What's your attitude to falling off?

[Lolo]

I've just been thinking!

When we were little and learning to ride, if we fell off we were expected (without fail!) to get up and get back on. If we wailed and made a fuss we got no sympathy- after all, it was only little tumble! We fell off a lot and did get hurt a few times- my sister sprained her wrist (and rode home one handed!) and I ricked my neck (and did a hunter trial the next day holding my head to one side so it wouldn't hurt, lol) to name but a few. By the time we were both in our teens, we'd gathered over 500 falls between us.

It means that both of us have always been very stoical about falling off. If it's serious, I'll lie very still whilst assessing the damage and then get up and look for my horse. My sister will leap to her feet as fast as possible and try and get straight back on. She fell off in the middle of a double SJ once and took out the second element. She put the fence back up, got back on and jumped it before anyone had time to get in the ring! We never cry or wail (until we're back in the lorry and shock hits us!).

Nowadays, I'm surprised by how 'wimpy' children and adults are. They are wrapped up in cotton wool, and as soon as they take a tumble people descend to hug and mollycoddle. At PC Camp, the stable managers took the more cavalier approach to care- if they wailed they were breathing so we were far less sympathetic! How do you react when you/ your children fall off? And do you think that the modern day attitude to falling has made people more likely to fall, as they fear it and tense up?

 

[Cedars]

The attitude I take with children is "if they wail, they're breathing, no problems". Its when they dont scream you've got problems.

I cry at the slightest shock though so I'm not very good myself!

 

[Lolo]

Once I'm back home I do tend to cry- because the adrenaline wears off and I feel like I've let myself and my horse down. I do scare paramedics though, as I tend to have real crackers of falls XC (my last one I got trampled after being bolted with and trying to bail only it going wrong!) and then I just lie there for a while in silence, very still! I've been 'rescued' by a friend before, who virtually had to prise the paramedic off me as they were convinced I was injured- all I wanted to do is get back on, as the fall hadn't counted!

 

[Clannad48]

I like you was brought up 'if you fall off, unless it's gushing blood or fallen off, get back on!'

Yes I fell off many times but only once was not allowed to get back on - I had fractured my skull and shoulder.

My daughter spent every year she could at PC camp and I was surprised how 'precious' some of the parents could be - my daughter was shocked that other parent's weren't like me! Even when she had a nasty looking fall at RAF Halton one year I was more concerned about the pony. She just got back on - no complaining but was more concerned that her pony was ok and that the photographer had not taken a picture of it (I wished he had).

Yes riding can be a dangerous sport/pastime but if you are careful, wear the correct gear, you can minimise any damage.

 

[wellsat]

I fell off a couple of years ago out on a hack and made no noise at all because I was badly winded. My friend thought I was dead, you've never seen anyone dismount so fast!

Unless I'm too badly injured to stand I always get straight back on and carry on doing what I was doing. I do need a leg up though, my horse is huge.

 

[alwaysbroke]

Perhaps I am of the 'old school' if any of my 3 kids have come off they get thrown back on, unless of course showing signs of serious injury, oldest having been spinal boarded out of one comp and on another occasion breaking her ankle

I myself do my best to stay on these days, its hurts too much to come off at my age. If I do hit the deck I now dont just bounce to my feet, take a little longer to check everything still works then get on with it.

 

[Cedars]

Ugh its being winded that I HATE! I am always convinced Im going to die at that point lol.

 

[HollyB66]

When I did first aid training the trainer said ignore any casualties that are making noise and attend to the quiet ones.

When my daughter fell off nearly a year ago she lay there flat on her back screaming, the horse ran to the other end of the arena. As the RI and I were assessing my daughter's injuries (she said she couldn't feel her legs) unbeknowns (sp) to me my husband had removed the horse to the yard and removed her tack.

Unfortunately, by the time we got my daughter to her feet the horse was long gone - so, there was no opportunity to get her back on. The sad outcome to this is that she has become completely disinterested in riding now (it was her first and last fall). I blame the fall and the fact that she wasn't made to get back on - but we will never know.

When I fell off of the horse I was out hacking, so it was a case of either get back on or have a long walk home - needless to say I got back on. When I had lessons as a child we were always shoved back on the pony - no option!

 

[pintoarabian]

People can get badly hurt falling off, of that there is no dispute. I am the type that would leap back up and get on with it, hoping no-one had noticed, but I have seen some bad falls, and even had one myself. I knew it was a bad one, on that occasion, and lay still, the one and only time I have ever done so. However, I agree that nowadays there's a lot of over-dramatisation going on. I have been to events where proceedings are held up for ages with the softest of falls where the rider is clearly not hurt but seems to be 'milking' all the attention. Organisers obviously err on the side of caution but, for people who can't take a little tumble, please take up something with no risk. My life clock is ticking while you are lying on the ground being melodramatic. If you really are hurt, you will have my full sympathy but, if not, please reconsider if equestrianism is really for you.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I've laways gotten straight back on. Like others, I am way more concerned over the horse - as long as I can move, then I'm fine. You bounce and get back on.

