Spin-sitting tips??

[Jinx94]

I hit the deck at speed tonight It wasn't Tris' fault and I don't blame him in the slightest, I jumped too!

Our arena has a small stable block next to it, with the side wall of the end stable alongside part of the short side. A new livery has just moved in and was cracking on with her jobs, and she chucked a bucket out of the stable onto the concrete just as we drew level with the edge of the wall. It felt like Tris dropped his shoulders pretty much to the floor and then shot sideways. For a second, I thought I was hanging on, then I seemed to just swing off the side. Got told by an onlooker that there was no way I could have sat it

Do you have any advice for how to stick with him if it happens again?

 

[JFTDWS]

A good saddle, sit on your arse, leg forward, shoulders back. It's not pretty but it's effective.

I have too much experience of that one

 

[Tonto_]

I find using a balance board has helped me quicken my reactions to stay on when they do stuff like this but sometimes you just can't save yourself!

I've had a few like that on my loan pony where I'm pretty sure I've been hanging in mid air and some how managed to stay on, no idea how exactly I do it!

 

[Summit]

I think that no matter how much to try to stay on, those spins are just so damn lightening quick

 

[SOS]

Shoulders back, weight in your heels, a neck strap, and if you feel the horse is tensing to spin do something about it - send them forward or do some lateral work or ask for some flexion.

Desensitising the horse may help too, however that isn’t my expertise.

However at the end of the day sometimes they spin so quick you will fall off. Learn to bend your knees if landing on your feet and land as safely as possible. Accepting falling off is a part of riding has helped me be a much more relaxed rider and I tend to find horses less spooky.

 

[catembi]

The late Catembi was a spooky-spinner. I developed a technique of jamming one hand (still holding reins) into the base of his neck to stabilise my upper body & literally stop me from spinning myself off. It became second nature. He never actually managed to spin me off...goodness only knows how! We had some very close calls!

Now that I'm an 'old lady', I have pommel strap 'grab handles' between the D rings of all my saddles. Not sure if you could grab them quick enough in the event of a spin but they are a fiver on eBay so maybe worth a try?

 

[Carrottom]

Lower leg pushed forward will help to keep you in the saddle, but it doesn't do much for your effective riding position when schooling.

 

[splashgirl45]

maybe ask new livery not to throw buckets around

 

[JFTDWS]

Lower leg pushed forward will help to keep you in the saddle, but it doesn't do much for your effective riding position when schooling.

Oh god don't school like that - it's the sort of muscle memory thing you resort to in the moment, an instinctive reaction!

 

[Carrottom]

Oh god don't school like that - it's the sort of muscle memory thing you resort to in the moment, an instinctive reaction!

Totally agree.
I had to adopt this position after one of the pointers had me off twice in a week (doing roadwork), I didn't even tell my OH the second time. He is a big old boat with a long neck and would spin at something he spotted before I could see it.

 

[doodle]

The late Catembi was a spooky-spinner. I developed a technique of jamming one hand (still holding reins) into the base of his neck to stabilise my upper body & literally stop me from spinning myself off.

i did that and badly smashed my hand!

 

[Jinx94]

Thanks all, in a way I'm really glad that so many have said it's not always possible to stick on

I wish someone had caught it on camera! As I'm not 100% on what actually happened.. (I didn't bump my head, it just occurred very quickly!) I came off his right side, but landed on my left hip and know that I was facing his backside as I went down. My main thought was "Please don't kick out!". The more I try to figure it out, the more it seems like some kind of acrobatic feat I did try to reach for my neck strap, but there wasn't a head, neck or shoulders in front of me!! 😂😂

 

[dogatemysalad]

This was bad luck. I'd react with a jump if someone threw a bucket near me too. If your horse is a spinner, you tend to ride with the knowledge that this is a likelihood and are more prepared. If it's an unusual reaction to an exceptional event, it comes as more of a surprise, making it harder to sit.
One of the liveries had a small daughter who leap out of the trees surrounding the manege as we cantered past. My new horse shot sideways and leapt up. My immediate reaction was, what on earth is he thinking, until I turned and saw the child. It was a relief to know his spook was entirely justified and not part of an unknown quirky personality.
Don't ride defensively, just have a light hearted banter with the new person telling her what happened so that she'll realise her mistake.

