# Had a bit of a tumble today...



## Mia123 (Aug 25, 2012)

Well I fell off a pony today at the yard, usually he's great, not his fault at all just jumped a little too early and I went straight over his head whilst doing a summersault and landed on my head :/ just a bit worried that I've lost my confidence a bit, as I really like horse riding. Maybe I'll build up jump height slowly now. How many times have you fallen off and how long have you been riding? This was my worst fall, but I've only fallen twice and only been riding 3 years. I know it's not a very big fall but big for me as I'm only 13...


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## sjmax (Feb 28, 2011)

Hiya,

I'm sorry you had a tumble! It's never nice and will always knock your confidence a bit. Did you get back on?

I had quite a bad fall recently where my young 4 year old tb mare spooked and bronc'd and bucked me off, breaking my collar bone in 3 places and needed an operation! I got back on for the first time on Friday (after 8 weeks of not riding). I was pretty nervous beforehand and was worried but I got back because I really wanted to ride as I'd missed it loads and I was now wearing an air vest!

It might help if your nervous about jumping her to maybe get someone to pop her over a couple first for you and then you get on a have go?! That will help you as you know she's ok and can do it and will also probably help your horse. Or if you are really nervous maybe have a go on a pony you really trust and know is a steady neddy?! 

Either just try and think positive and confident and it rub off on your pony!  

Hope this helps a bit?!


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## sjmax (Feb 28, 2011)

Sorry forgot your other questions! I've been riding about 6 and a half years and due to my youngster I have fallen off about 5 times!


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## RachJeremy (Sep 14, 2012)

Ouch, hope you're ok?  
Falling can be quite scary the first few times really, but once it happens and you're used to it, normally it's just part of it all. :\ 
I've been riding since i was 4 and i'm now 20. I had probably a 3-4 year gap. My first fall was when i was 9/10 can't remember exactly, and the school i rode at wasn't great for their tack cleanliness, nor the horses really... But i was jumping, and had only been jumping for a few weeks. When me and the horse i was riding went over a set of grid jumps, on the last jump the stirrup leather snapped on the right side and i just slid as my balance wasn't that great back then. I landed on the pole. All i remember is one minute i was looking at the jump and next i was on the floor with a face full of sand! I was forced back on by my instructor, but was struggling to walk for weeks. My knee has never been the same, and to this day a tiny knock on that knee i landed on and it swells like a balloon and hurts like murder at times. :S 

After then, any fall i had was hardly bad at all. The next fall i had was on a big 17+hh ex racer, jumping again, he decided to turn sharply after the jump so we kinda parted ways. Haha, but i was fine! I jumped straight back up and on the horse and done it again, but was prepared for his sharp turns this time!

Really that's all you have to do, is get back on. Whether you do the same as when before you fell or just sit back on and plod around. It's the way to keep up your confidence.


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## Shady (Mar 7, 2011)

They always say that you're not a rider until you've fallen  Unfortunately it is part and parcel of the sport. I've been rising perhaps... 7 years. I started when I was 18. Over the years I've had some pretty spectacular falls. I don't do things by half measures you see. If I fall, I FALL BAD! lol.

I do remember one incident though.... sort of. Basically I was flat schooling a TB mare and something spooked her and she took off and I lost my balance and fell. Me being me, I fell INTO a wooden fence, putting my head through the solid slats and knocking myself unconscious. I was taken home by my boss and apparently I just kept asking "What happened?" I was told and then 5 seconds later I would ask again lol. Unfortunately I did not get back on the horse straight away (for obvious reasons) and then it turned into weeks before I rode again. When I did ride I was put on a 17hh horse that had been on box rest for a month and this was his first outing.... needless to say when he started to be naughty I almost got off, never to ride again. I did carry on though, despite me being scared, and I was so glad I did. 

I do hope you got straight back on again, it really is important if you are passionate about riding. You're bound to be nervous the first time back on after a fall, but if your riding school is a good one they will put you on a safe pony for a few lessons just to regain your confidence again. I hope you're ok after your fall, don't dwell too much on it and concentrate on enjoying your riding


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I've been riding for xxxxxx years  I first had lessons when I was about 8 or 9 and have ridden since - with some time off in between having children, not having the money etc. Now I ride once every couple of weeks, hacking out in the New Forest.
I really don't remember how many times I've come off but these days my husband makes me wear a body protector (because I'm getting old  and because he's scared of horses )
Last time I came off was a couple of months ago when some wild ponies came out of the bushes and spooked my pony - she's usually very calm - we were only walking but the ponies took us both by surprise and I ended up in a muddy puddle :blush: No choice but to get back on as I was out in the forest and didn't fancy the walk back to the yard 
Don't worry about falling off - it happens to the best of riders, especially when jumping - just take your time to get your confidence back. Try small jumps to start with and you'll soon be okay 
I watched my 6 year old grand-daughter going over trotting poles a few weeks ago and my heart was in my mouth


