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Worst fall you've had?

11K views 52 replies 46 participants last post by  rideverystride 
#1 ·
Falling, ouch!

What's the worst fall you've had in all your time riding?

Usually I'm pretty good about falling. Don't get me wrong, sometimes on the back of a jump I'll spring onto the horse's neck but I haven't actually fallen into the dirt for quite some time.
My worst fall ever was on a post-rainy day a few years ago. Only I and one other rider were out, a car screeched near the arena and both of us fell off of our horses. I had a huge blue bruise from my knee to my bellybutton for a while. :/
 
#29 ·
My worst were these two.

- I was trying out a new horse, it was out in a guys field, he had like barrels and poles set up so I was working them testing him out. They guys said feel free to take him for a gallop to see how fast he can move, me being the little rebel took off, well the horse triped in a hole and I went flying and landed on two pointy rocks right on my knees, I still have knee problems today, and I am 15.

-The next one was when the BO son was galloping around with the flag, passing Ben circling Ben, trotting next to Ben. Ben didnt care. So I lean over and grab it from him to try it myself, and boy was that a mistake. I had just got it against my side when he FLIPPED out and took off across the arena, bucking, and stupid me, didnt let go of the flag, I came of after the 5th buck, but hey! I wasnt hanging onto anything, one hand was on my reins, and the other holding the flag. I landed on my head and did like a chin stand. I didnt have problems with my back for a long time, and now after another mild accident I had have been having major back pain..
 
#30 ·
My worst fall happened a couple weeks ago during a jumping lesson. We were doing bounces maybe 2'3" each. My horse went over the first one, but landed crooked and I was unbalanced. He thought about the second jump but ultimately ran out. I came off and SLAMMED into the jump standard which landed on top of me. Thought I might have bruised a kidney at first because I nailed it with my L flank.

Thankfully, I am just very swollen and bruised.
 
#32 ·
I have a non-jumping fall. My mom and I were at a gaming show and we were about to do the Hangman's race. You ride double on one horse to a rope hanging from a pole (looks like a hangman's pole!). The back rider must grab and rope, and get off the horse, while the horse and rider run around a barrel, and then must come back and "pick you up" from the rope. The person who is "hanging" cannot touch the ground or you are disqualified. Fastest time wins.

Well I'm the young one, so of course I am the "hanging one". We're on my big horse Beau 16.1 hands and this is actually his first show back from an injury, so he is a little full of it. We're heading down towards the rope at a pretty good gallop, and we are coming in HOT to the rope. I'm thinking quickly in my head that we are moving way too fast for me to grab that rope, but there are SO many teams entered, that if I don't try, we will have zero chance of placing.

So I tried to grab for it.

And I missed.

And landed square on my tail bone.

By some miracle, I didn't break anything, but my legs were tingling for a few minutes (probably not the best sign) and I had a nasty bruise.

I teased my mom it was her fault before she didn't slow down enough for me, lol.
 
#33 ·
I would always jump on my horse bareback and ride him down to the barn when he was in the field. Well one day he was on a hill and his right side was uphill.. So I jump on him on his off-side(so I don't have to jump as high) and I forgot this he never mounted from his off-side before and he freaked and ran down the hill bucking and snorting like a monster just jumped on him. He launched me up and since we were going downhill I fell from a high distance. The ground was frozen too. When I hit the ground I landed onmy side and my whole body went into shock and I couldn't even move anything for like 30 seconds. I just laid there. I suffered a grade 2 PCL tear and was limping for 2 months. I learned my lesson, and walked him down after that LOL
 
#34 ·
My worst fall... Hmm.

Eight months ago, I broke my wrist. Fun part? I got to get a neon pink cast and bedazzle it.

A week after we got my horse, there was a show where I rode. On the Saturday of the show, I couldn't fasten my girth (Let's say Jay was... erm... a bit overweight at the time ;)) so my mother tried to help me. (Jay also had a biting problem at the time.) Though he was tied up, Jay swung his head around and bit my mom on the butt. She was very upset. She took off to Co-Op and grabbed a girth extender. Luckily (or not, as I did not realize at the time) it began raining and the jumping was postponed till Sunday.

Girth extender and all, I tried to tell my mother that the girth was waaay too loose. She didn't listen and made me keep the extender on him. How I managed not to fall off during warm-ups, I don't know.