 

[Red-1]

When I got Jay Man he was awful for this, I got a set of webbing to the saddle Ds to hold onto, one each side. They were my handles! You can still use the reins but if the horse disappears it means that you go with them so no need for any other precautions such as riding with your leg forwards or tense in the rein, which IMO just means they are more likely to do it.

I would also have a bucket throwing fest, where the buckets are initially thrown when you are approaching them and with notice, and escalated until you are sure you have his attention and then they can be tossed around with abandon as you school. I would focus on having the contact soft but present, the horse in front of the leg and swinging/bending through the movements.

 

[Auslander]

I don't think there's much you can do when it's a shock reaction from the horse, and it's super quick like that!
Alf is a world class spinner, but I always get just enough warning. I noticed last time he did it that my legs clamp on like vices without me consciously choosing to make them - reflex action, I guess.

I used to start baby racehorses - I reckon that's the best way to learn to stick on regardless! I did fall off a LOT when I first started riding them!

 

[Keith_Beef]

maybe ask new livery not to throw buckets around

Not "ask".

Tell her that if she does anything so stupid again, she'll be wearing the bucket as a necklace (her head will have punched a hole in the bottom).

 

[MotherOfChickens]

the RS-Tor is quite useful on a spooky spinner, better than a neckstrap. with my old horse leg forward, dont grip with knees but lower leg, widish hands (he could spin in either direction and reverse at speed, eventually I got qucik enough to stop it and he grew out of it) and sit up. with young racehorses sitting like a sack of spuds wash reasonaly effective, didnt work with the lusitano lol.

 

[Leo Walker]

Not "ask".

Tell her that if she does anything so stupid again, she'll be wearing the bucket as a necklace (her head will have punched a hole in the bottom).

so the livery cant do her jobs if anyone else is in the school? I know exactly what I would say to that sort of request!

 

[meleeka]

Falling off from spinning led to me losing my confidence. I thought a Acavallo Gel Out seat saver . It’s been a godsend and I’ve not hit the deck since. It’s helped my confidence more than anything.

 

[Annagain]

Unfortunately there's not much you can do about it when they're genuinely taken by surprise and move that quickly. When I first had Arch he did it quite a lot in new surroundings - there was always something that was leaping out at him. I fell off a bit but then as I got more used to it happening, I seemed to just get better at staying on - no technique, just practice I think. Of course, as I then got better at staying on, his confidence grew and he stopped doing it and we had many spook free years.....until, of course, the infamous goat incident of 2017.

 

[Fanatical]

Core strength and quick reactions. My old boy has always been a dab hand at spinning. Does my hips no good at all!

 

[milliepops]

gel out seatsaver kept me in the plate on a spinny one.
or sticky breeches if you prefer that. Does make a difference IME.

 

[Jinx94]

He does spin from time to time, but I usually get a little more warning from him and am well prepared

Re: having a go at the livery, she couldn't have known how he would react. She was straight over the fence to check on me and I really appreciate that. I might ask her (nicely! And after a thank you for being so quick to get to me!) to be a little more aware of where people are if they're schooling, but that's it. I think she's late teens, and we seemed to give her quite a shock!

 

[Muddywellies]

so the livery cant do her jobs if anyone else is in the school? I know exactly what I would say to that sort of request!

of course she can, but throwing a bucket next to the arena was perhaps a little thoughtless. Our indoor arena is next to our barn and whenever I go in there I always wait till someone riding has gone past and then holler ‘hello’ or something so as not to spook the horse. It’s just a case of being aware of who’s around and being considerate. I’d be absolutely horrified if I caused someone to fall off

 

[LegOn]

When I first got my horse he was spooky especially jumping & I sat everything except when as you say - there was a genuine proper freak out for both of us - someone threw a big fork of hay up over a wall just as he was trotting beside the wall & as it flicked, he lost it! He dived sideways which I sat but there was a jump wing in his way so he did a double-dive then in the opposite direction - which I didnt sit!!!

But I think if your horse is prone to spinning or spooking you can ride defensively & adjust your position to help but a genuine once off losing it because of an unexpected issue - I think you just have to chalk it down to experience. Everyone said to me that I couldnt have sat it - I nearly had it on the first dive but not the 2nd!!!

