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Your most humbling experience-DO TELL!

9K views 59 replies 38 participants last post by  star16 
#1 ·
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Ok. In my 43 years atop horses, I've had some doozies. But if I had to pick just one, it would be this one, because it happened during a clinic with an "I" judge. At USET Headquarters, Gladstone NJ. Yes, my friends, the fairytale Mecca of all US English-riding little girls and boys, and big ones too.:)

My first horse, a bloody gorgeous 17H Dutch WB gelding ex-jumper by Le Mexico and I accompanied mybtrainer to the 2 day clinic with a well-known and much beloved elder statesman-judge here in the NorthEast. I had ridden since I was 10, starting in H/J, moving to
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3 Day and dressage in college. Quit for a while after college to start my business, then started back and found my boy.

Cecil was stunning, both conformation-wise and moving. I collected many inquiries about him from big name dressage riders and trainers until they found out his age- I bought him when he was 10 and lost him at age 14. He was very sensitive and difficult-his free walk overtracked by almost 2 ft. measured, and one had to exercise care not to resemble a porn star when riding it, as it made your pelvis do things it didn't know it could:oops:

Back to Gladstone. I bring this gorgeous horse into the upper level of the main barn. Riders of all levels were there, and EVERYONE knew more than me. But of course, I didn't know that yet:wink: I thought that I was a prittty, prittty, priittty good rider. I'd done a little big eq, did some low jumpers, evented with success, did a few dressage shows, all on schoolhorses. I taught some. I was pretty good, I thought.

Oh no. First lesson, I started warming up in the indoor. My horse just got faster and faster and I did what I thought was DRESSAGE. Hmmph.

Clinician gradually stopped giving generalizations to the large audience an began to watch me with consternation. Try as he might, and try as I did, I couldn't grasp what he wanted.

So then it happened.
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He told me to drop the reins. And hold onto the pommel.

Then he ran beside me with his hands on the reins near the bit.

I have the whole thing on video. Round and round we went, him jiggling and jogging, me bouncing and mortified. Did I mention the standing-room-only gallery:cool::thumbsup::clap:

So, lets hear them. Your most humbling experience. Doesn't have to be dressagey, just funny.
 
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#30 ·
I'm almost too embarrassed to share this story, but it taught me some very important lessons: slow down, relax, have patience, and most of all PAY ATTENTION!

So it was the day before a show we went to one summer. The day was hot and I'd spent the day bathing the horse I was riding, cleaning out the trailer, packing the trailer, preparing feeds for both horses that were going, etc. The truck that was to pull the trailer (driven by the other rider's boyfriend) was late that day, and normally I'm a very patient person, but I think the heat and being hungry was starting to get to me. There was also the post-bath struggle with my horse of yes-I'll-let-you-eat-grass-but-don't-you-dare-roll going on. Anyway, when the truck finally arrived and we had hooked up the trailer, we loaded the horses. The other rider's mare went in first and she was tied. Someone led the gelding I was riding into the trailer and then passed me the lead rope to tie him. I started to tie as soon as they handed it over and I was just finishing my knot when the gelding started to struggle. I couldn't really see what was going on, so I pulled the knot free (thank goodness for quick release!) and my poor boy stumbled out backwards and scraped his head. He was alright, but I felt TERRIBLE!

Needless to say, his freak out was my fault because I'd started tying him before he had all 4 feet in the trailer, simply due to impatience and lack of communication with the people around me. I was just so eager to get to the show that I wasn't paying attention. Well, huge lesson learned there! Especially knowing it could have been MUCH worse with a different horse. My boy was shaken up a little, but he wasn't injured, thankfully. That's an experience I'll never forget, especially since I wasn't new to loading horses into trailers and I really should have known better. I still feel bad about it when I think of it!
 
#33 ·
I'm almost too embarrassed to share this story, but it taught me some very important lessons: slow down, relax, have patience, and most of all PAY ATTENTION!

So it was the day before a show we went to one summer. The day was hot and I'd spent the day bathing the horse I was riding, cleaning out the trailer, packing the trailer, preparing feeds for both horses that were going, etc. The truck that was to pull the trailer (driven by the other rider's boyfriend) was late that day, and normally I'm a very patient person, but I think the heat and being hungry was starting to get to me. There was also the post-bath struggle with my horse of yes-I'll-let-you-eat-grass-but-don't-you-dare-roll going on. Anyway, when the truck finally arrived and we had hooked up the trailer, we loaded the horses. The other rider's mare went in first and she was tied. Someone led the gelding I was riding into the trailer and then passed me the lead rope to tie him. I started to tie as soon as they handed it over and I was just finishing my knot when the gelding started to struggle. I couldn't really see what was going on, so I pulled the knot free (thank goodness for quick release!) and my poor boy stumbled out backwards and scraped his head. He was alright, but I felt TERRIBLE!