"If I fall off and break a bone, it's your fault!" I said, none too happily.

So I remounted him, and we were getting ready for our course; I went second or third- I don't remember now. The first jump, one on the outside called The Birch, went wonderfully. Jay felt the girth too loose, though, and began to speed up,like, "What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO?!". After we went over the second jump, which was a rollback from the Birch, I knew I couldn't stay on. I was already falling off over the Burgundy (second jump). The saddle just kind of fell off, taking me with it, then Jay just kind of stopped, like, "Where's my rider??". I was then rushed to the hospital and had many X-Rays. Turns out, I broke two bones in my wrist, knocking another out of place.

Was that my worst fall? Probably. Was it my scariest? Not really.

;)
 
#35 ·
My worst fallen happened three years after I started riding. It was the first show of the season with a lease horse I had at the time, his name was Oreo. We were at a horse show and as always Oreo was wired for sound as we went into the ring. On the second jump something happened and to this day I still can't really figure out how it did happen. Somehow Oreo's two front hooves got stuck on the top rail of the fence, causing him to somersault over the fence. I had a broke arm, nose, a concussion and three cracked ribs (not to mention lots of bruises.) Poor Oreo had to be humanly euthanised to do the manner of his injuries. It was around that time that I stopped show jumping and got my first Shire.
 
#36 ·
I haven't really had a bad fall, but I have had a couple scary ones.... A couple months ago I was riding Candy on a trail with a friend. We turned around to see where my dog had went, and she was standing there sniffing something. My friends horse spooked, which made Candy spook. Candy turned up a 12 inch bank that happened to be covered in clay with a layer of leaves on top, and slipped. She fell all the way over. I was mostly thrown loose but she landed on my foot. It hurt, a lot, and somehow I got on my friends pony and rode home. I went to the doctor, and I only sprained a tendon, luckily! It healed pretty quickly, for the first two days I couldn't move at all, hopping on one foot would jar my injured foot, which would really hurt. I still have a black spot on my foot too! Candy has hurt me more in 4 months than Casey has hurt me in 4 years - almost broken nose, (temporary) crippled knee, sprained tendon...

About two years ago I was trotting Casey around in a field and she started bucking like crazy. I was thrown forward onto her neck, and then she took off galloping. She skidded to a stop, and did a little rear. I was underneath her neck hanging on like a monkey by that point. When she landed a let go and let myself onto the ground.
 
#37 ·
My worst fall was when I was jumping a meter something on Shade. He stopped and I went flying over the jump and landed on my back. I was afraid I'd have to sleep standing up. Haha. After a while it still hurt, so I went to the doctor who recommended I'd get an x-ray. The said I was fine, but to keep it easy for a while. But of course, us riders never back down, even for a week. :)
 
#38 ·
Good grief, I'm glad I haven't broken bones O_O
I'm a dirt-covered acrobat, haha! I usually roll and bounce like a beach ball. It takes me about 2 seconds to fall and 1 to get back up. To me the fear isn't hitting the ground, it's leaving my horse unattended or me getting trampled. I've always gotten some bad strains from snapping upright too fast.

My worst falls are baby stuff compared to you guys. I barely knew how to jump when I decided to go over a 3 footer by myself... dummy me got left behind twice before I thought, hmm, maybe I'll lean forward... I stood on my toes, came off mid-air, and somehow when I fell I bounced, rolled, and ended up standing with the reins in my hand with my horse at a halt. Bruised back and a sore shoulder.
I haven't fallen in 2 years, riding every day, but after my sister broke her arm and I saw all the new treatment for broken bones, I have an odd itch to do something spectacularly stupid... and it involves oxers...
 
#39 ·
My worst fall happened about 6 years ago...I was working with a mare that had been purchased from a ranch and allowed to run free for 5 years. She had a habit of blowing up during ground work. Once we worked through that and she wasn't worried about ground work we started into the other stuff. She was extremely whip broke (I have no idea what they had done to her in the past with it) and i had just finished a successful ride around the arena; my friends little sibling picked up a whip near the tack room, right as I was stepping off and flopped it on the ground. The mare blew up, took off broncing across the yard toward a flat bed semi parked near by, I almost had regained my balance when she caught me just right...I launched out of the saddle and into the edge of the flat bed sideways....I thought my back was broken at first...I could hardly walk..but after she calmed down I used the mounting block to get on her and walk her around one lap. Then I went to the ER...broken ribs and mashed my pelvis pretty good. I've had other incidents..but this was the only one worth mentioning.
 