I don't have kids but am soon to be teaching nieces to ride Could be interesting as parents are very "precious" over their kids.

 

[HollyB66]

Ugh its being winded that I HATE! I am always convinced Im going to die at that point lol.

I was winded the first time I ever fell off as a child, and yes, I really thought I was dying - I'd never been winded before. I was made to get back on, glad I was 'cos it makes the fall less of an 'event'.

 

[Kokopelli]

Being a 'on and off' nervous rider I never get worried about falling, I think thats because when I was little I had a very naughty pony who I fell off atleast 5 times a week. I took him to camp and we won the rosette for falling off the most with 14 falls in 4 days.

I can get very scared about my horse bolting though or not feeling in control, sometimes I think there are worse things then falling off like getting bolted with across open moors

 

[Rachntabby]

I get back on straight away. Unless I'm in too much pain to do so. I remember having a group riding lesson once and falling off (totally my fault) and getting my foot caught in the stirrup and getting dragged around the school, got back on and finished my lesson, it was only in the car on he way home that I started to vomit and I got taken straight to A&E and had concussion haha!
Another time I got chucked off by tabs and landed on a very sharp rock ( brought into the school by the YOs spaniel) right near my coccyx bone, I had only bruised it but it felt like I had actually broken it, I didn't get back on because I struggled to walk, still lunged naughty mare for 10 mins after haha

 

[Starzaan]

The "wrap them up in cotton wool" attitude of the moment drives me BONKERS! I teach a lot of disabled children, and it drives me insane when parents hold their children back because they're frightened of letting them live.

I had a boy fall off last summer, and after making sure he was unhurt, told him that his pony would like to say he was sorry for being naughty and making him fall off. He was all for getting back on, because he didn't want Boris to feel guilty for dumping him, and just as I was getting him back into the saddle, his ridiculous mother came flying over, snatched him off the horse, and whisked him off, shrieking "HE MIGHT BE HURT AND THAT HORSE IS DANGEROUS!!!!". I replied "He's not hurt, and that horse is a horse. They're unpredictable. He'll never get back on if we don't get him back on now, it'll become a big mental block and will cause problems with the physio side of his riding".

Needless to say, cowbag mother stormed off, came back the next week, and child was too frightened to get back on.

GRRRR

 

[Vixen Van Debz]

I think you have it just right: if no damage, then get straight back on and get on with it. If it might be serious, be deadly still until you're checked out and your back/neck can be stabilisied. I also hate a horse ending work or a show like that, so short of needed to go to hospital, I'm always back aboard, no tears and no fuss, and ending on a good note for everyone.

However, as a kid when I fell off I was terrified, even if , for example, the horse had genuinely and honestly spooked. All of a sudden it became an evil beast trying to hurt me - I successfully put off riding for about a month after an innocent fall, despite the fact that a lesson was my only form of pay in those days! I had no confidence then, and I imagine there's still lots of people that way, regardlesss of how old they are or any potential current trends in H&S/molly-coddling.

 

[HashRouge]

Fall off. Stand up. Find horse. Get back on.

That's if it's physically possible of course, although only once had the situation where I was too badly hurt to get back on. Unfortunately, I was also in a field where no-one could see me and I didn't have my phone (I'd just gone to bring in, hopped on bareback, tried to carry a bucket at the same time, horse bucked me off when bucket started rattling. And yep, she was in a headcollar and leadrope and I had no hat on.....very naughty!). I crawled up to the top of the field (and I really mean crawl, I couldn't stand up) to find horse, crawled all the way back down the field, leading her, so I could turn her back out, made sure she had sweeties and cuddles and wasn't too shaken up (it was entirely my own fault for being such a tit) and then crawled all the way home and into the bath. The mothership wanted to take me to hospital but was shooed away. After a week or so I was able to walk again

I really think learning to ride as a child helps in this respect. A lot of the riders I know who learnt as adults find falling off very scary and really struggle to get back on again afterwards. I spent so much time falling off tiny ponies when I was younger that it's no big deal anymore. I've fallen off my Arab about 50,000 times (she's the one who bucked me off), usually because I try and do stupid things like ride her over a tarpaulin bareback and then fall off when the tarpaulin tries to eat her! I've only had two falls that really shook me up, and both were exactly the same: she slipped or lost her footing and went over sideways on top of me. I was more shaken than hurt both times, and still got back on, but I think that sort of fall is frightening because you know you could both have been seriously hurt

 

[dafthoss]

I tend to jump back on as quick as I can and re-do what ever I was trying to do before I fell so it dosnt become an issue for me or the horse. Its not untill a day or 2 later where I ache and cant work out why untill someone reminds me . My mum tends to panic a bit but she has learnt to stay calm if I'm up then its ok. People laugh at me as I try my hardest not to let go of the reins I spent to long hacking to just let go as you then have to chase a pony round open fields.
The paramedics at a show I went to this summer were saying how when someone gets straight back up they tend to leave them but when they dont move they go over and the paramedics that havnt been to horse events jump up as soon as someone comes off untill they realsie.

