News on injured horses and riders at badminton

Good God I cannot believe the air jacket has been instantly blamed for that accident!

Perhaps people should wait until the rider gives her opinion (although even then we will never know for sure)?

Lots of horses reverse when the rider comes off, particularly so if the rider is still holding onto the reins (as Karen was).

Millie reverses at high speed whenever I come off and has fallen into a ditch doing it before with no self preservation and no bang to make her do it.

Actually the only time she hasn't leggedit was when I came off last time and my p2 went off- should I credit it with being the reason she stood still? ;)

Hope all horses and riders injured are on the road to recovery and feeling better tomorrow.
 
TGM said:
In normal circumstances, most horses having just gone up a step, would have enough self-preservation instinct to realise going backwards was not a good idea, unless something else spooked them to react in panic.
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Agreed, i've never seen a horse do what he did, and i've watched a lot of horses stop at fences like that over the years...
 
millitiger said:
Good God I cannot believe the air jacket has been instantly blamed for that accident!

Millie reverses at high speed whenever I come off and has fallen into a ditch doing it before with no self preservation and no bang to make her do it.
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Completely agree. I managed to fall off mine the other night and she reversed at a rate of knots (almost breaking my thumb which had got stuck in the reins in the process) - not sure where else this horse was supposed to go unless it stood stock still?
 
meardsall_millie said:
Completely agree. I managed to fall off mine the other night and she reversed at a rate of knots (almost breaking my thumb which had got stuck in the reins in the process) - not sure where else this horse was supposed to go unless it stood stock still?
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ditto this- my horse always legs it backwards when i come off- me falling off is enough to startle/scare him.... i didn't see the fall in question though but i do think its a bit unfair to say the P2 caused it...surely nobody could be sure???
 
Does anyone know where you can see a replay of Karen's fall? My first reaction was that she threw her reins at the horse in utter fustration that made him reverse and then fall
 
millitiger said:
Good God I cannot believe the air jacket has been instantly blamed for that accident!
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If you read the posts properly I think you will see that no-one is 'instantly blaming' the air vest for what happened, but just suggested it MAY have been a contributory factor.
 
My impression on mandibas fall was it was a tight bounce distance on top, he had 'bounced' off the log ontop and was very close to the drop when he tried to right himself. He stepped backwards with one hind leg whilst already off balance and he simply found nothing solid there and unfortunately fell off landing awkwardly with his midriff landing on the groundline. An unfortunate accident, but I do think she should have pulled up after the two stops.
 
I tend to agree with thoroughlybred1, it was my first thought that she chucked the reins in temper, her entire body language afterwards reeked of fury as she walked off with him. I do find it hard to see how she can reconcile her parelli videos with her eventing, the two styles are so far apart..
I hope he is ok, that looked a really horrible fall, I once had a horse fall from that height with me and it suffered hidden bruises for weeks, plus it tore the lining of it's throat on impact. (I ended up in hospital with concussion)
I bet there will be some very stiff and sore riders and horses tomorrow..
 
henryhorn can you elaborate a bit on her parelli videos as I was surprised to read that. Would be interested to know a bit more.
 
I've just watched Mandiba's fall again (I'd recorded it) . I don't think the air jacket spooked him, he just ran back, and she didn't throw the reins at him, he was at full stretch away from her and I think she just let go and the release of the hold caused him to go over backwards. Thats how it looked to me anyway.
 
thoroughlybred1 said:
Does anyone know where you can see a replay of Karen's fall? My first reaction was that she threw her reins at the horse in utter fustration that made him reverse and then fall
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I agree with the above and HH.

To me it looked like the horse didn't run backwards until after she was on the floor, so the noise from the air jacket would have already happened. She looked really mad

Will have to wait for a replay.
 
