I had a lesson today, and my mare seemed a bit spooked by one end of the arena- there was a strong wind and periods of very heavy rain which makes that end noisy. We were schooling medium to extended trot, and she seemed to have settled nicely when all of a sudden she took off like a bat out of hell, bucking like billy-o. I lost a stirrup, and remember thinking that it was going to hurt if I came off, and the the next thing I remember is sitting on the mounting block watching my coach handwalking the mare. I felt a BIT wonky, but perfectly able to put mare away, and then coach insisted on driving me home. She called an hour later and told my husband I had no memory of the fall. I thought it was just a couple of minutes, but coach said I had insisted I was fine after I came off, got back on and rode REALLY WELL for another 10-15 minutes. During a walk break, I asked why I had dirt all over me, at which point coach made me get off and sit down. I feel fine- no headache, no dizziness or visual disturbance, not even a lump on my head. Just a bit wierded to have lost that much time, and really pissed off I can’t remember riding so well!
No riding for at least a week, and a new helmet is on order.
Your stories? First time in 55 years of riding I’ve had a concussion.
Please see a doctor ASAP. Concussions are serious, and with the amount of memory you lost, this is definitely something to get checked out.
I came off a bolting horse right on my head (stupid, stupid me–no helmet), was out for an unknown amount of time because I was alone, and to this day I have no memory of some events that occurred the next day. I gave a presentation to about 100 people at work, and midway through the day I asked a co-worker if she knew about when it would be my turn. She said “you already gave your presentation, answered questions, the whole thing.” I asked if I’d made any sense, and she said “about as much as you usually do!” We’re still friends, 15 years later.
I really thought I was fine after I got a ride back to the barn, unsaddled, groomed, fed, and drove myself home (after my husband delivered a spare pair of glasses). I wasn’t.
I lost a lot of cognitive ability and a little bit of eyesight. In hindsight, I should have had medical treatment, but I was stubborn and did not see a doctor until weeks later. Don’t do what I did!
I eventually got back the cognitive ability, with a lot of work. I never got the missing eyesight back.
Rebecca
Decided to sit on my horse for a minute while a student went to the rest room. I remember putting my foot in the stirrup and then nothing for several hours until I ‘came to’ in the CT scan room.
When I came off, I spoke to people - told them to get my husband, my hip hurt, brush the dirt off my face etc. They didn’t realize anything was wrong until the EMTs showed up and asked me the year and the president and I couldn’t answer.
I still have post concussive syndrome - if I turn my head just so I can make myself extremely dizzy.
Last time I rode without a helmet - it could have been mush worse.
Go get your head examined. Just say “horse” and “retrograde amnesia” and they will bump you right to the head of the line. Ask me how i know. 
Echo everyone’s thoughts. This is not something to take lightly. I fell off 4 years ago. I didn’t pass out, but I was wobbly on my feet and dizzy. I still kick myself for going to work the next day rather than the ER. I wonder how much better I would have healed had I given my brain the rest it needs in this situation immediately.
I still get dizzy and it really affected night driving. Gah.
Hope you are ok!
I would definitely tell you to go get checked out (just in case!).
Just recently, 2 months ago, a horse I was riding flipped over on top of me and I somehow landed on my head. Wasn’t too badly “out of it” but I had really bad vertigo and nausea right away. I also couldn’t hear anything but ringing and had really bad light sensitivity. I only lost a few minutes of time.
Go to the hospital asap. I’ve had a couple concussions where I’m missing hours. Now, people take me to get my head specifically checked even if I didn’t loose any time because I’ve had a few nasty ones. The more you have the worse the effects can be, I didn’t ever notice any lingering problems until my last one, which was a blow (with a helmet on) to the left side of my head just above my temple. For a few months after I had trouble speaking, I knew what I wanted to say, but the words just wouldn’t come out in the right order!
It was really scary.
It’s also possible to have a bleed, which from what I understand you wouldn’t know, and can be very serious.
Go get checked.