Needless to say, his freak out was my fault because I'd started tying him before he had all 4 feet in the trailer, simply due to impatience and lack of communication with the people around me. I was just so eager to get to the show that I wasn't paying attention. Well, huge lesson learned there! Especially knowing it could have been MUCH worse with a different horse. My boy was shaken up a little, but he wasn't injured, thankfully. That's an experience I'll never forget, especially since I wasn't new to loading horses into trailers and I really should have known better. I still feel bad about it when I think of it!
Eek thats a scary one! I've seen a horse flip over and break its hip and very nearly its neck in a similar incident. The people were trying to 'float train' this gelding at a competition, so had the really bright *sarcasm* idea to get him in, then tie his with a chain to the tie up ring. Without closing the breeching gates first. Of course, horse pulled back, realised his head was trapped but the back was still opened, so went absolutely BALLISTIC.
He ended up slipping over, hanging by head head with neck over the chest bar, struggling like mad. Finally got himself up and sat back on his haunches to pull, the chain broke - flung back and smacked him in the head leaving a huge hole in his forehead, while he flipped over backwards down the ramp and came off the side of it.

That has got to be one of the most traumatic floating accidents I have seen, all through the people's stupidity. Horse didn't need to be euth'd, but never got on a float again. They had to drop him to drag him into a truck to get him to the vets, and then back home :-x
 
#31 ·
Oh I have so many. I may tell a couple of my favorites. :lol:

The first one is the most recent. :lol:

1) Well Selena can be ridden with just a neck rope only a good majority of the time. Everyone was talking about how light their horses are and la-de-da and I had to open my mouth and brag about my little mare who could chase a cow bridleless. Of course they wanted to see. I get on the little witch, take the bridle off, and trot down the arena towards the cows. At this point I started realizing a mistake; She felt fresh. REALLY fresh. Like, shaking out from underneath me fresh. I tried to rein her in through the herd but as soon as we got one cow out she was gone. I don't just mean loping off gone. I mean, balls to the wall, flying after this poor cow who was usually very calm but currently scared for its life and I could NOT get her stopped. I ended up kicking so hard with one leg and putting her into the fence, quickly dismounting and putting some headgear on! That's what I get for saying how great she is, she always makes a liar out of me.

An older one:

2) I was on this colt because the main trainer was hurt and couldn't ride. She was instructing me, it was all going super well, it was the colts first ride. He didn't seem to care about me being up there, so we figured we could lope now. I kiss, he doesn't go. Okay. I take the end of my rein and tap him on the butt. Still doesn't go. Alright. I take the end of my rein and smack him again and oh boy did I get a ride. The damned thing took off in a bucking fit around the round pen with me holding onto the reins and the horn, saddle bronc style. He starts getting a little too close to the rail with no signs of stopping so I go to (gracefully) step off. Kick my foot out of the stirrup, it's all good, I go to step onto the rail...
...and fall ungracefully INTO the fence, chin first, rattled my teeth, then just sort of lamely fall and sit there for a moment wondering what the hell just happened. Trainer could NOT stop laughing, and the colt turned and looked at me a few moments later. Little brat. I got on and we cantered again no problem. Guess it was just a moment.
 
#32 ·
oh wow.great stories. mine is long.back in high school. i was training horses and outfitting since i was 12. and had just got this stud horse going pretty good.well your senior year you got out a week earlier then everyone else.and i decided to hit school during lunch out this very pretty sunny day in the spring in montana and got this fancy beautiful stud horse walking fast.he was twh so he could really step out.flaxenmane and tail.head up high.the hoof beats echoing off the gyms wall before anyone could see me. hat low..spurs jingling.chaps perfect.erect back. and i saw out of the corner of my eye a big black lab trotting up to me but not barking so i pain no mind. and just as i break out from the side of the gym to where every one in school could see me. this dog came up and bit the horse in the flank..and he took off bucking like crazy.i made three to four jumps before i hit the pavement. talk bout hurt..and of course the horse stoped..stuck his nose down on me waiting for me to get up. well being a teenage boy. i tried to save face by mounting as if nothing was wrong.rode across from the front of school..steped down.tied up. setting my hat low once again.i was going to walk right through them all.to buy a pop..then walk out..andmounting i wojuld ride away/ thus saving face..but my third step away from the horse..my left spur hooked my right spur and i fell face first down on the pavement..and they hooked..i had to manually with my hands break them apart..and by then every one was laughing..two hundred laughing kids at me..so i finally stood up..mounted up..and left..and i never have to this day been back to my old high school
 
#35 · (Edited)
Well, this was probably more humbling on my BO's part than mine.

