I want to highlight this (and I haven’t read all the responses yet), but I was watching that game live. Horrible to watch :(. But initially the NFL said the players had 5 minutes to resume play. 5 minutes!!! It was the players and coaches who were like “no”. So in this case it’s not a direct comparison.
ETA - my point being it wasn’t the NFL that was the one showing respect by canceling the game.
For sure. Sending people home may leave some people feeling lost and abandoned in their grief. There really is no right answer that will work for all.
Not talking about this accident in particular, but the idea that rotational falls may be becoming more common.
While the USEF did describe this accident as involving a rotational fall, I am not sure they are necessarily becoming more prevalent in H//J sport.
These types of falls do happen in H/J land, but exceedingly rarely because we have flat cups and jumps designed to come down. They can happen over fences, though, if a pair takes a flyer or if there is a false ground line or shadow, etc, and the legs become entangled in the fence. I haven’t seen it, but they can also happen, I have heard, on the landing side if the front end buckles and the back end continues over. On the flat, it’s my experience and understanding that a trip and fall is less likely to cause a rotation, mechanically. Not impossible, but not probable.
I do think, however, that perhaps trip and fall accidents are becoming more common. While the distinction sounds like it’s unimportant, I think the distinction when we are discussing things is important. The fact is that any fall can kill horse or rider, but that rotational falls in particular are extremely dangerous. I, personally, don’t know that rotational falls are becoming more common, but I do think that trip and falls might be becoming more so.
Anecdotally… I, unfortunately, have had a horse fall with me more than once. I was extremely fortunate in all three circumstances that we both walked away relatively unscathed, but they were terrifying events and I know we were lucky. The thing is, I never had these things happen, nor do I recall witnessing them, in my junior and early ammy years on old school sand, sand and rubber, grass or tan bark (!!!) footing. I have been involved in 3 and have witnessed and heard of several others in the last several years, all on the new, fancy GGT/all weather footing. So, I do wonder if that plays a role. Anecdotal, but it does make me think.
I haven’t witnessed any of these falls causing rotation, although all were pretty ugly. Unless the front end becomes a pivot point for the body and the hind comes over, I am not sure that constitutes a rotation. While they are also extremely dangerous and potentially fatal, I think we need to be aware of the distinction, the potential causes for each type of fall, and be cautious due to the (rightful) hysteria around using the word “rotational”.
My experiences have made me neurotic about riding horses from behind to get them off their forehands, keeping on top of farrier appointments and having them roll toes, doing neuro work ups with the vets, working on hind end fitness and the like… but I am not sure there is much else I can do to prevent them from happening. And that kind of scares me.
What happened this weekend was tragic, and it sounds like it was a freak accident. I doubt there was anything anyone could have done to prevent it. But if there is any discussion to be had, we should be careful of the words we use to describe the tragedies we encounter and how to prevent them in the future.
On the subject of the hashtag, I have seen some really beautiful tributes in my social feeds. Her passing has touched the entire community.
A friend sent me this link to a story on her local news tonight. She touched many people not just in the equestrian community.
I’ve had 3 slip or trip and falls with the horse. One in late 1998 or 1999 on sand. One about 2011 on grass. One 2020 on GGT.
The last one was the worst even though I was more hurt by the others (concussion with the first, broken ribs with the second). And I met several other people after my last fall who also personally had horses go down at that venue at some point, although not always in the same ring. Including the lovely person I happened to be stabled next to. I was pretty shocked. Like, I hardly knew anyone who had fallen with a horse before and sure it was the busiest venue in my area with the most expensive footing, but it seemed like a lot! Too much!
Same. We were cantering along, a close-by horse neighed, mine lifted his head towards it and he tripped and went to his knees. I think the only reason he didn’t flip over was because he faceplanted directly into the sand, he had sand across the entire front of his face, up to his ears.
I don’t know what reactive part of my brain was in charge, but as he started going down I crossed a forearm over his neck and braced. So I stayed on. He lurched to his feet and cantered on as if nothing had happened, me flailing about trying to regain my seat. Scared the hell out of me.
I’ve had two trip falls, and my horse tripped and fell with another rider once as well. All of them were to the knees/chest and recovered without fully laying down.