Ditto the go get thoroughly checked out.
There can be lasting problems from concussions that may not show up right away. No way to fix or help prevent those if you don’t see a DR.
Another Go! Get checked out!
I also was knocked out. Apparently my boy stumbled from a free walk on a loose rein, came up, flipped and my helmet hit the ground first and he ploughed me 6 feet across the ground.
Mum came over and kicked me and told me to get up.
I couldn’t remember the showjumping course with people saying there is 1, there is 2. So they wouldn’t let me compete. So I went ahead and threw the biggest tantrum ever.
The only thing I remember is that I couldn’t think to work out problems and Mum locking me in the car as I was being so naughty (normally angelic) and me knowing how to get out of the car.
Someone else rode Pepper home and I was driven home. Mum decided I still wasn’t quite right and took me to the Hospital.
I start remembering in the car to the Hospital.
Apparently the first time they woke me I didn’t make any sense answering their questions.
Years later I had a problem with my arm which affected my life.
A couple of years ago I walked into a Chiropractor’s office about something else and I hadn’t mentioned riding. He said “All you horse riders have landed on your head.” He then fixed my arm and I had never mentioned a problem with my arm.
Not a horse related accident, but when I was a pre-teen (10/11) my family was in a car accident. It was bad, my brother was tossed 125ft from the vehicle type of bad.
I had a black out moment similar to the one you mentioned. I have no recollection of anything from when the car swerved to standing outside the vehicle in the field with my younger sister and a random trucker.
I didn’t hit my head, but the drs said my brain “protected” me from the mental trauma by not allowing me to remember it.
To this day, I have had some stuff come back but the majority is still a mystery.
I would strongly suggest going to a dr, like yesterday!!!
OH I had one a couple years ago that was pretty bad.
My old horse was one of those mount real quick and get settled. I worked with him for months on mounting and him not spooking. Finally got him to the point he was ok with it. I could take my time and make sure we were good. I have a pre-ride routine that I do before we walk. Get him to bend his neck right, left, and twist in the saddle. Gets him focused on me and not flipping.
Well…I didn’t check my bit to make sure that it was not caught with the d-ring (why I don’t like D-rings). He flipped out. Bolted. I stayed with him until he went left, I went right. Did a flip and slammed the back of my head into the fence and pine trees. Helmet was pushed forward over eyes from that. I blacked out. Came to when I heard people screaming 911 and of course I barfed. Helmet had indents in it from the fence and pine tar.
They didn’t call 911…got me up and walked me into the shed out of the sun. The light made me head scream. Kept going in and out of being with it. They called my boyfriend and underplayed it.
I had to wear sunglasses everywhere for a week. Never went to the dr. The boyfriend kept waking me up every hour.
When my mother heard what happened and that they didn’t call 911 she flipped out. I know that fall would have equaled fly out from out little podunk town.
The most recent fall…I tucked rolled and landed on butt first. The barn guy was like you need to go to hospital. I am like not for broken pride or butt.
Thanks all. Medically ok, no neuro symptoms at all, just a bit stiff. Advice is to take it very easy, and get checked if anything new comes up. No riding for further 7 days, then gently only. I’ll be lunging before riding for a while, I think! New helmet ordered.
[QUOTE=demidq;7875985]
Thanks all. Medically ok, no neuro symptoms at all, just a bit stiff. Advice is to take it very easy, and get checked if anything new comes up. No riding for further 7 days, then gently only. I’ll be lunging before riding for a while, I think! New helmet ordered.[/QUOTE]
I hope it was a doctor that gave this advice, albeit I think it’s pretty “loose”.
I was knocked out long enough that I woke up to the EMT’s shining a light in my eyes.
I did not have any memory loss but they carted me to the ER anyway. I came home with a list of strict instructions which included a visit to my own doctor the next day (the ER made the appointment and I was at an out-of-state hospital), plus they gave me a CD with my X-rays.
My doctor told me he’d seen construction workers not survive falls with less of an injury than I had. To reiterate I didn’t have any memory loss but what I did have for a very long time was vertigo.
