Odd fall (me, not horse!) any ideas please!

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palo1

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I had an odd fall whilst riding yesterday and am looking for ideas please. I am sure there is a simple fix! I whizzed out yesterday morning, decided to just go for short Ariat terrain boots and denim breeches ( No knee or full seat grippiness) No chaps (this may be critical as I usually wear them). I ride my mare with Sprenger Icelandic stirrups which I find comfortable and proven in the event of an unscheduled dismount!

Just after I hopped on I noticed that my right boot was slipping out of the stirrup but thought nothing of it. Toddled round and as usual, in the usual places started our uphill canter work. All fine. Along the top of the hill there are a series of small ditches that we jump. The best one is about 2-3 foot wide and about 1 foot deep - it always has water in. :) We were lobbing along nicely, my mare put in a slightly longer one for the ditch ( but it's really easy/small) my foot slipped out of the stirrup, I was unbalanced, mare jinked and I was off. Not hurt, horse retrieved and decided to go quietly as clearly some foot/boot/stirrup gremlin was at play!

I've never had this(boot slipping out) happen before, ever! I've checked the stirrups and treads, which are a bit grubby but no more so than usual. My Ariat boot treads are not great on looking at them but have ridden in them loads previously but always with chaps: more grip/am I gripping with calves or just appropriate friction helping? I will replace my stirrup treads with new ones.

Is it me or my kit? I tend to jump with quite strongly heels down which has always felt secure and I almost always ride in long boots or with chaps. Has anyone else had this happen? I'm not sure what to adjust boots, stirrups or me!
 
I find my left foot tends to be a bit slippy when I haven't stretched my legs out prior to riding, perhaps that was it?
 
Some falls always puzzled me. I think the weirdest was jumping an unaffiliated 2 phase 1.05m track on Bailey, with the second phase 1.10m. She always jumped amazing the bigger the fences but it took a lot of courage from me as she was well known for putting in sudden stops at brightly coloured fillers so I used to ride with the handbrake mostly on. If I fell off due to her sudden occassional stops I always fell off over the offside and landed on my right hip, never any variation. We're talking over 12 years of competitions mind, got carted off about 4 times in an ambulance with concussion and back pain. She was tricky! She was one that could be on the perfect stride, go to take off and then drop a shoulder!

I'd never jumped so big on her before but she'd jumped amazing in the class before where we were placed so I found my big pants and entered as it felt right.

This day we'd got our striding perfect and we were in a smashing rhythm going round the track. We were ten strides from the last fence which was an imposing double. We were clear up to there, I remember counting down the strides - we were smack on with them, it was the same course as the class before. I felt her take off and gave her an encouraging tap with my stick.

So even I was surprised to find myself falling through the air from the near side this time. I was K.O'd with that one. It seemed to take forever to hit the ground - it always seems to be slow motion and I was able to form the thought "why the hell am I falling off?" as I fell.

I found out a couple of weeks later from talking to a friend who'd seen my fall that she'd completely jumped me out of the saddle! It must have been that tap on her shoulder but she'd flipped her back end right up in response, bless her. It was the jockey that was useless 🤣🤣🤣
 
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Can you scuff the sole of your boot up a bit with a wire brush to give it a bit more traction on the strirrup gripper?

have you checked your stirrups are the same length? could your left one be slightly stretched making you sit a little to one side and your right foot less 'in contact' with the stirrup?

Saddle moved slightly one way?

is one of your hips tighter than the other? I often have to stretch before getting on as I have a wonky one which makes me sit twisted - it hurts my back trying to compensate.

I can't really think of anything else it could be. Maybe go out again and see if it's the same again it might just be a one off.

Glad you didn't hurt yourself falling. I'd say that was a successful unplanned dismount.
 
Birker2020 said:
Some falls always puzzled me. I think the weirdest was jumping an unaffiliated 2 phase 1.05m track on Bailey, with the second phase 1.10m. She always jumped amazing the bigger the fences but it took a lot of courage from me as she was well known for putting in sudden stops at brightly coloured fillers so I used to ride with the handbrake mostly on. If I fell off due to her sudden occassional stops I always fell off over the offside and landed on my right hip, never any variation. We're talking over 12 years of competitions mind, got carted off about 4 times in an ambulance with concussion and back pain. She was tricky! She was one that could be on the perfect stride, go to take off and then drop a shoulder!

I'd never jumped so big on her before but she'd jumped amazing in the class before where we were placed so I found my big pants and entered as it felt right.

This day we'd got our striding perfect and we were in a smashing rhythm going round the track. We were ten strides from the last fence which was an imposing double. We were clear up to there, I remember counting down the strides - we were smack on with them, it was the same course as the class before. I felt her take off and gave her an encouraging tap with my stick.

So even I was surprised to find myself falling through the air from the near side this time. I was K.O'd with that one. It seemed to take forever to hit the ground - it always seems to be slow motion and I was able to form the thought "why the hell am I falling off?" as I fell.

I found out a couple of weeks later from talking to a friend who'd seen my fall that she'd completely jumped me out of the saddle! It must have been that tap on her shoulder but she'd flipped her back end right up in response, bless her. It was the jockey that was useless 🤣🤣🤣
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Definitely not this!
 
SEL said:
You've not put the stirrups on the wrong way round or anything silly like that have you?