Since Reno used to be really buddy-sour for a short period of time, my BO had everyone turn him and his stall-neighbor at the same time. I was never comfortable with standing between two horses, leading only by halters...but it was my BO's rule for the time and I had to do it. The horses were always generally obedient and went along with it.

Well this day (this past April 16, my late dog's would-have-been 3rd birthday, and also the day my grandmother died) I was leading them out, Reno on my right and Quita (big, FAT, 16hh Andalusian mare). At the gate to the chute that leads to their field they got uncharacteristically excited and decided to bolt off. I immediately let go of their halters, but alas I was caught between the bulk of their combined bodies...sandwiched, if you will. When they got past the gate, Quita had room to take off a little to the left and I fell underneath my boy, who thankfully just leaped over me while I rolled and skidded a little down the dirt and gravel hill. I got up, brushed myself off (and finished turning everyone out), and limped over to the barn bathroom...

Thanks to my jeans, I only got a little scrape on my knee but my hip was out of whack for a while...and this was a horrible thing to try to scrub the gravel, dirt, and manure out of...



My BO can be pretty stubborn, so she didn't change her turnout rule until Reno was on sweet feed for a while and he and Quita almost took off with her.
 
#37 ·
I have another story. A couple of years ago I decided I had to buy a horse. After a few years of being a bit aimless, then serving in the military, and going back to college, almost 15 years had passed since I'd last touched a horse. My goal was to buy a nice trail horse to dink around with.

I find this half Arab/haflinger cross that's just adorable, green broke, but a 12 year old rides him walk/trot just fine. He's also priced super cheap (which I still couldn't really afford). When I went to look at him, the horse was a saint. Very mellow and calm. Test rode him, everything was great. Just a puppy dog. nothing i did phased him, he was Mr. Well-Behaved. So I bought him.

Following weekend I go to pick him up and bring him home. My friend and I get to the place and the owner is just standing by the barn. Even though I'd told her the exact time I'd be there, the horse is still in the pasture. I go up to the lady, but after a few minutes its clear that she has no intention of getting the horse out any time soon. i ask if she'll help me get him out and she tells me i'll be fine and that even if a horse gets loose they're no problem to catch. Uhm, ok. I skip my happy little butt to the pasture and realize the gate is just one strand of electric wire with a little handle at the end. Of course my new horse is pastured with a herd of horses and they all come flying up to the fence when I get to it. I unhook the single strand of wire, grab my pony, shoo'd back the other ponies, safely get my pony out and re-latch the strand of wire behind us both. Whew!

I'm happily walking my new pony back up to the barn, when I hear it.... That sound wire makes when it's being pushed to capacity by a large animal. I look behind me just as the single strand of wire comes snapping back at me, and suddenly horses are charging at us. My pony bolts forward as another horse slams into his hind end. I get caught between my pony and another horse that decided it wanted to stand where I was standing. I'm freaking out and scared to death I'll be knocked down and trampled (I'm 4'11"). I'm trying to shoo the horses that haven't come through away from the gate to stay in the pasture. I look up toward the barn expecting the BO and pony owner to be running frantically to help me... They're both just standing there watching. No ones moving.

Something just clicked at that point, their utter lack of protective gear for he kid, the bridle put together wrong, everything... and I realized these people were crazy. In a "kill themselves and anyone close enough" type of crazy. I turned back to the gate, and at this point ALL the ponies were out, turn back to the barn. Still no one moving. I shrug and lead my pony back to the barn.

As I'm halfway back to the barn, the whole heard of loose ponies goes galloping around off to greener lands. This causes my pony to bolt and by God I'm not letting go of the rope or it'll be hours before I can catch him again. I was doing okay. I had the rope, my feet were still under me, and I felt a massive jerk and I go flying through the air to land belly first with a whomphf in the grass and now I'm sled dogging next to four very sharp feet. Suddenly he stops, and I jump up, wrap the lead round his nose for extra leverage and lead him back up to the barn, again.

As I'm leading the pony on the trailer, my friend asks "are you sure you want this horse?" Of course pride has finally gotten the best of me, and although I'm shaking like a leaf, I tell him "Of course".

