What happens when you fall off on the trails

[CanteringCarrot]

@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.

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.

Horses have a brain, they are not a machine. Congratulations if you have gotten a horse to be 100% consistent. I believe that one can drastically reduce their odds, but horses spin and bolt for reasons other than predators. Yes, they are a prey animal, but they can be triggered by other things, even if they’ve been desensitized, trained, etc. Europe (broad statement and weird statement) does have boars, wolves, bears, wild cats, snakes, and a few others that horses could be frightened by. A rider at another local stable was recently thrown from her horse. It was a rider with a very well trained horse that had gone down those same trails for years. They came across two wild hogs, and the horse reacted in a way that the rider came off. The forest is very active at the moment with animals, loggers, and people doing various activities.

I agree the trail riders need the best prepared horses, and potentially more so than competitors in other environments. That is part of the risk of trail riding, hiking, mountain biking, and remote outdoor sports. The “medical rescue” isn’t always easy. People do their best by bringing a cell phone, GPS, riding in groups, or notifying someone of when they left and expect to return. No one wants a loose horse, and loose horse could certainly be a disaster.

There are some horses that I really cannot imagine falling off of, or even what they’d spook at because they are so well trained and sound of mind, but I always keep the thought that they are a living being in the back of my mind and that there is that chance. Even if it is .001%

I do see some people that I deem “braver than I” that take a green horse out on the trails with little to no prior training…like barely broke under saddle. I do think that is dangerous. This fall off of this particular horse did prompt me to return to some training elements and desensitization aspects of his training.

[Guilherme]

@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.

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.

Indeed it doesn’t!

Any horse can have a “Monday.” They are living things with their own agenda. You can train and desensitize 'till the cows come home and you can still have a “Monday.”

Where folks go wrong is to assume that the truth that any horse can have a “Monday” is an excuse to NOT properly train and desensitize 'cause…well…if they can STILL have that “Monday” so what’s the difference? The difference is that if the rider has done their job correctly then the odds of having that “Monday” go WAY down. There is no way you can ever take them to zero unless you shoot the horse. That seems a rather dramatic thing to do, however. So you do train and do all the things you can do to reduce the probabilities of that “Monday.”

And to reduce the consequences of that “Monday” you wear a helmet, maybe a “flak jacket,” boots that are not too uncomfortable to walk in, carry a cell phone, file a “ride plan,” etc.

Another word I hate is “holistic.” So I’m going to use “catholic” instead!!! You have to take a catholic view of the process from the moment you leave the house to the moment you return. Each step in the process of interacting with the horse is done with goal of improving horse performance AND human performance. We can examine any given step in the process (desensitizing, where to carry a cell phone, who should you tell you ride plan to, etc.) but we can’t allow ourselves to get “tunnel visioned” on any one aspect.

At my age (72) I view riding like swimming: always go with a partner.* That way when you have a “Monday” there is another set of eyes, ears, and hands to mitigate the consequences.

Riding is a discipline that carries with it significant risk of injury. That’s just the way it is. Smart humans do what they can to reduce the risk of injury through prevention, mitigation, and any other strategy that promotes human and equine safety.

G.

*Clearly you have to have the RIGHT partner but that would be another discussion!

[tabula_rashah]

@Palm Beach normally I agree with most of your riding and training philosophy, but come on- sometimes falling off does happen no matter what you’ve prepared for and to think otherwise is both naive and dangerous. I have major velcro butt and will ride out pretty much anything but I’ve had a pretty bad accident when the trail gave way underneath us (horse rolled over me and broke my ankle) and when we were cantering along a well manicured trail that we’d been down a thousand times before where some jerkface stretched wire across and we went ass over tea kettle. I stayed on the time a loose emu charged down the trail at us but I’m sure a lot of folks wouldn’t. Things happen and horses are living creatures with a great flight response to think otherwise is setting yourself and your horse up badly. And truthfully, if they simply acted like machines, would we all be so passionate about them?
But back to the OP’s question- lots of good advice on here but one thing I’ll add- know where you are. That’s sounds silly but if something happens and you need rescue crew, it’s not going to do a lot of good if you can’t pinpoint where you are for them. If I’m out in a wildness type area, I’ve always got both a paper map and a GPS (not on my phone). I’ve also had wilderness first aid training which is a great idea if you’re someone out in the middle of nowhere often

[Palm_Beach]

@Suspiria

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

This is why we are never going to be trail riding buddies. Both situations presented by the OP, and most of the situations presented on this thread (except the horse falling down ones) are preventable.