 

[JFTDWS]

I wouldn't advocate riding defensively at all times - but it should become second nature on a spinner to fall into that position the moment things go to shit. Fergs has a lethal spin on him - he had me a few times in his youth, and a few others too. Learning to instinctively jam my leg forward the moment before he ducks down was the key - bearing in mind that I would generally be doing dressage (i.e. not riding at all defensively) or playing at some daft sport where I'm hanging out the saddle. It's remarkable how quickly you can adopt the secure seat if you need to - but it's something that comes from practice. He tried to do it to me the other day while I was galloping up a track standing up and facing backwards (don't ask, my coach is a sadist), and the moment I felt his neck tense, I was ready for him, because I've had years of adjusting for it. I think the Buck B thread is relevant for this - even the fastest reaction from a horse, even to a sudden stimulus, comes from somewhere - even if it's coming bloody fast. You want to react before the horse...

 

[LegOn]

I wouldn't advocate riding defensively at all times - but it should become second nature on a spinner to fall into that position the moment things go to shit. Fergs has a lethal spin on him - he had me a few times in his youth, and a few others too. Learning to instinctively jam my leg forward the moment before he ducks down was the key - bearing in mind that I would generally be doing dressage (i.e. not riding at all defensively) or playing at some daft sport where I'm hanging out the saddle. It's remarkable how quickly you can adopt the secure seat if you need to - but it's something that comes from practice. He tried to do it to me the other day while I was galloping up a track standing up and facing backwards (don't ask, my coach is a sadist), and the moment I felt his neck tense, I was ready for him, because I've had years of adjusting for it. I think the Buck B thread is relevant for this - even the fastest reaction from a horse, even to a sudden stimulus, comes from somewhere - even if it's coming bloody fast. You want to react before the horse...

I think its a bit chicken and egg though!! lol! You learn to ride like that because you have to because you know your horse has the potential to behave like that! So if your horse doesnt regularly do anything for you to learn how to react, then sometimes you just have to react as best you can & if you sit it, great and unfortunately if not, you hit the deck!!! And yes of course if you have great reactions & core & stability etc then it will help with sitting anything but in this case I genuinely thing the OP had a horse react genuinely to something that scared the pants of him - which is fair enough!

 

[JFTDWS]

I think its a bit chicken and egg though!! lol! You learn to ride like that because you have to because you know your horse has the potential to behave like that! So if your horse doesnt regularly do anything for you to learn how to react, then sometimes you just have to react as best you can & if you sit it, great and unfortunately if not, you hit the deck!!! And yes of course if you have great reactions & core & stability etc then it will help with sitting anything but in this case I genuinely thing the OP had a horse react genuinely to something that scared the pants of him - which is fair enough!

It's not the first time T's spun with the OP, who I think also rides work horses - it's definitely something she's going to encounter (if she isn't already routinely riding horses who spin for fun!). It's absolutely fair enough for him to react to a sudden event - but that doesn't necessarily mean the OP can't learn to sit it. I think it's more helpful to focus on what can be done, than on the things which can't be changed.

I should add, my reactions are rubbish. I can sit my own monsters' tricks - I'm not saying I could sit anyone else's - but I'm pretty confident that someone out there does have the reactions, strength and balance to do it. I'd rather work towards that, than accept that some things aren't sit-able!

 

[criso]

I learned to sit a spin with my first pony who was very spooky and bay tb completed the education.

However I am finding that being a bit heavier as I get older means the momentum is more likely to carry you and I don't necessarily have the strength and flexibility to absorb the sudden movement.

There is a balance between normal chores and a unreasonable chucking things around but a recent spin with bay tb V2. 0 was when a butterfly flew across the school just after I landed over a jump. Stayed on for that one but I think luck was involved

 

[alexomahony]

One of mine is all about the shoulder drop spin - often on the landing stride after a fence... it's brilliant and very clever of him! I've learnt to sit it by pointing the soles of your feet in the direction you're going.

Now obviously they will never actually be like that in reality, but it the exaggerated though keeps your lower leg forward, and therefore keeping you secure

Oh, and never trust them to not do it haha