Only fallen off once...

[Pmf27]

Hi all! Been a while ?

I got a new job (hooray!) shortly before the first lockdown and, though I kept up my lessons, hadn't been giving riding and horsey things much thought. But am back to it in full swing now!

I've also recently changed riding schools as just did not feel I was making progress at the one I'd been going to for the last year and a half.

And in my first lesson at the new school (I've only had a couple so far) I had a very close call at going over the handlebars when horse refused a jump.

It was the first time in years that I felt like I genuinely nearly came off and realised I have only ever fallen off a horse once (almost 10 years ago).

Is this weird? It feels 'wrong' somehow, like I've not ~ really ~ been riding.

 

[Annagain]

....or you're just good at it!

There is a saying that you're not a proper rider until you've fallen off 7 times. It's not something I subscribe to as that would mean I'm proper rider at least 10 times over and I'm very definitely not.

I think it probably means you've been riding in a very safe environment on well matched horses with responsible instructors and it's a credit to the riding schools you've been at. If and when you come to get you're own in future you may find that there's a greater risk in what you do as you're making the decisions or the horse is less experienced /more fiery or you're doing something that's new to you and the odd tumble becomes more of a feature.

 

[greenbean10]

Don't jinx it!

I once thought 'gosh I haven't fallen off for a while' on my way to a lesson...of course I fell off!

 

[Pmf27]

....or you're just good at it!

There is a saying that you're not a proper rider until you've fallen off 7 times. It's not something I subscribe to as that would mean I'm proper rider at least 10 times over and I'm very definitely not.

I think it probably means you've been riding in a very safe environment on well matched horses with responsible instructors and it's a credit to the riding schools you've been at. If and when you come to get you're own in future you may find that there's a greater risk in what you do as you're making the decisions or the horse is less experienced /more fiery or you're doing something that's new to you and the odd tumble becomes more of a feature.

I think this is part of what troubles me, is that I've only ridden riding school horses/ponies (well, bar the occasional horse owned by a friend) so I have these visions of constantly falling off when I eventually loan/own a horse, as I've not had the practice not falling. If that makes sense?

Completely unrelated to horse riding but a similar theory I guess, years ago I attempted learning to skateboard and was told that falling was a skill in itself as it teaches you HOW to do it without getting hurt. I would imagine it's the same with riding?

 

[Pmf27]

Don't jinx it!

I once thought 'gosh I haven't fallen off for a while' on my way to a lesson...of course I fell off!

Oh no! *touches every wooden object in the house* ?

 

[Sail_away]

If there’s a skill to falling off I certainly haven’t learnt it and I must be at over 50 falls by now. It has taught me not to be scared of falling off, because it’s happened so much and 49/50 times I can get back on fine. I broke my wrist once a year or so ago but it wasn’t so bad, I rode and jumped in my splint once the cast was off. I think the only thing I’ve learned from it is to get back on as soon as you can and ride like it didn’t happen.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Years ago I could have said the same! The horse was quite a difficult newly ex ex racer. Had him years, scared the life out of me on several occasions but never got me off.
When my then young daughter got a young horse I decided it was time to get something reliable to go out with her.... the thing decked me twice in 3 rides ?‍ It was such an incredible shock to the system ? I honestly at that point thought I was pretty invincible
Since then I’ve come off a few times, different horses. I blame my bad hips ?

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

If you want to do some falling off I've got just the horse for you !

 

[HeyMich]

There is a saying that you're not a proper rider until you've fallen off 7 times.

In our family, the saying is 100 times. My kids are proudly counting down from 100... I feel we may all lose count soon!

 

[Cob Life]

I went 8 years without falling off! (God knows how, I always got put on the naughty ponies ?)
then fell off 5 times in 2 years. A few of them were ”I wish I got that on camera” one I literally slipped off the side in trot

 

[Pippity]

I had a spell where every time I fell off, it was an A&E job - fractured spine, concussion, broken finger, broken collarbone... It got me absolutely terrified of falling off. Thankfully both times I've toppled off Blue, I haven't even had a bruise (well, except to my ego) so I'm a lot less worried about it now! (This is a huge advantage of <15hh rather than >17hh!)

 

[Courbette]

I think this is part of what troubles me, is that I've only ridden riding school horses/ponies (well, bar the occasional horse owned by a friend) so I have these visions of constantly falling off when I eventually loan/own a horse, as I've not had the practice not falling. If that makes sense?

Completely unrelated to horse riding but a similar theory I guess, years ago I attempted learning to skateboard and was told that falling was a skill in itself as it teaches you HOW to do it without getting hurt. I would imagine it's the same with riding?

I have had a loan horse that has been in the same home since an unbacked 3 year old and has had 1 rider jump off her when she was first backed an a novice fall off her when she spooked and ran. She is now 19 and has only that 1 true fall to her name. I went for about a decade without falling off mainly thanks to this horse. I then had another loan horse that was very similar in nature and I would off been very surprised to have come off him. In the last 12 months I had tried another loan horse and came off twice and tried trick riding and face planted!

Moral of the story is a large part of it (in my opinion) is the horses you ride and the activities you do. Jumping always vastly increases my chances of going splat!

 

[stormox]

If you never fall off you aren't stepping out of your comfort zone.. When I was young it took 10 falls to make a rider, and we all fell off regularly.... one teacher used to put a £1 note under our knees- if we fell off he was more worried about stopping his money blowing away than seeing if we were hurt.

 

[doodle]

Definitely don’t say things like that and tempt fate!

 

[DabDab]

Well they say that the art of horse riding is keeping the horse between you and the ground, so maybe you've just mastered it ?

I've fallen off a lot, mainly as a child, most I can't really remember now tbh, and I'm not sure I learnt a great deal from most of them, so I really don't think you're missing out!

 

[Pmf27]

Thanks all, I'm glad I'm not missing out on some magical, teaching moments through the art of falling!

 

[smolmaus]

I used to tumble off fairly often, sometimes multiple times per lesson, when I was the only rider under 5'6" and there were little ponies to be ridden. Never hurt myself beyond a bruise. Cut forward a few years without a fall, I just slide off the side after a tiny spook when I wasn't paying attention and I'm pretty sure my hip joint popped out and in again ? I say pretty sure because of course I never went near a doctor for it. Just hopped for 2 days and limped for 2 weeks.

Haven't come off yet after my big break from riding, and now I'm 30+ I'll probably die tbh but sure.