Why do some horses run and some wait -when you fall off?

[Archiepoo]

i fell off on a beach ride miles from anywhere and just before i fell off at a massive monster on the beach i was wondering what would happen if i did fall off cos i was on the most scaredy pants horse on the planet! anyway i went left -he went right and hid behind my friends horse (aw bless) hed never been so easy to catch!

 

[Batgirl]

Depends on where we are Out on a hack, I am a much safer option than hedge tigers so he stays put.

Twice I have fallen off (once xc schooling and once SJ lesson) when he has been with his best buddy (ridden by my best buddy). He buggers off and hides behind him!

The once I have fallen off at a competition he nearly trod on me on his way to the other end of the arena but turned around and trotted back to sniff at my winded heap of bones!

 

[leah_x]

Interesting post here, I have always wondered why my spooky exracer always waits, even when he is scared to death he would never run off, just stands over me as if to say "what on earth are you doing down there mum?!"

 

[Ibblebibble]

when i fell off ginger boy he stood quivering about 10ft away from me, it was the first time anyone had feel off him and it scared him, i had to spend 10 minutes comforting him before i could get back on, ignoring the fact it was me with the bruised butt!! when my sharer fell off him a while back he ran back home to me she had a long walk lol

my old tb would just leg it home, usually i'd fall off because she'd taken off across the common, she didn't like the common, i stopped going there

i haven't put the big girl to the test and rather hope i don't, i think she'd be a runner rather than a stayer though and i think the new tb would be a runner too,

 

[marmalade76]

Interesting post here, I have always wondered why my spooky exracer always waits, even when he is scared to death he would never run off, just stands over me as if to say "what on earth are you doing down there mum?!"

LOL, my aunt's old pony used to do that! She was a keen, jig joggy, canter on the spot type who as soon as you dropped your hands was off like a rocket. Yet if you fell off she'd stop and look at you. There was only one person she ran from after a fall, and we suspect that she didn't like his riding.

 

[_Rach_]

I think it depends on why you have come off.
If something has scared you horse, i.e phesant, they have span round and you have come off they are going to run becuase they are scared.
If you come out the side door because you werent paying attention and your horse stopped at a fence and you fell they are more likely to look at you thinking 'idiot!!!'
Both have happened to me.....
Bit different when we fell XC. she carried on untill she didnt know where to go and stopped and looked for me, until she was caught.

 

[mollyblob]

Twice I wasn't able to hang onto a horse we used to have- the first time she spooked, spun and I came off. I was lying on my back in the field (broken back!) and she only paused long enough to persuade my friend's horse to come on a jolly with her (my friend had jumped off and was holding her horse's reins, friends horse then yanked reins out of her hands!) before they both galloped off up the field towards the main road, eek!

Second time, she tripped and went down on her knees as we were cantering up the wide verge along a lane and I went straight over her head. Again lying there (broken wrist, broken elbow and landed on my face so a bit dazed!) I heard her hoofbeats disappearing off up the road.... then a few seconds later I heard her galloping back down towards me, she skidded to a halt and peered down at me as if to say "oops, I thought you were still with me! What are you doing down there?"

Maybe _Rach_ has a point then!

 

[wench]

I have seen my horse dump me on purpose on a hack, peer round to check I was sprawled on the floor... then trot off merrily home. Same horse had fun at a ODE - didn't like a jump that was facing towards the lorry park... dump me and bugger off to the trailer.

Manged to get dumped by a different horse at a competition head first into a showjump. The whole lot came down on top of me - poles wings etc. As I was crawiling out (totally unhurt!) all the stewards had come running up... and there was rather a look of shock on poor horses face about what he had done!

 

[Vixen Van Debz]

I've found that it's less about the horse and more about the circumstances of the fall. If I've made an error doing something not especially adrenaline-inducing eg schooling bareback, the horse often stays. If the horse has got me off as it's fresh and excited eg taking itself off in the derby paddock like the proverbial crap off a stick, then it keeps going. I've had the same horse muzzle me and lick my face when I fall, and then gallop off bucking and farting into the distance another time.

 

[ThreeTB's]

I generally manage to hold onto the reins as most of my falls have been from stopping dead and/or spinning away at jumps! When we were jumping in the field on our own he stayed by me, but once fell off in a xc lesson and he buggered off back to OH and his horse, and stood there while OH grabbed his reins

Not sure what my ex racer would do as haven't had the pleasure of falling off him yet, just dangled precariously round his neck so far

 

[Kallibear]

Silly Welsh X animal bolted as it terrified the life out of him (but then so did flapping arms or even patting his bum). He'd then come haring back because I was his safety blanket. Falling off frightened him.

Sensible PiperPony just thinks it's one of the many odd but unscary things people do occasionally and, like with everything else, he stands and waits patiently (admittedly stuffing his face) whilst you lie on the floor in a heap.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I was out for a hack with on my brothers horse and he rode my mare we were round the back feilds on the farm when a bird flew out of the hedge skimmed the top of the lami then smacked into my mares face.......she spooked, dumped the brother and b******d off home while the lami just stood there on the buckle looking confused

The odd thing is ive fallen off her loads and she has always stayed next to me.

X

 

[Bright_Spark]

I think it depends on the circumstances of the fall, ie a spook is more likely to make them run off.

Saying that, Sceptre was a bugger for dumping me and peeing off- normally because she was having a paddy that she couldn't get her own way She's mean to get me off too as would whip round one way and if I hung on, she'd whip round the other. Despite being a mare, she's have been worthy of the nothing like a knobber clique!

 

[flirtygerty]

These posts are brilliant, I'm too old for falling off now so ride in a western saddle on an almost bombproof horse, my OH is the only person ever to fall off my lad, 2 pheasants flew up from the verge, no reaction, then a third pheasant flew up past my lads head, causing him to spin and dump my OH, he didn't run though, just waited for my OH to get up, I can't believe I missed my OH coming off

 

[rockysmum]

Mine dont seem to do any of those things. The little cob stops the minute she thinks someone is falling (that can actually be the final push for someone to actually fall rather than hanging on) then she stands with her head over you, bless

The stressy warmblood runs a few yards, turns round and snorts, almost like a challenge, which knowing her it probably is.

I have no idea with my 36 year old, in the 30 years of riding no-one has fallen off. If he takes off, rears or other bad behaviour, which he does a lot of, he always manages to keep his rider in the saddle.

 

[Chestersmummy]

I had a horse who was a complete nobber to handle and would bolt off everytime you tried to lead him, yet strangely when i fell off he would just stand there nuzzleing me until i got up.

 

[Dry Rot]

Deer ponies are trained to stand and wait when the lead rope/reins are hanging down. Would it be difficult to train a horse to stand when the rider comes off? I don't know, but an interesting idea -- or not? (I suppose it depends how often the rider comes off!).

 

[ClassicG&T]

My Fell does both. If he is in the school and has just dumped me doing flat he will stand and wait. If i come off jumping he runs off in panic as he wanders where i have gone, but he is easy to catch and doesnt go mental,
But there have been a few incidents where ive come off in the top xc field or around the fields and there has been a lot of swearing and shouting trying to catch him, as he just charges round in cirlces around you as happy as larry.

But if i fall and manage to keep hold of reins then he stops straight away