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What's the best way to teach a horse to stop when the rider falls off?

11K views 82 replies 46 participants last post by  flytobecat 
#1 ·
I just thought this would be something handy to know
 
#69 ·
I can tell before im about to fall and prepare myself at home the option is hold on get battered and bruised or let them run to a fence so i let go. However when im out of my secure home land i will try my hardest not to let go of those reins for all ui know a child is around the corner my horse could potential kill.
 
#71 ·
I wasn't suggesting she take the reins and tightly tie it around herself. It's just something to grab onto if she hits the dirt.

We actually had a clinic about falling off awhile back and it helped alot. I don't have any fear and I haven't fallen off since then. She taught us to be super calm in situations of stress or fear. I think of steps that will prevent falling off, because they can be taken. Can it be avoided your whole life? probably not. But you can still prevent 90% of it. I use to go completely blank if a horse started to rear or buck, and I would freeze up. I was actually taught how to think during.

If you ever watch a person that is on a rearing or bucking horse it happens quick, but not so quick that you don't have time to think. You just need to train yourself.

Before the clinic I would go "Oh ****, this is horse bucking, I'm dead... and I would stop breathing and go blank"

Now I go "Oh ****, this horse is bucking, let me pull his head into a circle, get him thinking again, and if I fall off here is what I can do.."
 
#72 ·
If a horse starts bucking or rearing with me on it, I go straight into reaction mode. I'm not thinking about falling, i'm reacting how I have taught my uscles to react, If the horse is bucking, I get that head up, boot them in the ribs and disengage the hind. If it's rearing, I boot them in the ribs, turn that head sideways, and might over-under with the reins if I have time.

Muscle memory is a great thing, as lng as you have the correct responses remembered, not the incorrect ones :]
 
#76 ·
That momwnt when your half on half on and you know your falling, you cant really stop that from happening which is why at home i kick away protect myself attitude however if im out in an unsafe open area i grab on to the reins and grip ...hard
 
#77 ·
Another bad thing about holding the reins when you fall. What if you fell and your horse was totally freaked and you held onto the reins and they took off dragging you along with them? Especially a young/spooky horse. You'd be some mess by the time they stopped.
 
#78 ·
MaggiStar - I've saved myself from an awful lot of touchy perdicaments. I think it's because I took vaulting lessons, I was all over that horse, haha. I would suggest vaulting lessons for everyone, as I said, I learned how to fall and how to land on my feet. =]

Lauren - I've had that happen, but the tugging on the reins will usually stop a horse. I just scrambled to my feet and stopped her. Not to mention, at that point, you can think to let go. It's the "falling off" process that is typically too chaotic to decide whether to hold on or not.
 
#79 ·
Another bad thing about holding the reins when you fall. What if you fell and your horse was totally freaked and you held onto the reins and they took off dragging you along with them? Especially a young/spooky horse. You'd be some mess by the time they stopped.
You would have to be pretty daft to hold on to the reins if you were being dragged and there was no danger for the horse. Holding the reins is a choice, hence you can choose to let go if the situation warrants it. However, I have never had a horse try to take off while I have a hold of the reins.
 
#80 ·
I do what I can to teach a horse to whoa and stand if a rider falls. I'm sure there are better ways, but this one has worked for me. Basically, I put an old saddle on the horse, no cinch, no latigo and walk the horse around with it until it falls off. When it does, I give a sharp "whoa" and stand the horse. If the saddle doesn't fall, I'll grab the stirrup and pull it off, telling the horse "whoa"…sometimes I'll push it off…you get the idea. Pretty soon the horse will whoa on it's own when the saddle falls off.
 
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