That was the beginning of my time with the worst behaved horse EVER.
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#38 ·
i dont have one experience in particular, but i am humbled by gypsy every day. she is so honest and she tries so hard [and shes super sensitive!] that if i dont ride her correctly she is always calling me out on what im doing wrong. it makes me realize how she is much much better than i am, she also learns way faster than i do !
 
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#39 · (Edited)
There are so many great Humility quotes. Some of my favorites...

1.What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself. ~Abraham Lincoln


2.A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle. ~Benjamin Franklin

3.Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are. ~Malcolm S. Forbes

4.When science discovers the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to find they are not it. ~Bernard Baily

5.It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles. ~Niccolo Machiavelli

6.Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity. ~Frank Leahy,

7.It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help. ~Author Unknown

8.It is always the secure who are humble. ~Gilbert Keith Chesterton


9.Few are humble, for it takes a self-esteem few possess. ~Robert Brault,

10.Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple. ~Barry Switzer

I try really really hard to be a nice person, good Christian and to be humble. People who brag constantly, belittle others really bother me. It has been hard to be in the past to look the other way from these types. I don't get into it with them as it would be wrong. I have however had to fight the urge to wish upon them a humbling case of inopportunely timed diarrhea. With the "I don't get bucked off" or "I KNOW what I am doing" folks, I tend to find great pleasure in seeing them sail through the air when the fickle finger of fate speaks and brings them back to earth. I know, I know, I am still struggling with the "turn the other cheek" part of being Christian but I am trying.
 
#45 ·
I try really really hard to be a nice person, good Christian and to be humble. People who brag constantly, belittle others really bother me. It has been hard to be in the past to look the other way from these types. I don't get into it with them as it would be wrong. I have however had to fight the urge to wish upon them a humbling case of inopportunely timed diarrhea. With the "I don't get bucked off" or "I KNOW what I am doing" folks, I tend to find great pleasure in seeing them sail through the air when the fickle finger of fate speaks and brings them back to earth. I know, I know, I am still struggling with the "turn the other cheek" part of being Christian but I am trying.

I can't stand the "I don't get bucked off" people. I have been riding for 5 years now, and never fallen off, but its not something I think of as bragging rights, but more of foreshadowing...its been 5 years, and I know its going to come soon.

A lot of the time, I am confident in what I am doing, but not with the "I KNOW what I'm doing" attitude. I don't like when people tell me the simple things that I know how to do, like flexing or putting a saddle on or cinching up, but I don't mind when people are giving me tips while I'm riding, although sometimes it makes me nervous, because I am a big people-pleaser and I hate doing things wrong; it makes me feel like I let down that person.
 
#40 · (Edited)
Thanks for the great quotes, Inga:)

I find that people who cannot admit to mistakes or humbling experiences also have little empathy for others, and I believe that empathy is a core trait of great people. I agree with Chesterton and Brault above- it seems to me that its fundamentally a self esteem issue.

But it is delicious when Karma comes a-calling:mrgreen: (inopportunely-timed explosive diarrhea...mwahahahahah:cool::clap::rofl::thumbsup:)
 
#41 ·
I was probably 10, 11. I took saddleseat lessons at a fancy show barn (a certain former Star Trek actor kept some horses in training there...) and was finally given the chance to go out on a trail ride, just me and the instructor. Not sure why, but for some reason to me this meant I was a really talented rider (I think this just really meant I was so hopeless in my saddleseat lessons they threw me on an old pony and shoved me out the door, out of sight, out of mind...).

Anyway, no less than 5 minutes into the ride, we go up a steep hill, instructor says to lean forward a little and let the pony have her head to accelerate. Said pony proceeds to lurch into a wild canter, throwing me clear over her head. I land on my back, looking up at a tiny pony hoof perched right over my face, pony staring down at me like "what in the world," but keeping her little foot lifted gracefully over my face. Ride is over, back to the barn walking the pony from the ground, never to be taken out on the trails again. :oops:
 
#42 ·
Hold on, hear the mini-story first... I was interning at a fairly nasty barn once, one of those show stables where the trainer is the owner and the owner is all about the money.

