How not to fall off - and prevent injuries if you do!

Surviving (and Learning from) the Unplanned Dismount

I learnt a lot about riding from falling off! Although I would not recommend this method to improve your balance! And I fell off a lot in my first year of riding, over 40 times if I remember correctly. I actually began to, in most cases, plan many things on my descent (not what I was having for tea). But I would try to influence what body part I would land on, as sometimes it felt like forever before I hit the floor. Then the decisions needed to be made. Do I need to keep hold of the reins and prepare to get dragged as I was in an open space and I didn’t want the horse to get loose? Or was I in an enclosed space and I needed to just consider curling up and rolling away as the horse kicked its heels up in shock at my sudden evacuation?

Picking a body part is an occasional option!

Preventing falling off your horse

These many falls taught me a lot about my balance, reaction time and co-ordination, body awareness and surroundings. And it improved with every fall. I learnt how split second balance reactions could prevent a fall. One time I even stayed on as my first pony rodeo’d with glee as we transitioned into a canter on a cold winter day. Because my coat got caught around the back of the saddle. I truly felt what it must have been like to be an experienced rodeo rider. But as I’ve always been a person to weigh up all options, I didn’t think this was an excellent strategy for future success.

Now actually these skills have benefitted me through my life (maybe a career as a stuntwoman was a missed opportunity). When I slipped last week off a surface that I didn’t expect to be so slippy last week. Picking my body part on my descent. I had a nasty fall off a bicycle in torrential rain and as I hit the floor; I was aware at that exact moment a works van hadn’t seen me and reversed at speed towards me. In that split second, I rolled and thankfully wasn’t squashed! Picking myself up to the vision of a lady in the window of a neighboring cake shop with her hands over her eyes.

Clinging on!

There are those clingy moments when you hang midway between falling off and staying on. That feeling of eternity as you hang in the moment waiting for the outcome. Moments when you feel you have joined a Russian Tosca school as you fall but keep hold of the horse’s neck as they canter round with you donned like a scarf trying not to get kicked from a front limb. Miracle moments when you stay on and cannot for the life of you fathom how.

And those moments when you feel you’ve been shot out of a cannon or, in my case, cantering into a tree branch! When there was no time to plan anything.

The nervous rider and the fear of falling off

You can learn to overcome this. The anxiety of falling off sends messages to our body to protect ourselves. We become so consumed with the fear of falling off. Not only do we omit an odour unknown to us that the horse picks up on. But the horse also has the inside information on how our body has become rigid through the saddle from potential threat. Signaling to them incoming fear and threat!

Now I understand totally I had one terrible fall which put me in bed for 2 months with months of rehab following that. I developed an elevated fear after this. However, I learnt to foresee potential threat and breathe, and try to relax. (breathing exercises are excellent for many reasons I can’t recommend enough learning to do them and use them when riding) I’d walk through my body parts, relaxing them. Think I was having a lesson when everything was going well and just ride with that kind of focus. Id even try to take myself partially out of the situation, still focussed on my position and riding, but I would focus on something I really enjoyed, distracting my mind from a fear response. I’d even sing (but not solely in hairy moments) so the horse didn’t associate this with an incoming threat. I think everyone else in the yard saw my singing as an incoming threat, however!

Riders tip forward to varying degrees

Fear and the effects on the rider’s body

Again, there are varying levels of fear, but often we tip forward in an attempt to anchor ourselves, curling up which changes our breathing patterns. But in reality, we are more likely to fall as we are now out of balance. This also affects the horse’s balance.

Exactly the same happens to people who tip forward walking, they are afraid of falling and tip forward to be closer to the ground. This altered balance increases their chances of falling.

How to lessen your chances of falling off your horse

Whether your and experienced or beginner rider. What we take to the saddle, our natural position that we adopt, can increase our chances of a fall. Our own individual alignment which is molded from the way and where we use our body through our day. The repetitive movements we do and the variety of movements our body gets. Can mean we are literally fighting against our own body with our own unique balance, coordination, body awareness and control.

Ever had a trainer advise you to position a body part, and it feels odd, unnatural and really hard to maintain? This is because you don’t have good body awareness to that areas. I often see riders moving around on yards and have a good idea of whose horse I might work on that day.

Everyone can benefit from working on their movement and alignment (which is the essential foundations for riders). It’s easy to fit into your day and it will bring a much more balanced and aware body to the saddle. Helping to decrease the risk of some falls, and it will help your riding, your body, and your horse!

Crooked rider alignment

Restoring your alignment is like unlocking secrets about your body. It lets you feel what’s going on—how you stand, balance, and habits you were unaware of. 

A connected position where all parts can work together and correctly