Deeper sand footing for the first (cantering a corner and he just face planted. Somehow I stayed on, but also that horse would do ANYTHING to keep a rider in the saddle. There’s still footing permanently installed in that bridle, 10 years later).
Second was trotting bareback on grass. I ended up in the ER for a broken hand and a concussion.
Third was almost a decade later, trotting on a loose rein on good arena footing, unsure of type. Another hand injury and probable concussion.
I’ve seen the GGT speculation going around. I’ve also heard it can do a number on the soft tissue of horses, but I would argue that may be due to spending 3 straight months showing heavily. Still, I think we hear of “more” falls and rotationals in H/J now because we hear so much MORE of everything.
I am sorry for your loss @Railbird , and understand all too well the unintentional cruelty and corresponding pain from reading or hearing comments about the sudden death of a loved one.
And eq horses are sometimes over “prepared” for their classes. Ridden, lunged, dex, robaxin, tryptophan, magnesium…
I think rotational is in more common usage as a description. Not always accurately.
The horse and rider were extremely familiar with the showgrounds and ring. It is a low-key venue, and people go there precisely for that reason. There would be no reason to over-prep the horse. The context here is not the medal finals or even WEC.
I see no reason to toss out theories about drugs and over prep and all that.
Horses can trip (so many examples here already) for endless reasons. Sometimes things are just a tragic accident. Yes, we humans like to figure out who to blame, but sometimes there is no one to blame.
From the article posted by mh97:
Serfass’ parents, Janine and David Serfass, on Tuesday thanked the equestrian community for its broad show of support.
“Our daughter died doing the thing she absolutely loved the most in this world,” they said in a statement. “If from this tragedy one person can be saved and find God, then her death will not be in vain.
“We are deeply touched by all of the love and prayers everyone has sent us during this very difficult time,” the statement continued. “It means the world to us every person who has taken the time to reach out or post something in Hannah’s honor. We cherish seeing the #rideforhannah campaign and those who have chosen to dress in her favorite color azure blue. We thank you again from the bottom of our hearts! God Bless.”
Also from the article:
“Hannah’s service will take place at noon (Eastern Time) Monday, May 8, following visitation from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Expo 1 building at WEC-Ocala. It also will be livestreamed on wec.net and Clipmyhorse.tv so that friends and fellow riders can participate from anywhere. The service will be followed by a lunch and celebration of Hannah’s life from 1:30-3 p.m., then departure for the cemetery.”
Thank you for sharing your experience. Its a terrible tragedy and I’m not sure what my reaction would be. I guess it depends on how close I was to the person, if I saw that accident occur, and what my goals were for the show. I’m glad to hear that the show was very accommodating.
You have absolutely zero information to even suggest that this is a possibility.
I have had a few rotational falls over my years as a pro rider. The 4 that come to mind all happened under a different set of circumstance
The first happened on good turf footing. I had already done 1 round, that the horse ended up winning. 3/4 of the way through the 2nd round, he hit a divet in the turf, and rolled right over on me. We were both fine. No, he wasn’t tired or over prepared
2) 3 year old colt, learning to canter in our very good footing in the indoor. Stabbed his toe and couldn’t balance himself. Rolled over me. Caught my back with his foot (?) He was fine, I had bruised ribs.
3) Had one stab a toe or trip in an improperly laid GGT footing arena. He rolled over me, through a 3’3 jump. 7 broken ribs, broken collar bone, punctured lung
4) A difficult green horse, on good sand footing in a horse show, rolled through a jump. He was fine, but turns out he had a neurological problem. Torn rotator cuff.
The point of all of this is this; it happens. Sometimes you ride in bad footing and nothing happens. Think fox hunting on a less than ideal day. Sometimes everything is right, and it just happens.
Laying blame is not a good idea, if you don’t know the facts
That is similar to what happened with me. Green 4yo just learning crossrails. Jumped fine (really just a canter over a bump), went around the corner, and on the short side of the arena she just stubbed her hoof and rolled. One of the scariest falls I’ve had and I thank my lucky stars that both of us were ok outside of being pretty scraped up.
@erinmeri, I wondered about the footing, as well, but did not have the courage to bring it up.
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