 

[Sol]

I've always been back on my feet before anyone got to me Exception was when I came off and broke my elbow.... did land on my back, hitting both elbows into tarmac simultaneously, followed by my head.... immediately rolled onto my hands and knees to stand up and blacked out.... still on my hands and knees When I did stand up I was still demanding for someone to hold the horse still so I could get on despite reaaally not feeling great. I practically had to be dragged back to the house by force I'm fairly sure that's the only time I've come off and NOT got back on immediately!

I'm a little bizarre though in that I 'like' falling off occasionally... it reminds me to ride!

 

[E_Lister]

I have yet not to get back on. Sometimes it isn't straight back on, but in the end I ride back into the yard.

I have a good scheme with my friends, I fall off and shout (if I can) "give me a minute" then I assess the damage or if nothing bad, just hop up and get back on.

I never wait more than 5 mins before getting back on, but have at times wanted to recover a little bit but this is rare.

Once I had whiplash and had broken my hat (I even blacked out for a couple of seconds), so I waited for a friend to lend me hers (I also rode a different horse, the other one was a nutter!)

Another I sprained my ankle and thought I had concussion, my friend got on the horse and rode him for a couple of minutes as I recovered a bit.

The third I was on my own and fell off, I was only winded but scared myself as the horse had slipped and fallen when cantering. I led the horse for a few hundred meters, telling myself it wasn't because I was scared, I just needed to check she wasn't lame!

I often ache in the morning but the adrenaline normally makes me get back on.

I know a girl whose horse dumped her dramatically, she rode the 2 miles home, untacked, did evening jobs then went from the yard to hospital. Turned out she had broken two ribs, cracked another, broken her collarbone and ankle as well... nutter!!

 

[MrsHutt]

Get back on - if possible!

First fall from P was when she dumped me in the blackberry bush (KO'd)! By the time I had come round, she was half way home! So I just walked back with my (very elderly and shaken up!) companion.

Next time was in the school, so got back on (only shaken up and bruised spine), but the third time was when I broke my leg. I would have got back on, but my leg/knee swelled up before our eyes and instructor suggested straight to A&E (not that they noticed it was broken - another story!)

Now, I am slightly nervous about falling off - I do think it's more about the damage I could do and the ensuing chaos, rather than worry about myself. I think that happens as you get older. (also, don't bounce so well nowadays )

I am also more worried about being bombed across a field etc, than actually falling off, I think.

 

[foraday]

I know you are totally right!

Falling off is part of riding! You aren't glued on! Life would be so simple if we were!

Get back on straight away as long as no arms or legs amputated or head LOL

Have had loads of nasty falls-dragged, rotational, fell on, rolled on, jumped on-you name it! But was always taught to get back on!

Our instructor at our riding school used to make us run round the arena when we fell off as she told us we must be falling asleep in her lesson (she was german) and we had let our pony down! One thing it showed the instructor we were still in one piece but it did wake us up! this was in the early 70's bet now can't do it due to some health and safety namby pamby political correctness rubbish

Fell off last week as there were pterodactyls nesting under the bridge and decided to dismount onto concrete road-bum first (ouch) then head. Ned buggered off home (as usual) Called yard to ensure ned got back (all off road hacking) and for someone to collect me before the pterodactyls returned and would no doubt eat me of course!

Local farmer came out too!

Ended up with massive bruising above the hip-plenty of arnica rubbed in that's for sure. Head was fine thanks to my hat (only 6 months old) Got new hat and to pacify my OH a point 2 now!

 

[MrsMozart]

Don't do it. It hurts.

 

[MrsMozart]

I got back on last time, not knowing that my back was broken.

The Dizz was a bit of a twit.

Good job I didn't come off again...

 

[Lolo]

Yes- there are some hugely precious parents out there I think. At our PC camp (and back when I attended- still the same instructors) the attitude is to get kids back on and make falling off a joke. I reckon you can tell who the kids who will be good are as they're the ones who leap up as soon as they can and find it funny.

