Just for fun, your most embarrassing fall......? Come on be brave!!

sleepykitten

sleepykitten

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I was thinking back to the good old days when I used to work for rides at a local riding school, we had all manner of shapes and sizes of horses to suit everyone, and I was just reminiscing about them all when I remembered the many times I fell off the assortment of horses and ponies we had.

One fall was pretty impressive which I will share with you now on the condition that you share your most embarrassing parting of company! :o

So, I think I was about 13, the age where you know everything there is to know about horses and will ride anything. The owner of the riding school came back from God knows where one day with an 18.2hh (yes, he really was that big!) Shire Horse called Scott (!).

I was given free rein one day to take myself into the jumping paddock on a horse of my choice and yep, you guessed it, I chose Scott. :D

Meanwhile, there was a lesson with about 12 riders going on in the menage which was separated from the jumping paddock by a wooden fence. The jumping paddock was also used sometimes for extra turnout for ponies, so had a water supply in the form of an old cast iron bath tub which sat in the corner just by the gate out of the paddock.

Anyhoo, I had put up a couple of fences, about 2 foot high, and proceeded to warm up. After about 10 minutes I decided to have a pop at a fence, unfortunately, he knocked a pole down while jumping it. So I got off to put it back up. As I strained to put my foot in my ear to get back on, I inadvertently kicked him up the bum while trying to swing my leg over :eek:

Cue Scott p***ing off across the paddock with me lying somewhere halfway up his neck and halfway across his a**e.

Of course, he headed straight towards the gate out of the paddock, came towards the bath full of *freezing* cold water, put his head down and deposited me lengthways into the bath with just my feet sticking out.

Of course, the entire thing was witnessed by at least a dozen beginners in their lesson who had all stopped what they were doing and were all stood peering over the fence at me.

I emerged like a red-faced leviathan absolutely sopping wet and dripping to raucous laughter, especially from the RI who had to sit down for 10 minutes to get over it.

I splodged my way back into the yard, trailing this enormous horse who had at least the decency to look mildly contrite, then proceeded to try to dry myself on a bale of hay :o:o:o:o

Ok, that's mine, now you go!!!
 
That's a classic. :rolleyes:

The farm I was on as a teenager had a scrap metal business up the back of the field. So there were a load of the farm owners sons working up there.

One day collecting my pony from the field I decided to be a smart arse and did a running vault onto him bareback with a headcollar and gave him a firm aid to start cantering. Only I'd over egged the vault and slid straight off the other side as my pony cantered off down the field. Cue rapturous applause from a bunch of rough blokes to a 15 year old teenager.

Paula:)
 
I once got on my first horse on one side and fell straight off the other ;-) I thought no one had seen me but unfortunately they had xx
 
I was going towards a jump in a lesson, my pony stopped at the fence but I got thrown forward and somehow or other ended up holding onto the top pole of the fence (it was quite big if I recall) anyway, my only option really was to fall off as I was so high up my ponies neck but no I clung onto that top pole! So my pony started reversing backwards, very slowly, so I ended up being stretched to the point my feet were just hooked around the back of her ears she ended up putting her head right down and dropped my feet on the ground. :rolleyes::D
 
I too have done the mounting from the ground only to propel myself over the other side trick.

No one saw but I couldn't cover it up because it resulted in a broken shoulder. Doh

I've also managed to fall off dismounting - twice.

I think I have a problem!
 
I fell off a stationary horse... I'd been riding for a couple of hours and lost all feeling in my legs, so when I dismounted there was nothing under me and I landed flat on my tail on a concrete floor in front of about thirty people. There is something heroic about falling off at a gallop, or flying over a five bar, but from a stationary horse???? I was in agony for four weeks...
 
Oh, and can't forget the time the RS horse I was riding through Hyde Park in London decided to stop dead mid-trot, sink to his knees and roll in the sand. I had to hop off pretty quickly before I got rolled on. There were tourists taking photos!!! Oh, the shame...
 
Hehe, loving all these, keep them coming!

A friend of mine at the same riding school fell into a wheel barrow of poo as the horse she was on bogged off with her into the yard and motorbiked into the stable block just as someone came out wheeling the barrow having just mucked out!

I got to laugh at her that day!! :D
 
So..... Captured on film.
The day very very windy poring with rain. The fall was my fault, the preceding jump I landed badly & was of balance I had not managed to compose my self.
As you can see my position and landing was terrible landed with a bit of a thump on the poor boys back. He went one way I went the other :(
I so had the wind knocked out of me and wanted to call it a day, but my instructor made get get back up and continue to jump :mad:

[youtube]Jk5puA6UJec[/youtube]
 
Ok I was doing a sponsored ride on a borrowed riding school pony. I never was a particularly good rider and he knew that. we got all the way round to the last fence, yes the one by the lorry park !!! he just stopped dead and dropped his shoulder . I was cringing so much. Then I had to try and catch the git.
 
