This needs to change. We’re getting better educated and smarter about this and should be fully understanding that the whole, ‘dust yourself off and climb back on’ thing is not helpful anytime for anyone.
Add me to the list of people who may have had different (better) outcomes if back in the day the ‘dust yourself off and climb back on’ thing was not a thing 
Even to this day I spend plenty of time riding out by myself, much less the decades I spent whipping-in in the hunt field. Often a rider’s best choice is to get back on in those situations. But I’ll grant that in shows with an EMT on grounds, getting checked out is a safer option.
Of course there are going to be times when either walking home or climbing back on are the less awful choice. But when that can be avoided, it absolutely should. We are old and ‘stupid’ when it comes to this sort of thing … as much as I buy in, I know I will (stupidly) climb back on next time if I’m able. I want to say I’d be smart enough to not do it, but so many years of that habit being instilled and lived means there’s a fairly slim chance I’ll get smart about it.
At least I wear a helmet and am thankful for the bombproof horse that spooked for the first time in his 8 or 9 years and put me in very soft dirt and not in a coma. Thanks, Spike for talking sense into me about helmet wearing!
We all do these days (I hope), but I got a good laugh out of the ER attending the last time I got a concussion from coming off and hitting my head on the arena wall. (He laughed, I didn’t) “But I was wearing a helmet!” I told him. He just laughed and said, “What makes you think you can’t get a concussion while wearing a helmet. That kept you from a fractured skull, not a concussion.”
At a competition you fall and you are eliminated there is no “get on with it” so there is no rush. Take the time to get checked out and if all is good and the rider and horse need to get back on to school or compete in the next class they can at that point.
I started taking falls more seriously after the Natasha Richardson accident in 2009…she had a bad fall on skis then went back to her hotel room and died later that day of a TBI.
Not always true. The one time I came off at a dressage show it was just as I was entering the competition area to circle the ring. A volunteer ring steward had just hung a raincoat on the end of a bleacher and a huge gust of wind (literally a named hurricane was moving in later that day) flapped it in my horse’s face as we turned by the bleacher and I got dramatically and totally bucked off and stepped on. I did not hit my head. My thigh hurt like #*%! but I brushed off my shad, remounted my caught horse and scored a 66+ at I-1. Waiting to get checked out would have delayed the whole show as I was second ride of the day. I knew what my injuries were and didn’t need an EMT, head wasn’t involved, etc. I doubt I’d have been able to ride later once the bruising and swelling set in. Glad I was able to just get on with it.
The reality is that eventing, where this rule change originated, has a much greater risk of a second fall and subsequent head injury (given the involvement of speed, jumping, adrenaline, and often youthful enthusiasm) than does dressage. But it’s not a discipline-specific rule change, it’s USEF-wide and in the context dressage shows is it honestly a problem or does personal responsibility usually sort things?
I once saw someone get bucked off their horse in warm up, get back on, get bucked off again and not get up, and then the entire show was held until an ambulance could come and remove the person from the middle of the arena. I imagine that would cause a more significant delay than having to rework your ride a few rides in.
If you indeed were unable to ride later in the day due to “bruising and swelling” then I question you getting on immediately while adrenaline was still flowing being a good idea. There are some things in this world that are more important than scores.
I think this type of rule change is more because we have learned the importance of keeping our brain safe and less to do with the whole litigious society thing.
In Canada in both dressage and eventing, it’s elimination if there’s a fall of horse or rider. No getting back on and finishing the test/course.
If you get cleared by the medic, you can continue on with another test (dressage) or another horse (eventing). You might be able to get permission to continue hors concours on the same horse in eventing.
I’ve also seen someone fall off in stadium warmup at an event, and they had to be checked by the medic before continuing, but they were not eliminated as they weren’t in the competition ring.
I agree with these rules. In a previous thread I talked about being at an event when on XC, a rider had an extremely gentle fall in the water in front of me (head not involved at all). I caught her horse, had a totally lucid conversation with her, and handed her horse over to walk back to the trailers as she sounded completely normal. Seconds later she went down and medics had to attend to her. She’d had a previous concussion not long before but had been medically cleared to ride, but that gentle tumble reaggravated it.
I am clearly just old and stuck in my ways and need to get with the times! 