So, naturally, I suppose they didn't care about me. I was working my butt off for free, every day. The previous stable I had gone to was professional, a place with an amazing, well-mannered, modest man and well-trained, well-cared for horses. The worst I had dealt with was a pony that tried to bite my boot or a QH that sniffed in my pockets. The horses there were so well-mannered that I could stuff them with treats and they wouldn't bite or get nasty about it. So, when the owner of the nasty stable told me not to FEED three horses in particular, a pony and two horses, I said OK. Feed. I went into those horses' stalls one day to pick out their feet, because I had learned that the owner's horses only had their feet cleaned once every five weeks when trimmed. I handled the pony well. I remembered how horses toss heads when demanding respect, so when the pony tried ear-pinning and looking mean at me, I flicked my hands in the air at him and moved him around a little bit. In a few minutes I was petting him and cleaning his packed feet out. I then went to the biggest horse's stall.

HUGE mistake. Now mind you, there's no signs, no locks, nothing special to see. Just a dirty horse in a dirty stall like all the other school horses. He was in plain sight, not hidden away or anything secret. I went in, and he pinned at me and gave a nasty look. He kept trying to get in my space, so I would flick my hands at him and he'd keep the distance. I tried to edge around him in the stall like I had with the pony to get to a spot where I could pet him and clean out his hooves. Somehow, I even ended up with my back in the corner of the stall because he was so big, and he still didn't try anything extreme. I figured, this isn't good, he doesn't want me in here and I better get out. He wasn't calming down. The gate was in such a way that I'd have to turn my back on him to get to it, and I didn't want to do that, so I went full-circle around him. Once out of the corner, he stayed where he was and didn't try moving into my space again. I put my hand out to let him know I was moving into his other blind spot, his rear. I remember my fingertips just grazing the side of his butt, looking at my hand as the skin SEIZURED, he whirled around eyes blazing teeth out, my eyesight went out for a second in shock as he grabbed my arm with his teeth and then THREW me at the stall wall. He didn't quite get the momentum to slam me, because he only had the skin of my arm, not a good hold, and I slipped out of his mouth in the air to spin around mid-air and land on my stomach. I looked over and saw him pressed close to the opposite wall, wringing his tail and pinning his ears. I picked up the hoof pick and limped out in time to hear the owner, just a few feet away and having KNOWN I went into that stall for a good two-five minutes, hollered, "Oh, hey, be careful, he'll throw you."
There were two trainers, and the one who didn't give me the internship papers said, about the one who DID and told me to have free will with the horses, "She said she didn't want you in any of the stalls."
The big humbling part was the long limp home over 25 acres and 4 pasture gates with a badly broken arm and a paralyzed left side. They knew I was hurt and didn't offer a ride home or even to check up on me later. I was covered in poo, by the way, so the snob riders who already hated me because I didn't have a horse at the moment and bothered with dirty horses, got a good laugh seeing me limp home in such a way.
 
#43 ·
Hrm I guess my most humbling experience was when I was jumping a horse who hadn't jumped before. We were doing good so my trainer was about to get out the video camera for his owner to watch (she was always scared to jump him, he was a barrel horse, NOT a jumper!) well no sooner did she do that did I totally bite the dust and ended up getting kicked accidentally and my whole leg was cut and bruised.
 
#44 ·
Riding my instructor's highly schooled horse. The normally beautifully round flowing ballet dancer gave me the finger big time and turned into a giraffe as I struggled to find the correct position for every body part before he resumed pretending to know I was up there. He really put me in my place!
 
#46 ·
Riding my trainer's h/j show horse in a lesson. I could not keep him pointed where I wanted him to go, we seemed to wobble and wander all over the ring. I felt pretty crappy about my riding skills! I'd been riding her lesson mare who is pretty push button. It was really humbling trying to ride her horse.
 
#47 ·
So many good stories!

Probably the worst was when I was managing a TB farm outside Louisville. The farm owner from Maryland brought a dozen people to look at some horses for possible syndication. I was very nervous around people in general and this group in particular.

The first filly I rode out on... she sneezed and I went right over her head. There was no holding the laughter back by the audience.

I got through the day, and the next week got a few Sneezy (the 7 dwarves)trinkets in the mail from folks who had been there.
 
#48 ·
This is a great thread!

When I still had my little Quarter Horse named Dutch, I showed him locally. He had a bad attitude about cantering- he was incredibly lazy and if you really weren't paying attention, he would crow hop till you were off just so he could stop cantering.

Well, we went to fair that year with everybody and their mother. We were just warming up and all my friends took off cantering at the same time. I felt like I would show off a little- wait for them to get ahead and then ride a circle around them. Well, you can guess what happened. We did ride on up ahead but just as I told him to go faster, the buck happened, and off I went. Right in front of everybody with a nice mouth full of dirt >.<
 
#49 ·
Haha great thread! I've got a few to add..