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## Mia123 (Aug 25, 2012)

Thanks everyone! I had a rest before hopping back in the saddle and jumping a lower jump twice and then stopping! It was the end of the lesson anyway though! The pony I'm riding at the moment is 14hh and is reallllyyyy good, it wasn't his fault and he is a schoolmaster. He just took off too soon and it was my fault as I meant forward too soon too! And he just disappeared under me a d I was on the floor :/ any way just had a bad head for the rest of the day, but I didn't even get a bruise! I just lost my confidence quite a bit... This Saturday I tried a different horse which is much taller than my usual ponies around 15-15.2? I love ponies and only end up riding them! His name is teddy and he was great, I had to work harder to keep him going and keep him straight but I got there!, the problem is that he tripped up and he and I almost crashed to the ground but we didn't phewww!! He got himself back up had a bit of canter and we carried on :/ ... He is good though and he gave me so much confidence back, we jumped 2'6" in the lesson. He's great in the stable too, you could climb under him and do a cartwheel (I didn't do that) and he would just stand there!!  I still like my old pony though, he just gets a little more excited than teddy going over jumps. So maybe horse aren't as bad as I thought they were?! I mean I still likes them though! So, do you have any excersises for 1) gaining my confidence over jumps and 2) calming a horse and teaching it to count its strides before over a jump? Remember I have an instructor (a very nice and kind one!) so I would give her the ideas! Thank you and sorry this is sooo long! I'd just like to gain my confidence back before loaning a horse!


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## Leam1307 (Feb 12, 2010)

So sorry that you had a fall while jumping, those can be scary as your even higher up going over the jump. Over the years i have lost count the amount of times ive fallen off.. i think its around 30+ by now. lol (had a very cheeky pony when i was younger)

Unfortunately you cant teach the horse to count its strides, thats the riders job and it will come with more practice. I would ask your instructor to put a ground pole infront of the jump. that way the pony canters over the pole and has a deffinate take off point, and you know he isnt going to take off for the jump until he is over the pole. I found it helped alot with working out striding for jumps. a series of three or four canter poles before a fence is also good as you then know you have 3 strides until take off for the fence and it helps you count the strides and judge the distance for when the poles are taken away.

If your pony has a martingale or something on its a good idea coming up to the fence just to hook a few fingers underneath (or if not ask for a neck strap to be put on) it doesnt mean your a bad rider or not any good, i found it just gave me a boost in confidence to know i had something there to hold onto if i needed it (i always forget to grab some mane) It also means if your pony takes off to early for a jump then you dont catch him in the mouth with your reins if you get left behind. 

Well done for getting back on though! and keep us updated how your progress goes! x


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## Zayna (Apr 19, 2009)

Ive been riding for about 17 years and have had so many falls Ive lost count. My worst one was when I came off my old sect D mare and went underneath her. She ran straight over my shin bone, how it didnt break I do not know but was on crutches for 4 weeks and almost a year on my leg is still bruised with a dent in it!


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## Mia123 (Aug 25, 2012)

Thanks! Yeah, I still got some improving to do on jumping. I've got to give more with my reins because I'm yanking too much when the horse puts his head down, but at the same time I've got to hold the reins tight so my pony doesn't jump too soon!! Arrggg... But anyway, i've got a great instructor! Thanks


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## Leam1307 (Feb 12, 2010)

Mia123 said:


> Thanks! Yeah, I still got some improving to do on jumping. I've got to give more with my reins because I'm yanking too much when the horse puts his head down, but at the same time I've got to hold the reins tight so my pony doesn't jump too soon!! Arrggg... But anyway, i've got a great instructor! Thanks


That can be very difficult to achieve and does take lots of practice to get the right balance between giving and keeping the riens. That was always one of my worries ith my younger horse, i didnt want to catch him in the mouth and put him off jumping. I found using a neck strap (old stirrup leather) was brilliant for this as it still allows your hands to move up the neck, where as if you grab some mane your hands are fixed in one position.

Another good tip is to have some pleating bands in the horses mane (not pleated up but just left in long sections) this way you can work out how far up the neck your hands have to go to allow your pony to stretch over the fence by counting which band your hands were on. Obviously you dont want to give too much as this has the effect of "dropping" them infront and quite a few will refuse to jump if thats the case. think of it like your leaning on something and it suddenly gets taken away, you will fall forward and lose your balance, this is what happens to the horse and they then dont have the momentum to take off over the poles.

All i can really advise though is LOTS and LOTS of practice over small fences until it becomes the norm and feels natural. IF its a riding school pony you also have to remember he has to adjust to different riders each time and its very unlikely he will be able to differentiate between them, which makes your's and his job that much harder.

But whlie practice doesnt always make perfect in the horsey world the feeling while jumping more thn makes up for it knowing you's both did a good job!


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