TGM said:
If you read the posts properly I think you will see that no-one is 'instantly blaming' the air vest for what happened, but just suggested it MAY have been a contributory factor.
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I did read the posts properly and IMO it seems like some people were attributing blame with the P2 for the incident without any proof or certainty-

...it did look like the air vest going off spooked him and contributed to his fall...
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Thats exactly what I thought at the time, as I could hear the air vest go off and he then went backwards...
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Ah, yes I bet it was the sound of the air jacket xx
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I don't think it was the Air Jacket either. I'm not sure how long it would take for a broken rib to heal, but I'm sure his confidence has been severely knocked. He's only an 11 year old too, so it's a real pity :(

One horse who's rider (I can't think of her name right now) hopped off without unclipping her Point 2 didn't even seem to notice the noise!
 
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Just to say I have nothing against P2's I actually think they are a fantastic invention but I still think the noise could cause a horse to spook xx
 
hope all horses and riders make a full recovery.

Which fence did karen o connors horse fell, i was at badminton, but did not hear what happened?
 
I have absolutely no knowledge of the air jackets at all, but i did think that the riders of those that activated from a minor fall or by accident looked pretty uncomfortable after activation! A couple looked positively in more pain than if they had hit the deck without it!
 
sonjafoers said:
Yes you're right AliceFlapjack, it was very easy for me to say that whilst sitting on the settee eating easter eggs! I'm sure the riders make judgements they may have made differently if they weren't on board.

Have I worded that right?!?
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Poor Mandibas. While I agree that hindsight is a great thing and we can all make wrong calls, I shouted at the TV at her second attempt at the flowery-pod things (forgive me not knowing the correct word of description) to stop and retire. He had lost his energy and he was not up for it at all, it was dangerous to contine IMO. I shouted at her to retire all the way from that fence until the fall. I am usually the first to see both sides to an argument, decision etc but as far as I can see bad decision on her part, hindsight or not, and who's borne the brunt of it!!?? I just have so little sympathy for anyone pushing a tired horse like that.

Don't start me on the guy who clobbered his horse about 4 times between the quarry and the next fence to make it keep going.
 
OneInAMillion said:
Did anyone see CS and Portersize JaJ's fall? I would just like to know what happened as I like to follow his career
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someone who saw it said she was trying to anchor him and he wasn't having any of it, hit it and skidded across the top of the fence sideways. really hope they're both okay.

alfirules, he stopped twice at the same flower bed, then she got him over, then next fence was the big bank and he jumped up fine then stopped suddenly, she came off, i think she jerked the reins (not sure) and he stepped back fast and fell backwards down the big step, landed on his side on edge of ditch. got up immediately and set off down the course, but looked sore. she looked totally livid as she stalked after him... :( :( he's a lovely horse but i think he's had too much too soon and hasn't got the bottle for it, no matter how good the jockey.
 
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it did look like the air vest going off spooked him and contributed to his fall...

Thats exactly what I thought at the time, as I could hear the air vest go off and he then went backwards...

Ah, yes I bet it was the sound of the air jacket xx
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The first quote says "it did look like the air vest" ... "spooked him"

The second one says "I coudl hear the air vest go off and then went backwards"

The third one struck me as tongue-in-cheek!!

Quotes 1 & 2 just say what it looked like to viewers - no-one is saying that is what definitely caused it, but what it SEEMED like at the time. Surely we are allowed to discuss what MAY have caused an accident?! Personally, I am very much thinking of buying my daughter an air-vest so am not opposed to them at all, but do welcome frank and honest discussion about all the pros and cons so I can make an informed decision.
 
kerilli said:
alfirules, he stopped twice at the same flower bed, then she got him over, then next fence was the big bank and he jumped up fine then stopped suddenly, she came off, i think she jerked the reins (not sure) and he stepped back fast and fell backwards down the big step, landed on his side on edge of ditch. got up immediately and set off down the course, but looked sore. she looked totally livid as she stalked after him... :( :( he's a lovely horse but i think he's had too much too soon and hasn't got the bottle for it, no matter how good the jockey.
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Agree with this entirely, was also cross with David OConner who said that that was what made her a class rider compared with so many others who would have retired at that fence - she SHOULD have retired at that fence IMVHO.

Hope all horses & riders aren't too sore in the morning though.
 
There were loads of vids of them training their horses using parelli a few years back, and the P people used them to boast about how their training works. I just found it odd that the actual way she rides has little relation to that video, and wondered if they no longer were fans..
 
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