Starting with my second lesson ever, which wasnt necessarily humbling for me, but it sure did teach me a lesson. The instructor had put me on the sweetest pony in the barn, and I got on and started riding the lesson. It all went great until we got to cantering (with someone running next to the horse holding the reins of course) The pony decides to cut the corner and I feel myself slide to one side, saddle and all... No one had told me I needed to tighten the cinch before getting on... Luckily, once I came off, the pony gracefully jumped over me before coming to a stop a few meters further. Since then, I have checked the cinch every single time I get on xD

Then there was the time, a few years later, where I was riding this really slow pony bareback. No one liked him since he was so slow, but I loved to ride him bareback since then he was a bit faster and I just really liked him. After cantering we're walkign the horses around to let them catch their breath, and while walking, friends are allowed to come walk next to your horse for a bit. I had brought my best friend (who also rode, but at another stable) to watch my lesson. She made a running joke we had, and I start laughing so hard that I couldnt stop myself from sliding off the pony, at a walk! That of course caused everyone to laugh at me :p

And more recently there was the time that my trainer mixed up the lesson times, causing me to arrive an hour early, I said I would wait, but she decided to borrow a lesson horse from another trainer and put me on him. We went to canter, and the horse just trots faster and faster with me bouncing around on (and nearly off!) his back, lost my stirrups and had to grab the mane to stay on, with the result that I had no way to pull him back either.. The trainer is yelling at me to slow him down, so finally i manage to hold my balance long enough to slow him down. The rest of the class consisted of me walking on a circle while the rest of the horses cantered and jumped... The worst thing is, that I later found out that that horse is usually used for 6-10 year olds, who canter and jump him without a problem... >.<
 
#50 ·
Couple years ago I was working on a green paint mare I had. She was a bit oppinionated but had never given me any real trouble. I had an hour before a potential boarder came out to have a tour of the facilities, which the BO asked me to give. Horse tacked, almost done the session, just about when the potential boarder was supposed to show up. mare throws a huge fit, broncs me off, rip my jean right through the butt, fills whats left of my pants with sand. I lay there for a second catching my breath and hear a car coming up the drive way:shock:. Still gave the tour anyways:oops:

probably the worst ever. I spent 4 days riding with my cousins, who all ride pure bred percherons. the last trail ride I was playing around, standing on their backs, doing "tricks", just taking advantage of riding a super wide horse. Go home, talk to my Bo and a potential boarder who is checking out the place, we get into a conversation about how long ago we fell off and I say "about 2 years". shortly there after I hop on my arab (super narrow) bare back, we are walking in a straight line towards the pasture when I turn to say something to the BO and realize, too late, that my arab is WAY narrower than a percheron. I fall off, incredibly akwardly, right infront of the new boarder:oops:
 
#51 ·
Thanks to everyone for adding their hysterically funny "Öopsies" to this thread!

I remember another, from back when I was 16. I was showing at a big 3-day hunter/jumper show on a schoolhorse named Charcoal (guess what color he was??:lol:) in a class called "Teams of Three Hunters" on the outside course. You had 3 people riding one after the other over fences, and were judged on how well you were spaced, etc.

The course was very hilly and it was early May - lots of mud. My team did great until we were coming down the steep hill towards the last fence. Dear ol' Charcoal slipped as we cantered down this hill, and I pitched right over his shoulder. Landed facedown, face-skiing in the mud. I had mud in my nose, mouth, and ears:-( and worst of all, I did this directly in front of my boyfriend - my first boyfriend, a bunch of his buddies, AND a mess of witchy girls. :oops::oops::oops::oops:

I was as mortified as only a 16 year old girl could be:oops::oops: I still shudder when I think of that day!
 
#52 ·
Oh my, my first time vaulting was very humbling. They had me do an around the world at a walk, basically just turning around on the horse. When I did the first turn (so I was facing the inside of the circle) I got all wierded out because the movement was so different all I could do was squeek "I'M MOOVING!!!" I'm pretty sure everyone was peeing their pants from laughing so hard.
 
#53 ·
Oh, so many incidents!

When I was first riding competitively there were few children who had their own ponies, most rode at a riding school, as I did.

It was my first One day Event and the pony I was riding, Molly was far wiser than me.

Back then no one dod dressage except at an event! The Pony Club test consisted of turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches, extended trot and counter canter.

We practised in the arena and then our instructress set up an arena in the field. This was two poles at right angles in each corner and a couple of poles down the long sides.

Molly thought that this fancy footwork was a waste of energy and, because you were not allowed to carry a stick jogged through the complete test.
I was told that I should concentrate on accuracy and make sure each movement was done at the correct marker.