[CanteringCarrot]

@Palm Beach

This is why we are never going to be trail riding buddies. Both situations presented by the OP, and most of the situations presented on this thread (except the horse falling down ones) are preventable.

So, what measures do you take? You don’t have to elaborate if you don’t want to, but I am curious about your training methods and precautions just for conversations sake. Your horses must be “bombproof” and I commend you for that if that’s the case. That’s just a pure assumption, though.

I mean, I do prior training with the horse, but I may have overestimated our abilities this time around. I am not sure I can ever get the “spook factor” out of this guy 100% but there are certainly ways to improve and different ways to handle various scenarios.

[Suspiria]

Yeah Palm Beach, let’s hear it. I’m excited to learn how you would anticipate and desensitize for a loose emu.

[beau159]

This is why I ride with 8 foot split reins on the trail. When I’m miles away from home and something happens, I don’t want to be walking home horseless.

Ive spent a lot of time and a lot of miles on horses on the trail. I’ve only had two instances where I had to walk home. One was because the horse tripped at a lope and rolled over me and knocked me out (best we can piece together) and the other was because I had on my barrel reins when my horse spooked when we were practicing running poles (growing up, I did not have a real arena - just an open dig area in the field).

In both cases, the horse ran home to his buddies as I would expect them to.

And I guess there was a third time. We were moving cattle and my horse was hot and wanted to roll in the field. I was not successful at preventing her from doing so, so I stepped off her but was unable to snatch the reins before she got up. She ran to the front of the cattle herd and led the way home. While I hitched a ride on the 4 wheeler.

Otherwise the times I have fallen off (or gotten off) I have still remained holding one of the reins. This is the beauty of split reins!! I do my due diligence on ground training so that even if spooked, the horse is not going to pull the reins away from me. This is also why I “act a fool” in the round pen sometimes so the horse is not scared of me if I flop around like a chicken.

It wont stop them from spooking but it teaches them to engage the thinking side of their brain sooner, and minimizes their reaction.

I’m not sure how you would go about training a horse not to run home if they get loose. But there’s a lot you can do with ground work to minimize their “flight” reaction.

[beau159]

@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).

i agree proper ground work and training should be done, but you can’t possibly " encounter" everything in the round pen. There comes a point when you need to get out on the trails and ride.

Horses can and WILL spook on the trails. Even the oldest most bombproof horse can unexpectedly spook. And it’s not because the horse was unprepared. It’s because its a horse!

[cutter99]

@Suspiria

Yeah Palm Beach, let’s hear it. I’m excited to learn how you would anticipate and desensitize for a loose emu.

Oh, she has posted this stuff before, as well as the fact she believes that helmets are not necessary because if your horse is properly broke, you never come off. That to me is the equivalent of saying seat belts are not necessarily because you are an excellent driver, not taking into consideration the entire rest of the world!

And do not not feel bad that she states you would never be trail riding buddies, because you don’t want to be around when she is being scraped off the ground with a traumatic brain injury caused from a fall and not wearing a helmet.

You do all you can to to prepare for the worst. Like G said upthread, you train your horse, use the proper protective equipment and try your best to remain safe, but in the end horseback riding has risks, including that of death. I knew a trainer who was killed in her own ring,on her own horse, a few years ago while riding at the walk with her assistant in the ring. Her horse went down and rolled on her, and the saddle horn caught her in the chest. You never could have predicted that in a million years. She had started and finished hundreds of horses, and was very well respected as both a trainer and a human. In her situation, there was nothing that could have been done differently.

Look, I own “unicorns”- well broke horses, that have been hauled all over, ridden in about every situation you can think of, horses you can put anyone on. BUT, even unicorns have a prey instinct. They will flee when threatened and that cannot be totally trained out of them. Can you lessen their response? Certainly, but you can never totally eliminate it.

But in addition to horses not being perfect, neither are riders. I am an aging rider, now over 50, and have been riding since the age of 3. Are my reaction times slowing down as I age? You betcha! Do I ride as aggressively as I did when I was younger? Absolutely not! Do I make mistakes because I am human? Every freakin’ day!

And I have been in horse industry long enough to know that anyone who believes you can is either extremely mislead or delusional.

[TheMountainsAreCalli]

@beau159

This is why I ride with 8 foot split reins on the trail. When I’m miles away from home and something happens, I don’t want to be walking home horseless.