Epona78 said:
Oh, and can't forget the time the RS horse I was riding through Hyde Park in London decided to stop dead mid-trot, sink to his knees and roll in the sand. I had to hop off pretty quickly before I got rolled on. There were tourists taking photos!!! Oh, the shame...
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Ooops!!

Its no fun if there isn't an audience though!! :)
 
One of my early outings with the hunt. No control and shot past the field. Aware it's bad form to pass the master I hauled in. Horse just bounced to a halt on the spot and I went straight over his head. That was bad enough, but then had to haul myself back on board in front of the whole field. Not elegant at all!
 
I was escorting an nervous, elderly friend on a short hack - having a lovely chat on a sunny day, horses behaving perfectly. We got to a certain point when said elderly lady had had enough, so we turned for home. My mare, who was usually good as gold, started to canter full pelt towards home with elderly lady's pony coming hell for leather behind us! She was calling 'Please slow down, please slow down!' and I was thinking, 'It's ok, she'll stop in a minute!'

We kept going quite a while with all attempts at me stopping her coming to nothing. We were heading for a point where the path turns at right angles with a 5 bar gate straight ahead, so I thought I'd aim her at the gate and she'd stop. However, she took a really sharp 90 degree turn, dumping me out into a blackberry bush! I was knocked out cold for a few seconds and the poor old lady thought I was dead! Her pony stopped to look at me prone on the floor! When I came to I was able to lead them back home (mare had galloped off home and was fine). The most embarrassing thing was, though - I was covered in blackberry splodges, like I had been hit with 20 blackberry paint balls!! :eek:

(Mare dumped me twice more over next couple of weeks, causing concussion and broken leg - so she went back!!)
 
I didn't fall off but I remember as a child a Shetland "taking off" with me into a tree and instead of leaning forward I leaned back and he went further and further into a hedge with me lying on his back at this point screaming my head off lol
 
My ex OH once gave me an enthusiastic leg up up at a show which sent me straight over the top of my horse to land sitting on the ground the other side lol!
 
I went for a polo lesson after a year of just doing riding (having previously played to an ok level before). I was chuntering to myself about having to have a session on the wooden horse before I was allowed on a real horse again, but mounted anyway. Picked up my stick ready to have a go at my swin, all fine. Began my swing (eye on ball, arm straight back, drop down and follow through) and managed to swing myself off the wooden horse. I still don't know how, but I was blooming glad I wasn't on the real pony at that point!

My best non-fall was when I was doing an arena hunter trial on my horse a couple of years ago. He was (and is) barrel shaped and however tight you do the girth, however well-fitted the saddle is the saddle may slip. As it happens I had forgotten to tighten my girth after getting on. We did 7 jumps,, and he ducked out at the 8th, dropping the shoulder and darting left. My saddle rolled so that I was under my horse's belly. Somehow I managed to stay there until my horse stopped and then I dropped myself to the floor. Annoyingly there was no photographer that day :(
 
I had only had my boy a matter of weeks. He was getting a new saddle fitted but was feeling rather fresh.

As we led him to the school he was very much on his toes and I said to the saddle fitter 'I hope I don't fall off!'

First saddle goes on and we walk around, do some trot and agree to avoid canter as he's full of beans. Next minute, in walk he trips, surprises himself and throws a lovely huge buck chucking me on the floor!

Embarrassed much! :p but the saddle fitter still said she really liked him and saw the funny side :)

Such a character, RIP my cheeky boy x
 
I've just taken my first tumble and I'd like to report that it was as a result of some hairy flat out bolt or extravagant jump but no! I was taking part in the RS senior camp and had survived the x country jumps and two very fast runs for home with the horse ignoring pleas to slow on sharp slippy bend. Then we swapped for the dressage practice and I was given a pony, which after my adrenaline fuelled ride on the x country I was so pleased about. Slow and small..hooray. We trotted around the outside of the dressage arena and on the first corner her front feet slipped or tripped, either way suddenly there was no horse in front Of me and the next feeling I registered was my shoulder making contact with the ground..hard ground as it turned out, and lots of pain. I knew something was badly wrong but tried to convince myself that itd ease off. Trip to emergency confirmed a broken collar bone which has had to be pinned so I'm out of commission for quite some time. Can't understand how it happened and apart from the physical pain my pride is very dented!
 