On the day of the event I warmed Molly up and it was nit so bad.
As I went to enter the arena my instructress told me "Remember to ride to the markers."

The arena was set out just as it had been for practice - poles at the corners and two down each long side and the markers set a few feet away.

I entered at a jog trot, halted and saluted. Moved off a a jog and at C turned left. As I rode down the long side so the hooter was blown. I didn't know why because I hadn't gone wrong. I ignored it and carried on blithely. At each marker I tried the next movement all I got was the same jog and the turns on the forehand and haunches were nothing but tight circles.
By the time I got halfway through the test the judge gave up hooting.
I finished, at a jog, halted and saluted, so the judge got out of the car and walked towards me.
"I am terribly sorry," she said kindly, "but you have gone terribly wrong."
"I haven't." I retorted as I burst into tears.

Turns out that by riding to the markers I had done most of the test outside of the arena!

My younger sisters first dressage test was waaaaaaaaay better! She was riding a cracking pony from the riding school. Tests had been made a lot easier, simple walk trot and canter but dressage was still 'new.'

She was the last to compete and did a very good test, rhythmic throughout and the pony held itself well and was a pretty mover.
They won and when they collected the dressage sheet she had scored several 11 and 12s (out of 10)
The judge had been encouraging to all entries so when little sis did do a nice test the only way she could ensure she won was to give extra marks!
 
#54 ·
Alright, I'll play along too... One time when I was around 10, a few friends and I decided to pretend to be jockeys. We rolled and rolled our stirrups leathers until we could barely squat in the saddle and then galloped around the indoor as fast a we could. I was feeling so proud of myself! I was the fastest one! Then when we were taking a break laughing a friend unhooked my clip-on reins from the ground without me noticing... I took off at a gallop and went to pull back to stop my horse and never made contact..just went right off the back of my horse.. I thought I died! Not only was it painful for my body but also my pride.. My friend felt pretty bad, not knowing that I would fall off but it definitely took my pride down a peg!
Another time, when I was 12 or so, my Thoroughbred took a wicked dirty stop in front of a jump at a horse show and I went flying over his head, crashing into the vertical, sending to poles flying. Everyone cam rushing into the ring!..and I was just hoping no one noticed! So embarassing! I did get back on and the judges allowed me to finish the course even though I was DQ.
 
#55 ·
Since I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone else's stories, I figured I would share a few of my more memorable 'oopsies'

Some background first..
I was always the little girl who wanted a pony for her birthday, christmas, easter...you know how it is. My mom (bless her heart) decided that if I took some riding lessons I would "grow out of it." (non-horsey fam) So when I was 6 years old I started riding. At 10 years old my mom leased a horse that I had been taking jumping lessons on. And when my trainer moved to Florida, and took the lease horse with her, she finally caved an bought me my first horse, for my 12th birthday. A 7 year old OTTB gelding. I had gone to try him out twice and I loved him from the first time I rode him. When eveyone at the barn found out she had bought him for her 12 year old daughter, they said "he's going to kill your kid"
Now I thought that I was the sh** because I had been jumping 3ft with the horse we had been leasing and I was quite confident in my riding abilities. :shock: Ah to be young and naive.
Anyways, there was this woman who always rode the trails around the barn with her super sweet quarter horse, and she invited me out with her. I was so excited that an adult thought I was experienced enough to go out alone with her. So here we are, about a mile into the woods and we are walking along the banks of a creek. I was behind the unflappable QH and just enjoying the scenery when we walked through some dense brush. Well there was a small branch that was being pushed forward by the horses body and when we got through it, the branch swung back and forward and smacked my horse square on the bum. He took off like a shot bucking to beat hell. I was trying with all my might to get his head up, slow him down, stay on and not get decapitated by the tree branches swinging past my head. He runs right up to the bank of the creek and slams on the brakes. Somehow I managed to not make the plunge down into the creek, turned him around and walked him back to the other horse. I was shaking like a leaf and was scared half to death, but was secretly patting myself on the back for not falling off and making a fool of myself. We finished our ride and when we got back to the barn my mom asked how the trail ride was. Of coure I told her it was good, and said no more about it. Many years later my mom told me how Chris (the woman with the QH) would tell her all of these horror stories about the crazy things that my horse would do and how she didn't even know how I stayed on.