I rode appallingly in a saddle fit recently with legs flapping everywhere and it took 2 days for me to notice my saddler had put my flex stirrups on the wrong way round!
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Good call but no, stirrups in same place as usual!
 
palo1 said:
Definitely not this!
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No I wasn't suggesting it was, I was just saying that some falls are a mystery whilst providing a smile to anyone reading. I'm not ashamed, we all learn from experiences, none of us are perfect. :)

There's been some good suggestions. I'd just chalk it up to misfortune. The more you worry the worse it will be going forwards.
 
I really struggle in faster work on my exuberant youngster if I don’t have chaps these days. Fine for a walk hack but I feel like my legs are sliding around a lot more in trot / canter…and I definitely wouldn’t jump without them!

I hope you’re ok after your fall!
 
Could you have trodden on something like cleaning chemicals/polish (e.g. walked across a freshly cleaned/polished floor)? Or have you been using something like spray polish near your stirrups? As a child I remember a girl at the riding school going flying when she made a sharp turn towards a fence and it turned out that she had used spray furniture polish to clean her PVC riding boots and had used it on the soles too.

The only thing I can think of suggesting is roughing up your soles as suggested above, and buying new rubber treads for your stirrups. If the stirrups don't have rubber treads and your boot makes contact with metal then it could be that over years of use the metal has worn smooth.
 
j1ffy said:
I really struggle in faster work on my exuberant youngster if I don’t have chaps these days. Fine for a walk hack but I feel like my legs are sliding around a lot more in trot / canter…and I definitely wouldn’t jump without them!

I hope you’re ok after your fall!
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I'm grand thanks: just a soft plunk down onto the heather! I am sure chaps help with a bit more security.
 
SilverLinings said:
Could you have trodden on something like cleaning chemicals/polish (e.g. walked across a freshly cleaned/polished floor)? Or have you been using something like spray polish near your stirrups? As a child I remember a girl at the riding school going flying when she made a sharp turn towards a fence and it turned out that she had used spray furniture polish to clean her PVC riding boots and had used it on the soles too.

The only thing I can think of suggesting is roughing up your soles as suggested above, and buying new rubber treads for your stirrups. If the stirrups don't have rubber treads and your boot makes contact with metal then it could be that over years of use the metal has worn smooth.
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I am going to buy some new treads (oh, the wanton expenditure!🤣) and ride in another pair of boots till they arrive. My ariats do feel quite smooth soled tbh and maybe my old treads have worn a bit too.
 
stormox said:
Do you practice jumping/gridlock without stirrups? Great practice for if you lose them...
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No, sadly I very rarely do any kind of proper jumping schooling - partly due to lack of available facilities/training and partly because we only ever jump for fun lol and only sort of natural/xc situations at a low level. A grid is the last thing I am likely to encounter though I might try setting something up in the field. My Welshie invites more of a 'belt and braces' approach too as she is confident and exuberant - at least at my level of competence 😆😆
 
dorsetladette said:
Can you scuff the sole of your boot up a bit with a wire brush to give it a bit more traction on the strirrup gripper?

have you checked your stirrups are the same length? could your left one be slightly stretched making you sit a little to one side and your right foot less 'in contact' with the stirrup?

Saddle moved slightly one way?

is one of your hips tighter than the other? I often have to stretch before getting on as I have a wonky one which makes me sit twisted - it hurts my back trying to compensate.

I can't really think of anything else it could be. Maybe go out again and see if it's the same again it might just be a one off.

Glad you didn't hurt yourself falling. I'd say that was a successful unplanned dismount.
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Thank you: all very good suggestions! I will check my leathers and I 'could' have had a rather breezy girth: not usually a problem and saddle was right when I retrieved madam but even so...I am wonky and have been neglecting my stretches lately.
 
I second the lack of chaps or long boots. In my case that was a long standing issue anyway. Technically it shouldn't have been if I was riding correctly (not that I am suggesting you weren't of course!) but I always seemed to flap my legs about without even realising I was until it was pointed out to me.
 
Mrs. Jingle said:
I second the lack of chaps or long boots. In my case that was a long standing issue anyway. Technically it shouldn't have been if I was riding correctly (not that I am suggesting you weren't of course!) but I always seemed to flap my legs about without even realising I was until it was pointed out to me.
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I am sure I am not totally correct and continually strive to do better; the struggle is real! 😁 It was just so odd - feeling my usually secure boot just slithering away like that.
 
I had a similar issue. My left foot slipped out of the stirrup whilst cantering my mare on the beach and I almost went for a swim! Then I seemed to really struggle to keep the left stirrup in canter...I never had this issue with her old stirrups.
It was strange as the stirrups were the ones I used when riding my gelding and I'd just swapped as I'd got some better ones for jumping for him and I'd never had an issue with losing a stirrup on him.
I did notice that my left ankle always hurt and seemed to turn more when riding her in them too. Like you I tended to ride her in short boots and chaps and him in long boots so I started riding her in long boots too and ....touch wood!...the issue seems to have resolved itself so I think it's possibly down to my left side being weaker and needing the extra support given by long boots.
The swap was from plain metal stirrups to bent leg ones but I kept her previous treads.
 
j1ffy said:
I really struggle in faster work on my exuberant youngster if I don’t have chaps these days. Fine for a walk hack but I feel like my legs are sliding around a lot more in trot / canter…and I definitely wouldn’t jump without them!

I hope you’re ok after your fall!
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Second this. I've been wearing hiking boots while I recover from injury, and I've been finding my legs sliding all over the place.

Made the mistake of wearing riding tights instead of breeches the other. Don't know how I stayed on! 😳
 
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