that requires it & not have a clue? No matter what strategies the instructor has in place, people still have avoidable & unavoidable falls outside the lesson too. Although, I will hold my hands up & say I created a situation deliberately to let my own daughter practice falling. Small shetland on soft ground with no obstructions, & a habit of stopping dead from canter to graze, ridden bareback. Excellent rolling opportunity for a small child. Because its so much safer to do it when I can control all factors, than wait till she takes a real flyer in everyday circumstances.
 
Goldenstar said:
It takes 10000 repetitions to gain muscle memory that's a lot of practise falls.
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It takes 10,000 repetitions to alter a deeply ingrained muscle memory and change it to something new. (Speaking as an ex-rower, this number is the bain of your life once you get to high volume training with tiny technical corrections).

To build a muscles memory in the first place takes far, far fewer. I wouldn't like to say a number but guess 50-200.
 
Some years ago I was doing some decorating for a friend. Being lazy I had used a couple of kitchen chairs to get around the room and paint the ceiling and I'd not bothered to cover the carpet. I went to step from one chair to the next and tripped. As I had a full can of paint in my hand my only thought was must not spill paint or I am in deep poo with friend. I somehow landed on my back holding the can of paint safely upright and didn't spill a drop and more surprisingly did not hurt myself. had I not been concentrating on the paint can I'd probably gone face first into the wall. Course this was no help to me when I recently got catapulted off when the horse tripped and I used my shoulder as landing gear..result= broken collarbone. I've decided not to fall off anymore as it hurts too much :)
 
TrasaM said:
Some years ago I was doing some decorating for a friend. Being lazy I had used a couple of kitchen chairs to get around the room and paint the ceiling and I'd not bothered to cover the carpet. I went to step from one chair to the next and tripped. As I had a full can of paint in my hand my only thought was must not spill paint or I am in deep poo with friend. I somehow landed on my back holding the can of paint safely upright and didn't spill a drop and more surprisingly did not hurt myself. had I not been concentrating on the paint can I'd probably gone face first into the wall. Course this was no help to me when I recently got catapulted off when the horse tripped and I used my shoulder as landing gear..result= broken collarbone. I've decided not to fall off anymore as it hurts too much :)
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I have found that putting out an arm to arrest a fall will result in a broken wrist.
Over a period the best way is to hold on to the reins, this will sometimes even allow you to land on your feet and then you can leap back in to the saddle.
 
It is all very well trying to teach riders how to fall and the only method I have known is for the rider to wrap arms around horses neck and throw leg over saddle thus landing on their feet.
This is rubbish! a horse that is bucking has no neck to wrap arms around because the head is down!

As said, practise makes perfect! The more you fall the better you get at it.

Playing gymkhana games is a great help too, learning how to jump off at a fast canter, gallop landing feet first becomes natural.

When I did a lot of teaching I would have young riders in class lessons "Off your pony onto the one in front" whether they were walking or trotting. Last one on had to empty a wheelbarrow.

This made them familiar with dismounting whilst the animal was moving.

Anyone who gets on a horse can expect to fall and no instructor can stop it happening.
 
I got taught to fall off a horse on a lunge line - bloody dangerous if you ask me, but it was the 80s. Also did some martial arts falling and parachute rolls. So yes I know how to tuck and roll. Certainly saved my bacon the time I stepped backwards off a canal lock and fell 15 feet onto concrete.

But you know what, where a big strong horse bucks you off, you ain't got time to do anything. I still landed on my head and shoulder (albeit a tucked in one) at speed and was saved by a good hat and my body protector.

Paula
 
Once I reached a point in my riding lessons where the possibility of me falling off became higher (properly jumping ect) we did have a lesson on how to fall off, we used 2 instrutors one to hold the pony/run with the pony and one to catch us, we did it at halt/walk and trot and with a saddle and without, It's samed my guts a few times!
 
