Wow! These are some pretty incredible stories! I feel for all of you, I also don’t feel so alone anymore!
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Had a mild concussion from a fall a couple years ago. I actually remember the fall itself. My horse spooked and spun. I almost saved it… I remember sitting up afterward as well, I don’t remember if I lost consciousness. I remember looking for my horse (he was fine, eating a short distance away). I do not remember anything after that until I was back at the barn untacking my horse. The person I was riding with drove me to the ER. Apparently, I tried to carry on a conversation on the way back and failed miserably. No idea how I got back to the barn. I must have walked but remember nothing. I sort of vaguely think I might have gotten back on my horse when we got back to the arena but don’t know for sure. I remember being a little fuzzy on the way to the ER but I remember the rest of the day just fine. CT scan was negative for anything major. I don’t remember hitting my head but I had nasty whiplash, which in itself could have caused the concussion. I was able to drive myself home after getting back to the barn from the ER, but was so sore the next few days I could barely hobble around my house. Not something I wish to repeat. I am a much more timid rider since. I haven’t gone on a trail ride since that day.
I had my first significant (?) concussion about 4 years ago, age 62. I was having a lesson and mare had a pissy fit and took off bucking. I remember thinking " this is going to hurt when I come off" but the next thing I remember was sitting on the mounting block while my coach walked my horse. Apparently I came off, got up and declared my determination to continue my ride. I had a great lesson and as I cooled off looked at my jacket and asked if I had fallen off, at which point she made me dismount and sit down
I recovered just fine, but it prompted a discussion with my coach about head injury protocol. What was she thinking? She said there had been a good loud CRACK when I came off which was probably my helmet busting.
NOTE- I came off plenty when I was a kid and in pony club, no approved helmets back then but never had more that a mild headache.
demidq,
I once put a student back on a horse and continued with a lesson after what I thought was a minor fall. No loss of consciousness, no mark on her helmet and she seemed alert and oriented immediately after the fall.
It was later, when we were putting horses away, when she began asking questions about what happened and stating she didn’t remember the beginning of the lesson that I realized that she had a concussion.
Terrifying, and I felt horrible. Especially when I had to call someone to pick her up and explain that she had gotten back on and ridden after the fall.
So, lesson learned - it doesn’t have to be a dramatic fall, there may not be a scuff or scrape on the helmet and there may not be evidence of impairment immediately - it can take some time to show up.
Kid was checked out at the ER, mild concussion confirmed, she was fine and continued riding afterwards.
But a wake up call to me nonetheless.
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I remember the falls and wrecks and even remember the worst fall but can someone have a hunt around and see if they can find part of 1978, all of 1979 and a good part of 1980 for me…
I remember the fall - near as I can piece together was 79 spring training. Horse was an odd ball and fell through corners so I took him for a spin and, yep, he fell through corners and then I remember nothing until just before I hit the ground - he was acting weirder than normal and then I come over his off shoulder - I fell for a second or maybe a week or two but couldn’t do anything to roll. I woke up on the ground with the leather and iron under me and knew this was gonna be bad; not sure if I was out for a few seconds or weeks…but this damned iron was jammed into my side. I have a vague recollection of talking to someone about not looking after stuff since the leather broke and nothing after that for months and some of what I THINK I remember may not be right either. Have tried piecing it together but not much luck other than finding I was not where I thought I was in 79…tracked down the trainer I worked for and despite several great visits, he drew a blank on this as well.
Concussions back then were not really treated beyond making you stay awake for ages. And, yes, I was wearing a lid - track approved although this was just spring training. That fall wrecked my memory, made me forget how to read and gawd knows what else happened…
Err on the side of caution even if you just think you are concussed…
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I did, about a month ago. I was circling at the canter to make space between me and another horse, and then I remember seeing horse legs and sand, and then I remember hitting the ground. I have no memory of what the horse did (stumbled? bucked?) that led to the fall. No warning (that I remember). Trainer didn’t quite see it, but suspects it was a buck because she saw the horse’s heels up in the air out of the corner of her eye.
I don’t think I had a concussion (I did hit my head when landing, but it was the 4th thing to hit, so my body had already taken up most of the velocity of the fall). I took it easy for about 5 minutes then got back on to trot around a little bit. I didn’t want to be scared to mount again. I bought a new helmet just in case during my down time, because I was sore enough that I didn’t ride again for 3 weeks. I ride a different horse now, since my bone density isn’t great, and I don’t need to go looking for a broken bone. It was very, very lucky that I didn’t break anything this time! That horse is still in the rotation for other riders – he’s a very nice horse! – but apparently he pulls a stunt like this every 6 months or so, whether he needs to or not. I just drew his number that day.
I really really really hope my little Fjord buddy doesn’t have a similar “ever 6 months” policy. But at least I’d be closer to the ground.
I’ve had some serious falls in my lifetime (what long-time horse person hasn’t?), but amazingly never broke a bone. Fingers crossed!
I went on a trail ride once in Sequoia National Park as a teen. Coming back from the ride, we passed this cone on the trail and my mount reared at it, and we fell down a ravine together. At the bottom, he stood up, stepped on me, and ran home. Me? Four hours down the mountain in an ambulance. Mild concussion and every single photo of me that trip I am staring off into space, at the ground, at a tree. Totally spaced out.
I don’t recall much from the fall now but I’m a few months shy of 40, so… that was a while ago.
No really recent falls to account for (knock on wood).
Had another terrible fall also as a teen when my then-trainer took me to the property next door to exercise on the track there. We came to the loop and I wanted to follow the loop, but horsey wanted to jump divider and head home, at full gallop. I think this is where most my back pain might stem from. That or the other fall, or both.
Also, ouch you guys, you’re making me hurt reading these stories.
In 1995, my sister and I were out riding on the endless uninhabited dirt roads of far NW KS - like where you can go 10 miles and not see a house and you might meet a car once a month. We had ridden out there daily for years… We often galloped (raced each other) on the sections that had soft sand, and one day, for whatever reason, at a full gallop, my horse tripped and somersaulted with me aboard. No helmet. All I remember is him pitching forward and turning his neck.
Next thing I remember is some guy in a truck dropping me off at home. No clue to this day who he was, and we lived in a very small town. Pretty sure I puked all over in his truck, because I was puking non-stop as I walked to the house. Parents took me to the local hospital, where luck of all lucks, that day was our turn with the traveling CT scan that was shared between about 5 counties out there. I do remember yelling at every nurse and Dr. who said I “got bucked off” and correcting them.
Had a whopper of a concussion, spent a few days in the hospital and then had to sleep on the floor in my parents bedroom for a few nights so my Mom could wake me up and check on me. Constantly.
Horse was fine, scuffed up his hooves and knees. Saddle got a few scars that day on the horn and cantle, but was okay. My sister ponied my horse home. That was probably the worst part - she had no clue what was going on or if I was okay. I guess that guy “appeared” and scooped me up immediately and she just told him where to take me.
I had one, like McGurk’s student upthread, it didn’t seem that bad. Working over a gymnastic set, apparently the horse tripped and I flipped off landing on the back of my head. By the time they caught the horse, I was up. So no one thought anything of it. I got back on, must have completed the lesson. The only thing I remember is riding past one of the farm dogs, in a sort of grey, fuzzy world and wondering if we had already had the guys come to do the irrigation work, because the dogs weren’t supposed to be out until afterwards. No recollection of the day. My helmet, it later turned out, was cracked front to back.
Lesson learned, muscle memory can make it look like someone is just fine…ask a few questions!
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