Was teaching! One of the horses kept landing over a fence, dropping his shoulder and spinning left to get back to the others, instead of continuing right to jump the next fence. Exasperated at the rider making no effort to stop him, I hoofed her off, hopped on and proceeded to show her how to land, sit up, and turn after the fence. Except that he landed, did exactly the same to me as he had been doing to her, and I face planted! Not only was it witnessed by the entire group of teenagers that I was teaching, but their parents and several members of staff who were sitting ringside.
I still cringe when I think about it!
 
milesjess said:
I had only had my boy a matter of weeks. He was getting a new saddle fitted but was feeling rather fresh.

As we led him to the school he was very much on his toes and I said to the saddle fitter 'I hope I don't fall off!'

First saddle goes on and we walk around, do some trot and agree to avoid canter as he's full of beans. Next minute, in walk he trips, surprises himself and throws a lovely huge buck chucking me on the floor!

Embarrassed much! :p but the saddle fitter still said she really liked him and saw the funny side :)

Such a character, RIP my cheeky boy x
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Similar thing happened to me in a lesson a few months ago - first time with new RI, go into paddock, and I casually say that madam can be a bit cold-backed. I get on, cue broncing until I come off :o:o:o:o

RI says "a bit cold-backed" is a bit of an understatement!! :eek:

Find out she has tweaked her back though so cannot blame horse for wanting me off!
 
I've had plenty, difficult to choose which was worse so most embarrassing two:
In my early teens my now saintly pony could be a horror, & a bit nervy & was only young. I took her to her first indoor unaffil sj, with a large group of friends in tow, & a few others who came purely to say 'I told you so' when she failed. It was only 2'3 as pony very unsure of fillers & coloured fences. She was an absolute star & jumped clear. After the finish I kicked my feet free, dropped the reins & leaned forward & gave her a massive two armed hug. Unfortunately the gallery was above & around the exit, which we were right in front of. My friends all started whooping, cheering & whistling at ponies achievement. Pony hadn't noticed the gallery before, & promptly went vertical. Seen as I was already on her neck, I slithered backwards straight down her bum & ended up sat on the floor behind her.
Pony also had a habit of dirty stops. Over tiny fences, she was learning that after a dead stop she had to go over from a standstill if she stopped. Over bigger ones I was very proud of my ability to do a type of somersault over her head & land on my feet the other side of the fence with the reins in one hand, arms outstretched like a proud gymnast. Doing a wh one rather muddy day, pony stopped dead at a fence, I proudly did my somersault. Fence only about 2'9 but pony buried in it & young. She chose that moment to decide to jump from a standstill herself, & as I had the reins still, I ended up face down in a very muddy field. It was embarrassing but tbh, her ability to jump from practically under a fence gave us a chance to play with strides on bigger senior bs courses, & her willingness to jump from a standstill after being buried in a jump when I've screwed up on a big course also got us out of trouble, so I'm actually quite grateful for that dirty (literally!) stop.
 
I did quite a clever one many years ago - was getting off my pony and caught my foot in some wire behind me in the process... Yes stoopid place to get off maybe. Anyway pony freaked, I fell face first into the mud, pony stood on my thigh quite spectacularly and left me with a huge hoof print on my thigh! I thought no-one had seen, but mum and sister were stood watching from the house wetting themselves!! Lol ;)
 
I'd forgotten all about this, until now.. :o

I was at my Godparents farm when I was about 7/8 maybe and they were having building work done on their roof. The farm is up some steps from the menage so the builders on the roof had a great view of what was going on in there.
I get on a slightly tempremantal pony that I had never rode before, trot around a bit, ask for a canter, go into a really rushed fast canter, only for the pony to stop dead and put his/her (can't remember) head down. Queue me falling over the ponys head. The builders howling laughing. The pony walking off to roll. And me sat on the floor red with embarrasment.
The worst part was going back up to the house afterwards - "Did you have a nice trip?" Yes, thanks :o:cool:
 
I remember cantering up a grass verge when my horse shot sidewards into a gateway to stop dead at the 5 bar gate and me jumping it in stye. Why he done it I don't know.
 
Went hunting with a hang over. Topped up with too much port at the meet. Horse cantering along nicely, did nothing wrong, I just fell off the side for no reason in front of lots of people. Luckily that sobered me up slighty for the jumping, but managed to fall off again later, again for no real reaon, he jumped and when he landed I just plopped off! Must have been a fantastic day, I just don't really remember much about it!!
 
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