I was taught how to fall in my riding lessons as a kid... during the non health and safety conscious late 60s/early 70s. It was in Ireland too :D

Having said that, anything I learned I have forgotten, and somehow falling off a 17hh giant during a bucking fit is not comparable to falling off a Shetland at a slow trot...
 
Brightbay said:
Having said that, anything I learned I have forgotten, and somehow falling off a 17hh giant during a bucking fit is not comparable to falling off a Shetland at a slow trot...
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If it's anything like coming off a friesian the correct comment is "I believe I can flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, splat". :o

Paula
 
Arms in and roll up girls that's the mantra.
I think the fast no chance to do anything falls tend to be the less bad it's the ones when you stay on for ages that have ended badly for me when I broke my back I was on the horse as it came down in the defensive position I then had no air time to curl up.
 
I think too its about being relaxed when you fall, hence kids (&drunks!) bounce better. But as adults, its still something we should try & do. Even with a quick fall, you can still reduce the injury by how you fall. In that split second there's time to either tense up before you hit the ground, or flop & roll out of the horses way. The super slow ones don't give you much more time, I always fight to the last to remain on top.
In my early teens my pony had a habit of throwing the odd really dirty stop. Her front legs would be off the ground, & mid take off she'd slam them back down, with me already in jumping position. I developed a method whereby I did a somersault mid air & landed the other side of the jump on my feet holding the reins in one hand, arms outstretched like a gymnast. And yes, being a kid I was very proud of my party trick.
 
Miss L Toe said:
I have found that putting out an arm to arrest a fall will result in a broken wrist.
Over a period the best way is to hold on to the reins, this will sometimes even allow you to land on your feet and then you can leap back in to the saddle.
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I've no idea where my hands were but I suspect they held onto the reins and am probably lucky that I didn't put them out to save myself as I'd probably have had the same as you. I've gone over the incident again and again in my head as to why i came off and what I could have done but it was so sudden I don't think there was time to tuck. Anyhow almost fixed now so will soon be back on the horse,..fingers crossed.
 
TrasaM said:
I've no idea where my hands were but I suspect they held onto the reins and am probably lucky that I didn't put them out to save myself as I'd probably have had the same as you. I've gone over the incident again and again in my head as to why i came off and what I could have done but it was so sudden I don't think there was time to tuck. Anyhow almost fixed now so will soon be back on the horse,..fingers crossed.
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The last time I fell off holding onto the reins (I jumped; horse didn't) I broke my little finger in 5 places! I now let go of the reins as soon as I feel things going bristols vertical.

I used to bounce, but now have reached the 1/2 century marker I don't any more despite being physically squidgier!

Some falls you can see coming and have time to tuck & roll; others however are so quick that you just don't have time.
 
TrasaM said:
Are you back riding again Paula ? How's your knee?
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Hi. I've healed quite miraculously in 4 weeks. Knee still needs a little care, but otherwise fully functional. Did try riding after 2 weeks to get her new saddle fitted but was too much pain so I restarted properly last weekend. Bree's had 4 weeks professional schooling in between and is going very well. Despite the temptation to head for the hills again I'm going to take her out with a nanny for a while - particularly on windy days when she's in season.

Added shoulder protectors to prevent this next time :) Even if you roll you gotta land on something.


Camera Roll-372 by pgallon311, on Flickr

Paula
 
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Foxhunter49 said:
It is all very well trying to teach riders how to fall and the only method I have known is for the rider to wrap arms around horses neck and throw leg over saddle thus landing on their feet.
This is rubbish! a horse that is bucking has no neck to wrap arms around because the head is down!
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It also puts you straight under the horse if you hang on too long :eek:

dressedkez said:
Maybe a good instructor should be trying NOT to let you fall off?
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I'd like to see a poll on how many people on here have never fallen off!
Horse riding is dangerous. Horses/cars/external influences are all unpredictable. I don't think falling off a walking horse is the same at all but being taught how to land and what not to hang on to (never reins!) is probably a good idea.
 
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