What happens when you fall off on the trails

[CanteringCarrot]

What happens when you fall off your horse on the trail? What has been the cause of your fall? Did your horse stick around, or run away?

I was discussing this with a friend the other day because her horse was being looky/balky about a certain part of the trail, and she went to dismount to lead him through. In the process of dismounting the horse bolted. He eventually just ran back to his stable. He now has a somewhat shaken confidence.

Then one of my young horses recently did a drop the shoulder while going down a steep hill, spin, and take off maneuver on me which caused me to fall. He ran, stopped, and then I caught him. I went to mount and he flew sideways away from me. I then had to essentially retrain mounting, ok, young horse, the first time a rider has fallen from him, I get it. Mounting is ok a few days later. But he is extremely nervous upon dismount. Either stands very tense, or flies backwards, or just moved when he feels the rider dismounting. It’s getting better with some retraining. I think he was frightened by his rider coming off and is now unsure. But we had a solid dismount the other day and finished on that. Much praise. Prior to this, horse was a rock star on the trail and dismounting was his favorite activity (done with work).

Both of these situations made me think… Possibly spring fever and sheer coincidence. But how can you really prevent a horse from running down the trail? Falling off just …happens.

And some horses are just more sensitive than others. I feel like I, as the rider, should be the one with reservations, but alas I have none and the horse has minor PTSD. Go figure. Maybe something with fallen herd leader panic.

Then there was my TB. I fell off on the trail years and years ago, but he just stood there and stared at me.

Mostly looking for thrills and spills on the trails situations. Also curious how you have handled a fall on the trail.

[hosspuller]

I sure miss my old man… he was round as a barrel, I had just had a hip replacement. Headed down a steep trail that was Vee shaped by the traffic and water. The saddle slipped sideways with me in slow motion. I ended up on the ground, on my back, head down the trail, with my legs straddling his two front feet. The saddle was under his belly. Couldn’t roll to the side because of the trail walls. He just stood there motionless while I levered myself into a summersault down hill. I sure miss that horse.

[Highflyer]

I’ve had a few spooks and wheels and once a branch snagged me. The majority of my horses have thankfully stopped and let me catch them. I did have one who headed for home and a trot but luckily a bunch of scouts who were hiking caught her and gave me a leg up.

[tinah]

I teach my horses that if I am on the ground, it’s cookie time. I haven’t yet been dumped in order to obtain treats, but it wouldn’t surprise me either.

[Kirikou]

@tinah

I teach my horses that if I am on the ground, it’s cookie time. I haven’t yet been dumped in order to obtain treats, but it wouldn’t surprise me either.

^^^ Love this! :lol:

I mostly ride babies and hack out alone - so I get quite a few “unscheduled dismounts” when the woods are “alive” and pheasants attempt to fly underneath my horse as I am cantering by (by the way I hate pheasants with a passion…) or when Mister Deer jump up from his nap as you’re passing him…

Overall, all of mine tend to stop and graze (and then stare at me “what are you doing down there silly human?”). I always make sure I am carrying my cell phone on my person (rather than in a saddle bag) in case I’d need someone to come and give me a lift if I couldn’t get back on or if the pony decided to go an explore on his/her own.

One of my cowboys friends rigs up part of his mecate reins to his belt to - among other things - avoid having to walk home if he took a tumble. As I understand it the rope isn’t tied solid to his belt and it would pull out from the belt and keep him from being drug if the horse ran away, but years of Pony Club have engrained in me to stay away from anything that doesn’t release straight away - so I’ve yet to try his “solution” myself!

[saddleup]

I’ve only been dumped once on the trail (on a borrowed horse!) and the horse ran away, back down the trail. I was with a friend. I guess the mare realized she was alone and turned around and trotted back to me about fifteen minutes after my fall. I don’t think she would have come back if I’d been riding alone. I’m sure it was the security of being with my friend’s gelding that lured her back. I got back on and finished the ride. I’ve never again ridden a borrowed horse. I guess I’m now superstitious after that experience.

[anon38350891]

I think you can train for keeping the horse with you. One of the ways is hobble training. Teaching a horse to stand quietly or walk slowly in hobbles is great. It has many benefits: should the horse get caught up in barb wire on trail, the horse does not fight but stands. This could save his life.

Hobbles also teach simple quietness under any type of restraint. This translates to the one rein you are hanging onto after a fall on trail.

This would clearly not apply to riding a strange horse, but for your own dear trail horses, hobble training and stand-tied for a bit training are very beneficial.

[CanteringCarrot]

@anon38350891

I think you can train for keeping the horse with you. One of the ways is hobble training. Teaching a horse to stand quietly or walk slowly in hobbles is great. It has many benefits: should the horse get caught up in barb wire on trail, the horse does not fight but stands. This could save his life.

Hobbles also teach simple quietness under any type of restraint. This translates to the one rein you are hanging onto after a fall on trail.

This would clearly not apply to riding a strange horse, but for your own dear trail horses, hobble training and stand-tied for a bit training are very beneficial.

Interesting. The one horse I fell from does ground tie well. I’ve also done some training regarding keeping his feet/himself still when caught on something. I should probably revisit that.

[anon38350891]

This is similar to the hobble that we trained with, starting with a fair amount of liberty and gradually adjusting to a smaller range of motion:

https://www.rods.com/buckle-figure-8-harness-leather-hobble.html

My horse has been caught up in various things, including sinking mud and foot stuck between rotting logs; he has never fought and we have always made it through together!