We are all glad you’re doing so well but don’t let your medical guard down, just yet:)
P.S. I was 59 when that fiasco happened. It was my first-ever head injury that was horse related and I’ve been riding since I was old enough to walk:) Meaning, if you’ve been around horses for 55 years, we might be in the same age bracket give or take a few years:)
I agree with going to the doctor,
A couple years ago I was riding my mare she was going nicely and the next thing I know my mom is driving me to the hospital, my memory was spotty for the rest of the day. I was cantering along when my mare slipped and went down. She fell so hard she rolled on top of me. I some how came out of it with a sprained ankle and a concussion.
My mom asked me several times what to feed my horse and apparently I just stared at her blankly. I kept asking what had happened and when my mom would tell me then I immediately asked if Whin (my horse) was OK.
I came off a few years ago and realized the next day that I had no memory of driving the 30 miles home from the barn, even though I too was functional enough to get back on, pop over more jumps, and take care of the horse.
I didn’t go to the doctor, but I probably should have. Especially since that wasn’t my first concussion.
[QUOTE=Curb Appeal;7876015]
I came off a few years ago and realized the next day that I had no memory of driving the 30 miles home from the barn, even though I too was functional enough to get back on, pop over more jumps, and take care of the horse.
I didn’t go to the doctor, but I probably should have. Especially since that wasn’t my first concussion.[/QUOTE]
I had similar issue with amnesia. No memory of the previous 12 hours or next 12 hours. I believe a horse flipped over on me but nobody saw what happened. I just kept having images of it going over and over.
Concussions can cause life long issues and it is true that taking 7 days easy can possibly help healing. However, the provider needs to do a comprensive exam. In my case, I guess my doctor asked me a bunch of questions and I counted back from 100 without difficulty. He cleared me to go home, even though I was asking repeatedly what had happened to me.
I am really surprised I have no symptoms! Vision, balance,co-ordination, orientation, alertness, counting backwards, recall of 5 words (immediately and then 10 minutes later), neuro testing all normal- basically the routine concussion exam. My husband says he doesn’t notice any difference in my speech or cognitive function. No indications of need for Xrays or CT. There’s nothing really that can be done about a simple (!) concussion, except give the brain rest time to get over the bash before doing anything remotely risky for a repeat bang. And to get rechecked ASAP if any new symptoms develope!
I’m thinking that problems arise when riders get multiple concussions and no doctor visits. You can probably get away with not going with the first one, but by the second one, a visit should be the first order of business.
Many years ago, I was going to show a young greenie at a local school show. The night before, I was schooling in the ring right after they had watered and dragged it. It was crowded per usual and we headed down a line and was I concentrating on setting her up to get the lead after the second jump, when an out of control pony ran in front of her. She slipped and fell.
The last thing I remember is thinking about the lead and then I was sitting in a friend’s car on the way to the hospital. I “woke” up and kept asking her why I was in the car with my chaps on and what happened.
At first, no one thought I got hurt as I jumped up and grabbed the mare and started heading out of the ring. My trainer said just to get on but apparently I insisted I had to leave the ring… and by the way… I needed to talk to my husband and sons… who were not at the show. My trainer then realized that I was out of it and off they drove me to the ER. Took a cat scan and all was normal. I was a bit fuzzy the next day but overall good.
Oh, forgot to add that I was told not to ride that weekend so I stayed home. Unfortunately, the owner of the horse I was supposed to ride did not get a refund.
Good to hear that you checked out okay.
[QUOTE=demidq;7876084]
My husband says he doesn’t notice any difference in my speech or cognitive function. [/QUOTE]
I had a concussion several years ago and by the following day I guess I seemed pretty normal.
A few months later my husband mentioned a retirement party we’d attended. I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. It had been the day after the concussion; apparently I had a good time 
and, as the family’s designated driver drove home (the party was out of town). Still have no memory of it, or of that day, at all.