Enjoytheride, with the clarity of hindsight there was nothing unsafe or unhealthy about riding when I did before the full effect of the bruising kicked in.
You thought you knew what your injuries were, and fortunately you were correct. Unfortunately, many people think they know and are not correct. Better safe than sorry, right?
The author;
Marley Lien-Gonzalez is Blog Editor of The Plaid Horse and passionate equestrian college student studying Journalism. As a junior, she was a working student for a top-level training and sales barn and competed in the equitation and jumper rings. Since then, she’s transitioned to freelance grooming but still rides frequently, and she enjoys traveling across the country to work at different horse shows.
That explains a lot.
Yes, that was awful!
Best point made yet. In what universe does coming off your horse NOT mean elimination?
Replying to my own post to add that OP mentions coming off before entering the ring. She would still have to be checked out under this new rule. But that wouldn’t delay the whole show, the judge would just ask the next rider if they wanted to move up, OP would’ve been wedged in later. No long delay.
That is true for MOST of the discplines covered by COTH, but there are exeptions:
BUT there are MANY other breeds and disciplines where a fall of rider does NOT incur elimination. Look at the committee comments on the rule change proposal, The link is at the end of the Plaid Horse article, but here it is again:
IMHO, the only discipline in which this rule change really MIGHT cuase logistics/delay issues is Endurance
I saw someone fall off TWICE in a saddleseat competition in a ring class. They called for a tack hold and booted her back on. The third time she was excused.
This is because there can be times the navigator purposely gets down to adjust or fix something, hence why it’s allowed without elimination, though there is a penalty if it happens inside the cross-country obstacles, but not between the obstacles. There is a penalty in other sections.
From the ADS Rulebook:
Dressage:
956.4 Disconnected or Broken Harness
If the reins, pole strap, chains or trace become disconnected or broken, or should the
Horse get a leg over the pole, trace or shaft, the President of the Ground Jury must ring the
bell and a Groom(s) must dismount and reconnect or repair as appropriate. The Athlete
will be penalised for a Groom(s) dismounting.
Groom(s) dismounting
First incident - 5 penalties
Second incident - 10 penalties
Third incident - Elimination
964.6 Stopping
6.1 Athletes may stop for repairs to carriages or harness or for any reason beyond the Athlete’s
control, anywhere on the course other than while negotiating an obstacle, without incurring
penalties, other than loss of time, except as in Art. CD-960.6 .
6.2 Athletes will incur one penalty point for each commenced ten seconds that they remain
stopped on the course for any other reason.
6.3 If an obstacle is situated within 300m of the finish line, an Athlete is allowed to stop to carry
out necessary repairs to the harness or carriage (missing or disconnected trace, pole strap
or reins) without penalty as long as he stops within the signed 30 meters after leaving the
last Obstacle, as per Art. CD-964.7.1. Stopping for any other reason between the last Obstacle
or the 300-metre sign, whichever is closer to the Finish Line in Section B, will incur 10
penalties for each occurrence
965.3 Dismounting in the Obstacles
3.1 Each time either or both Grooms put both feet on the ground in an obstacle, the Athlete will
incur five penalties.
3.2 Once Grooms have dismounted they are not required to get back onto the carriage and need
not follow the Athlete through any of the Compulsory Gates in the rest of the Obstacle.
Grooms do not have to be on the Carriage when it leaves the obstacle. They must get back
on the carriage immediately (between the finish line of each obstacle and the 30-meter sign)
outside of the obstacle. Failure to do so will incur five penalties per incident.
3.3 Each time an Athlete dismounts in an obstacle he will incur 20 penalties He must be on the
carriage when it leaves the Obstacle.
3.4 In all incidents (for example trace or reins or lead bar over part of an obstacle, etc.), the
grooms must dismount and solve the problem (no climbing over Horses or pole). Failure to
comply will incur 20 penalties.
3.5 An Athlete or Groom may only put one foot on any part of an obstacle without incurring
penalties. Contravention of this Article will result in five penalties.
3.6 A Groom may assist the Athlete by leading a Horse through the obstacle by the bridle end
of the reins. The Athlete will incur 25 penalties in total. See Art. CD-969 and Art. CD-945.3.
3.7 Groom(s) must be on the carriage when the Athlete enters each obstacle on the Marathon.
Failure incurs 5 penalties
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