[cloudy18]

I’ve fallen off my mare while alone and with others, and she has always stopped (knock on wood). Once she bolted past my friend but then stopped not too far post her

[cloudy18]

I’ve fallen off my mare while alone and with others and she has stopped. Once she bolted past my friend but stopped not far ahead. I can’t recall her being spooky about mounting/dismounting after that. Our gelding thinks unplanned dismounts are a snack break.

A trainer I know desensitizes them to someone falling off using sand pants-a pair of pants filled with sand. The horse learns not to be afraid of objects sliding off either side and landing on the ground next to him.

[AshleyandAnnabel]

If I ride alone, I ALWAYS tell someone where I’m going and what trails I plan on riding. If I go to some kind of National Forest I will even put a paper on my dash requesting that if they don’t see me back by a certain time (dusk) to call for help with my description. Smartpak recently launched a new “Ride with Me” app that will notify emergency contacts if your phone doesn’t “move” within a designated time signaling a fall but I wouldn’t rely on that in the back country. I know Garmin has a new gadget out that has an SOS feature on it.

[Training_Cupid]

What’s the best place to wear your cell phone so it won’t get broken in a fall?

[DMK]

the place you don’t land on…

This is an ongoing debate among my fellow trail riders and nobody has come up with the bestest ever solution, because lets face it, if you ride long enough, you will fall, and fall on all the possible body parts a phone could be on.

But my latest and greatest happy place is a side pocket on yoga pants (instead of britches). It’s easy to get to, super stretchy and tight and in a low motion area. Could it break if I land on it. Probably, but it seems less likely to break than on a lower leg, arm or butt pocket…

I’ve come off on the trail once. The a$$hole saw something and did a 180. That was his patented move and I have a doctorate in sticking it, so that didn’t unseat me, but when he backed up a step onto a muddy ridge and lost his balance, THAT unseated me off the back end. And then he did what he does best. Leave the Scene of the Crime. (yes, he is ground tied and trained to step on lead ropes without panic. He does not care. Getting out of dodge when he’s pulled The Move and actually managed to unseat me, is Job Numero Uno).

Fortunately we had just passed some hikers and they heard me calling up ahead to warn them in case he had built up a head of steam (he hadn’t). As soon as he saw them he stopped, I caught up and we finished our ride without any more drama.

I was torn between him getting lost and wishing he would!

[Tee]

I haven’t come off on the trails (yet) but did have a scary moment years ago. I was taking my younger (I think he was 5 or 6?) out across a belly-deep creek. There was a guy a bit behind me riding with his 10-year-old son. I had gotten thru the creek and up the short hill and around a corner when I heard a HUGE fuss. Remy bolted like two steps and stopped. And then the guy’s horse comes flying into the trees. Remy did a huge startle, and I bailed off to catch the horse. Not too much later guy comes hobbling up the hill to get his horse.

Only then did I remember Remy - who was standing right where I left him. The guy was really lucky. I guess the horse got in the creek and then freaked out. But rather than get dumped in the water, he came off just on the other side. And his horse sure wasn’t sticking around.

[Palm_Beach]

@CanteringCarrot

What happens when you fall off your horse on the trail? What has been the cause of your fall? Did your horse stick around, or run away?..

Both of these situations made me think… Possibly spring fever and sheer coincidence. But how can you really prevent a horse from running down the trail? Falling off just …happens…

Mostly looking for thrills and spills on the trails situations. Also curious how you have handled a fall on the trail.

Falling off does NOT just happen. It’s the result of a horse not being prepared for what it meets on the trail. You need to do lots and lots and lots of desensitizing and spooky obstacle training before heading out on the trail. And your horse must be soft in the bridle and bend to a stop (or one rein stop). Not sure what part of Europe you are riding in, but there usually are not predators roaming around that would justify an extreme reaction such as spinning and bolting.

IMHO, trail riders need to have the best trained and best prepared horses, more so than people who show and compete. If you come off on the trail and get hurt, how are rescue people going to get to you, and then get you to an ambulance? And of course, a loose horse running around is just a disaster waiting to happen.

[AKB]

I like the thigh pockets for my cell phone. Equissentials used to make terrific breeches with thigh pockets.

[Suspiria]

@Palm Beach

Falling off does NOT just happen. It’s the result of a horse not being prepared for what it meets on the trail. You need to do lots and lots and lots of desensitizing and spooky obstacle training before heading out on the trail. And your horse must be soft in the bridle and bend to a stop (or one rein stop). Not sure what part of Europe you are riding in, but there usually are not predators roaming around that would justify an extreme reaction such as spinning and bolting.

Are you serious?

Yes, it does “just happen.” The best-trained and most-desensitized horse in the world can (and will, ask me how I know) slip and fall down on the trail. Some of the best riders i know have fallen off at the halt, for Pete’s sake.

And do you honestly think horses only spook from predators? Because that is “justified?” LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[cnigh]

My little paint mare was very “Athletic”. She would run back to the barn when she managed to get me off. I would always go get her and take her right back out to where she spooked.

I hope my new mare will at least stay with me. But I won’t know until it happens, lol.

[Mukluk]

Last time I had a major launch was when I was galloping my OTTB down the beach and we encountered a rivulet flowing into ocean (which she had seen many times and galloped across with no issue). However, on this particular day she decided to slam on the brakes and I was in a two point. I did a most graceful flip off the front and luckily she just stood there. Beach sand makes for a soft landing. So glad that she didn’t run off- though I am sure she would have just run to the other horses in the group. I thank my background as a gymnast many moons ago for my ability to fall with both style and grace