My favourite story is my sister- had a near-rotational going XC on her pony, and landed on her shoulder with quite a lot of force. Leapt up, and asked the fence judge for a leg up. Put her arms up and realised that her shoulder hurt more than it should do- ambulance was called for as suddenly she went very very pale. She'd smashed it fairly successfully. 2 weeks later, she did the PC area SJ, then PC camp, then PC area eventing, then the eventing champs. Then, 8 weeks after the initial break (having done all that!) she got given the all clear to start riding again!

 

[kerilli]

if i'm not hurt, i leap to my feet and try to get back on fast enough that nobody will have even noticed i came off...
if i see someone come off, as long as they're still 'with it' (not concussed) i'll help them get straight back on, and if necessary lead the horse around for a minute until they feel happy again.
i think one of the big problems nowadays, esp for children, is ubiquitous body protectors, often too big (because they'll outgrow them so fast) so they inhibit movement, make the child feel stiff and awkward. some PC instructors have told me that bps are the bane of their lives... they've seen children fall off and be stuck on their back like a turtle until someone comes and helps them flip over! also, a bp makes you feel different, might even affect balance in a small child. don't get me wrong, i think they should wear them for xc, but not necessarily for all riding. i wonder whether wearing one makes a child more conscious of the risk of falling off?
it's part and parcel of riding, unavoidable. and sometimes if you haven't fallen off for yonks, when you do, it can be a real surprise that you don't hurt yourself, if you know what i mean! not falling off for a year or two magnifies it in the brain somehow imho.

 

[only_me]

Yep, if nothing serious get back on. Unless horse is lame obs.
When I was younger, I fell off and horse fell on me. I got up and was "put" back on my pony, and made to walk around the arena. The fact I couldnt see the arena was a bit worrying to me, but didnt say anything! Turns out I had a broken collarbone as well as the morning after I couldn't put my school shirt on

Falling is all about learning - you learn not to do what ever you did that made you fall off!

The only time I havent got back on after a fall was when I fell &horse used me as a springboard, whilst he galloped on the road and narrowly missed a car. Seriously dented my confidence and tbh, am only back to what i was before the fall (summer09) and I put it entirely on the fact that I didn't get back on!!
I still have nightmares about him loose on the road

 

[monkeybum13]

I climb straight back on and learn not to do whatever I did wrong again.

If I fall off at a xc fence I climb on the jump, hop on and off we go!
The only ever time I haven't go straight back on is when I dislocated my hip, that would have been a bit painful


There are far too many wimpy children about but I think the parents have something to do with that. My mum is the type that will run off to catch the pony and then check I'm ok (providing I'm standing up and walking about ok!)

 

[little_critter]

Slightly off topic;
I went zorbing last year - it's un-nervingly like falling off over and over and over again!
I didn't like it!
I went through a stage the other year of falling off a certain horse quite a bit (he tended to take off early over jumps the pretty much stop the other side - I didn't stop)
Got back on every time except once when I gave my instructor a shock by landing head first, then rotating and landing flat on my back.
It was the end of the lesson anyway so we carefully walked back to the yard, mind you I would have happily got back on, although I might have had minor concussion judging by some of the funny vision I had driving home!

 

[Natch]

I remember falling off jumping at a show as a kid, and my friend's mum rushed into the ring. This caused great embarrassment to my own mum, who had no intentions of rushing in, and was stood waiting to see if I got up and back on by myself! It does make me laugh, because my mother was, and still is neurotic about her precious daughter getting injured, so what happened on that day goodness only knows!

Last fall I had was when I was trying a mare, and she tripped over her own feet and went down. It was in the school, very soft landing, I had bitten through my lip, and just got straight up and on again, much to the owner's shock!

I'm not always so gung ho, it depends on if I think I've hurt myself badly. Mind you, falling off on the road and my horse trotting off into the distance meant I got up sharpish and followed him because it was clear nobody else was going to (yeah, thanks mr van driver who was going too fast...). I thought I had broken my arm at the time, so went to catch him one handed, and I led him home with that arm just sort of dangling (it was ok in the end, just bruised from being trodden on!).

 

[ladyt25]

I've always been a fall off get back on type too and most of the time my falls are rather comical (you know those slow sort of ones that you can't stop happening!) i have only not got straight back on on two occasions, one when my sister's horse reared up at a show and I came off the back straight smack down onto the floor. i went to get up but couldn't feel my legs and ended up in a heap! A little scary at the time but thankfully I must have just bashed a nerve as the feeling came back within a few minutes. I did actually get back on a few minutes later and made the horse jump again (that;'s what he'd objected to - he was a nappy little sod) as i didn't want him to have 'won' or to end on a bad note.

The 2nd time my horse fell on the road and I knew straight away I'd broken my collar bone so wentnto A&E instead of riding home! I normally am more worried about whether my horse is ok though, I think about myself 2nd!