I’m so glad you mentioned split reins, because that’s my answer too! I mean, there’s lots of training you can do, of course, but ride with split reins, train yourself not to let go of them, and a horse that’s decently broke to lead will immediately stop and stay with you. I’ve never had a horse run out or drag me when I came off and held onto at least one rein.

If it’s your horse, working on liberty training in the round pen or arena might help. I’ve fallen off of horses I’m training that have thought about going home, but my own personal horses stay with me, even when badly spooked. I credit that to the work we do on partnering in the RP-- when we’re alone on the trail, I am your herd, so leaving me is a lot worse than staying with me. That and miles. The more crap you encounter out there as a team, the less likely it’s going to be a problem next time.

[CanteringCarrot]

I remember when Natural Horsemanship really broke out in the states and became popular. A lot of people focused on desensitizing and there were some people that believed you can over desensitize/train a horse. Some of these horses were losing too much of their ability to think for themselves with certain extreme training. This can also be dangerous. I thought that was an interesting argument…

The split reins is an idea I didn’t consider. Some food for thought…

[Palm_Beach]

@CanteringCarrot

I remember when Natural Horsemanship really broke out in the states and became popular. A lot of people focused on desensitizing and there were some people that believed you can over desensitize/train a horse. Some of these horses were losing too much of their ability to think for themselves with certain extreme training. This can also be dangerous. I thought that was an interesting argument…

The split reins is an idea I didn’t consider. Some food for thought…

I wouldn’t want to ride a horse that can’t think for itself. Sounds like lots of work. My ring is away from the barn, and next to my neighbor’s house. It’s a family with young children, and they put up those huge huge inflatable snowmen, santas, penguins, etc in NOVEMBER every year. And leave them up into February. If I want to ride, the horses gotta deal with it.

@cutter99 - I’m having romaine lettuce for dinner too.

[Gamma]

I came off my horse when he tripped on a trail, at a walk. It wasn’t even terrible ground, just slightly rocky, and we both were looking across at some kids (not even spooky looking, just watching). He managed to just get all his feet in the wrong places and ended up on his knees, and I was bareback so not much to hang on to (plus it was probably better to roll off rather than possibly pull him down with me!).

He was actually so surprised/traumatized that he just got up and stood there… It wasn’t until later when I was remounting that he slipped away from me and skeedadled back home (horses, I tell ya!). And really, he’s pretty close to perfect normally. Has a good whistle recall and grazes lose in the yard with me nearby on a regular basis.

So that would be my number one thing about falling on the trail, even if the horse hasn’t been spooked to cause the fall they often somehow lose their minds by the simple fact that weird things are happening.

The other thing is that there are always hazards. Around here it’s mostly dogs who jumped a fence :(, dogs who were let off leash on purpose :(, and dogs who are actually on a leash but are stronger than their human .

[Suspiria]

@cutter99

Oh, she has posted this stuff before, as well as the fact she believes that helmets are not necessary because if your horse is properly broke, you never come off. That to me is the equivalent of saying seat belts are not necessarily because you are an excellent driver, not taking into consideration the entire rest of the world!

And do not not feel bad that she states you would never be trail riding buddies, because you don’t want to be around when she is being scraped off the ground with a traumatic brain injury caused from a fall and not wearing a helmet.

Ha! Thanks for the perspective check, Cutter99. I should know better than to try and play chess with a pigeon.

I would happily be YOUR trail riding buddy!

[Guilherme]

Not exactly on the trail but certainly a place where “Mondays” an be induced:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1577420139171466/permalink/1949721248608018/

G.

[Palm_Beach]

@Suspiria

Ha! Thanks for the perspective check, Cutter99. I should know better than to try and play chess with a pigeon.

I would happily be YOUR trail riding buddy!

Cutter 99 is lying. But I guess you believe everything you read online.

[cutter99]

How am I lying Palm Beach? Everything I stated is easily verified here.

Please enlighten us!

[cutter99]

And I’ll just leave this link here.

https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/off-course/330628-psa-approved-helmet-every-ride-here-s-one-example-why

[Palm_Beach]

@cutter99

Oh, she has posted this stuff before, as well as the fact she believes that helmets are not necessary because if your horse is properly broke, you never come off. That to me is the equivalent of saying seat belts are not necessarily because you are an excellent driver, not taking into consideration the entire rest of the world!

And do not not feel bad that she states you would never be trail riding buddies, because you don’t want to be around when she is being scraped off the ground with a traumatic brain injury caused from a fall and not wearing a helmet.

.

Validate these statements with quotes.

[TMares]

Post #55
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/western/312220-no-helmets-on-youth-reining-riders-at-congress/page3