Running home

[Gearchange]

When you fall off, do you horses run home?

I get some will just stick around, but for those who don't, do they run back towards home or are there many who will just run off somewhere totally random?

Basically I want to know how likely you are to lose your horse if you come off or if most will just head home.

 

[Roxylola]

I keep bloody tight hold!

 

[DabDab]

I haven't ever fallen off much out and about tbh <touches wood furiously>, but when I have the horse I've been riding has always just stopped. I lost the big gelding out hunting once, but that's kind of different because he just ran off with the rest of the pack (a kindly foot follower returned him to me).

I've had a couple of significant run aways with friends falling off - one on a xc course where the horse disappeared off round some woods and it took me a while on my horse to find her, and one naughty pony in a field that took off towards the road that I ended up chasing down on my then just backed 4yo. That second one was heading vaguely in the direction of home I suppose. And I've known a few horses that brought themselves home after parting ways with their rider but they were out alone so I have no idea what the chain of events was.

 

[BBP]

I came off at a fast canter, hit my head on a rock and horse disappeared off at the canter across a field towards home. Luckily stopped at a big ditch (was amazed he didn’t gallop into it as it was grassed over). Once I was up and heading across towards him I whistled and he came back to mex I had been training come to a whistle after watching War Horse, so that was a win!!! I think he was relieved to not be on his own anymore. But if ditch hadn’t been there he would have kept going.

 

[J&S]

Mine have just stayed near by.

 

[Polos Mum]

I once had a loose horse gallop past me on a bridleway, I carried on and found the rider with what we were both sure was a broken collar bone (not quite through the skin but poking out) we both rode my horse back to the nearest yard - her in front of me and saint of a horse - she wasn't fit to walk or ride unaided and it was pre mobile phones.

Most seem to run home and slide over on a rode somewhere causing nasty injuries

 

[Keira 8888]

How funny - I was going to post something like this myself today! I’m pretty sure that at some point I WILL fall off on the road - I don’t worry about myself but I DO worry a lot about what Prince would do, especially if there were cars around the bend. What happens in most people’s experience if you fall off on a road hack? This thought has been worrying me!!!

kx

 

[doodle]

Last time Robin ejected me he galloped home. Luckily just through (neatly sewn crops) fields. I almost kept hold but lying on the floor my arm wasn’t long enough to keep a hold of the rein. And the fields were just off the yard so he went and stood on the yard till someone retrieved him.

He very nearly dumped me after that. However the thought of him running home himself through the village and over the road, it made me stay on!

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Mine stops and comes back to check if I'm injured by gently nudging me with his muzzle . If he doesn't get a response he gallops home to get help and then leads the rescue team back to me .
Oh no , wait - that was Black Beauty .

 

[stormox]

I hang onto the reins for dear life, it was drummed into me when I was learning to ride.
But on the few occasions I havent managed to hang on theyve usually stayed nearby eating grass.

 

[HobleytheTB]

Not me (yet), thankfully! But when fellow liveries have come off hacking the horses generally head for home rather than go off randomly if they don't just stop where they are. Luckily the riders have always managed to phone someone on the yard to intercept before they got to the road.

Although one evening many years ago the YO at the time looked out her window to see a fully tacked up horse happily grazing outside the yard! Rider luckily fine, but horse had come over the main road -mercifully without incident.

 

[Equi]

Not alone obviously but I always drop my reins (unless someone or something is coming) and let my horse walk home with no direction. He will stop at junctions and look about then decide what road to take. Always ends up home and looks proud of himself. Once we ended up on a road that overlooked home and when he saw it he called out (he is not in any way a vocal horse and it was the first time he’d ever called with me on him) so they know home better than we give them credit for.

 

[Cowpony]

One at our yard dumped his rider and galloped off. A few people jumped into cars and drove around looking for him. He was eventually found calmly helping himself to somebody's lawn. Scary for a while though!

 

[SpeedyPony]

Came off on the road a few years back, pony took off for home and got most of the way there before someone herded him into a gateway. Luckily a very kind woman stopped and gave me a lift to chase after him!

 

[Michen]

Having broken my ankle hunting in order to hang on to the reins I’d let go now. I hung on and stayed on my feet because of it- the force caused a break!

 

[Shay]

It actually depends on the circumstances when you come off. Many horses will return to the faller becuase they don't actually know what else to do. But if they are frightened - or have dumped the rider on purpose - they will do something else.

I've had a horse on a beach ride (not mine - I was PC supervising) run over 5 miles. She had an exercise sheet on (I should have had that off - lesson learned) which tangled about her hind legs when the rider fell. I've found horses whilst foot following a hunt who have dumped riders and gone to follow the pack. As kid rider - if my pony dumped me on a hunt he would absolutely carry on with the feild. He had no interest in whether I was on board or not! I've also had horses who were so bemused by the fact the rider was not in place they simply came back and waited. Horses are prey animals and they will do what thier instincts tell them too.

We did used to be taught to hang onto the reins at all costs as we fell. Kids are not now becuase doing so can cause significant injry to the rider. You can pull the horse over to stand on you. You can dislocate your shoulder or tear the rotator cuff. Nowadays kids are taught to "tuck and roll" like a jockey and certainly have less injuries as a result But the horses do push off a bit more often!