A year after being with my TB, mom signed us up for pony club. Since we didn't have a horse trailer at this point we arranged to have one of the fellow pony clubbers pick us up and take us to the week long summer camp. I was so excited and hand been practicing loading on a trailer with one of the trailers at the barn we were boarding at. This guy shows up with his trailer and parks about 1/4 mile away down the street in a fire hall parking lot. We put on our shipping boots and walked down through the field to where he was waiting (with no events). He put down the ramp, opened the doors and put down the butt bar. I walked my horse up to it and as soon as he put his front feet on the ramp the other horse in the trailer started screaming and kicking the wall. Magic decided that getting on the trailer was a poor decision and he backed up and planted his feet. I spent almost an hour trying every trick in the book to coax him on to no avail. Finally the man with the trailer lost his patience and said here let me do it. He puts the lead chain over his nose and makes him back up a good bit before leading him forward. When he stopped at the bottom of the ramp the man turned around and started yanking on his face and trying to drag him forward. (Imagine being a 13 year old girl watching your beloved best friend be bullied by some ogre) My horse rears up and strikes out with his front legs, hits this guy in his arm who promptly drops his lead, turns and runs down the road to the barn and into his stall. Now I'm crying and I'm adamant that my horse is going to hate me from now on. We finally got him loaded (after we unloaded the other horse) and did eventually make it to camp. I took me almost a year to convince my horse that the trailer was not a horse eating cave, and now (for many many years) he loads with out so much as a blink.

Ten years down the road-
I had a 2 year old friesian colt that I just had gelded. Now he was a cool character and was normally super level headed and laid back. He had been on stall rest for a few days because he was gelded in late fall and it was pretty sloppy out in the field so the vet said keep him in for about a week then start with turn out in the arena. I took for granted the calmness of this boy and I pulled him out of his stall and was walking him down to the outdoor arena for some exercise. As we are walking down the hill towards the arean he decides that he's feeling pretty darn good about himself and starts crow hopping and spinning around. Well I just didn't get out of his way fast enough and as he was spinning his butt towards me his back leg shot out and kicked me right in the calf. It was an instant pain and I couldn't put any weight on it and would've sworn it was broken. So here's me, standing in the middle of a field trying to hold onto this horse while I'm standing on one leg. By the grace of god I managed to get him to the arena by hanging on to is neck and doing this ridiculous hop on my good leg. I had to call my then bf to come and put him back in his stall, and take me to the hospital. Nothing broken thankfully, just my muscle. I had an awesome purple/green/black bruise to show for it and was on crutches for two weeks.

I still have my OTTB by the way. He's 22 and pretty much a pasture ornament. We go out once in a while and play around. He's my horsey soul mate and I couldn't have asked for a better horse to learn how to ride on.
 
#56 · (Edited)
To be honest everything I do with my horses is humbling.

I have been good at every sport I have turned my hand at. Soccer, Squash, Netball, Cricket, Swimming. So when I decided I wanted to buy a horse it never even crossed my mind that I wouldnt be a star at it the moment I got on. Naturally I had images in my head of me galloping through an open pasture, the wind blowing my hair back on my first ride. Never mind that there were no open pastures to gallop through and my helmet would restrict any hair blowing!

My first horse is a 25 year old stubborn, bombproof StandardbredxThoroughbred. I had previously organised a boarding facility for him and the lady that ran it had asked if I needed her to give me a hand for my first ride on him there. I had scoft at her and did my less than lady like "It's just riding a horse" Well imagine my embarrassment when I got on him and he refused to move. Nothing I did would make him walk on! I had to suck up my pride and turn to her standing there with a smerk on her face (I would have been wearing the same smerk if I was in her shoes) and ask her how to get him to move!

One thing I realised that day my horses ego far outweight my own!
 
#57 ·
This is humbling in a funny respect... after I graduated college and settled into life as a graduate student in AZ, I started to look for a horse lease. Well, I found a lovely paint mare-Dancer-whose husband & wife owners also loved to ride, so it was a fantastic situation for me to get back into riding. Well, one day after the trails, Nick (the husband) ran up to the house to grab water bottles and I swung over to dismount. The middle of my bra got caught on the saddle horn, and because Dancer is a relatively tall horse, I HUNG there from my bra for a moment of shock before trying to pull myself back up. The effort was in vain and a moment later I heard the dreaded "riiiiip" of my bra being torn in two. I scrambled to pull my bra out of my shirt, tuck it under my arm and cross my arms over my chest just in time for Nick to arrive back with the water bottles. I awkwardly said thank you and have NEVER untacked a horse so quickly (or awkwardly) in my life! ha!

Humbling moments abound when it comes to horses, I find. ;)
 
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