#40 ·
My worst fall happened about 6 years ago...I was working with a mare that had been purchased from a ranch and allowed to run free for 5 years. She had a habit of blowing up during ground work. Once we worked through that and she wasn't worried about ground work we started into the other stuff. She was extremely whip broke (I have no idea what they had done to her in the past with it) and i had just finished a successful ride around the arena; my friends little sibling picked up a whip near the tack room, right as I was stepping off and flopped it on the ground. The mare blew up, took off broncing across the yard toward a flat bed semi parked near by, I almost had regained my balance when she caught me just right...I launched out of the saddle and into the edge of the flat bed sideways....I thought my back was broken at first...I could hardly walk..but after she calmed down I used the mounting block to get on her and walk her around one lap. Then I went to the ER...broken ribs and mashed my pelvis pretty good. I've had other incidents..but this was the only one worth mentioning.
Atta girl! Getting back on for that one lap, bless your horse hide soul.
 
#41 ·
My worst was on a horse I was looking at to purchase. Really pretty appendix gelding, dark dark bay (almost black) with some white too. He moved awesome and had already been shown some. Got on him in a round pen after he had been lunged. As soon as I got on we walked, then a few steps later we were trotting, sat down and tried to ease him back but nope! Next thing I know we were cantering and then he just kept getting faster and faster with no care of letting up. Since he was going so strong in a somewhat small circle I kept getting thrown to the outside then finally lost my balance and went right into the fence. My hand and one of my legs caught most of it. Leg was just sore for a few days but my hand was cut and swollen. I also started blacking out which was kind of scary and had to kneel down for a few minutes while I couldn't see anything. I still have scars on my hand from that accident. Needless to say I did not buy that horse.
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#42 ·
So here's my worst fall...
The yellow is the track and the brown blob is me and the horse I was riding. The green line is the jump I wanted to jump and the blue is the jump my horse wanted to jump. Unfortunately, this happened years ago when I wasn't a very strong rider so the horse went for the standards (the red dot) in the middle. He crashed into the standards and took bolted around the corner completely unseating me. I fell and hit my head and got a concussion. I remember blacking out for a minute, then opening my eyes to a huge blur ( also known as the arena) and not knowing where I was. Went to the doctor to check it out and all was fine in the end :)
 

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#44 ·
I saw this and had to reply as my friends always giggle when i tell them about my adventures

I started riding this 17hh+ 5 year old green horse as i wanted to try something new. It was just the end of winter when we were schooling over fences in te indoor arena. My barn has a private viewing room for boarders in the corner of the arena that my mom and her friend were in talking. We went over the fence and he was doing great until he saw them in the window. He spooked and needless to say i was caught off guard as i was so happy of how well we were doing.

As he was darting away from the window i got a wonderful look at the arena entrance where the wall stuck about 4-6 inches from the half door. He also noticed the wall an jumped out of the way sending me face first into the corner of the wall scaring the little kids on the other side getting ready for their lesson. Ended up havin hairline fractures in my jaw, swollen face and both my knees were badly messed up.

3 months later after recovering from that fall i decided id take him to his first show. It was windy and dark and not a good day for showing. He wasnt to fond of the tents and umbrellas and those flowers were going to eat him. About 5 min into the show we are asked to trot. The speaker makes a loud sound and off goes the tank bolting down the rail, as i finally figured he wasnt stopping i tried to circle him. I ended up being thrown Into the fence and out the arena. The barn owner came runnin over and the first thing i said was "sorry i broke your fence". Ended up with a concussion, broken nose and checked for internal bleeding.

Oh bless that horses heart :')
Sorry it was a long one but i thought thy kind of went together :)
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#45 ·
The worst fall I've had is falling off after jumping a line, it was on the landing side of an oxer and we were cantering downhill. I fell on an outstretched hand, and I ended up with a wrist fracture which required 13 surgeries. I ultimately had to have my wrist fused. I have a plate and over a dozen screws.
 
#46 ·
I have always been really good at landing on my feet. Usually I fall off and somehow end up on my feet with the reins over my horse's head. My worst wipeout though was a few weeks ago. I was jumping my horse in a lesson. The instructor had sent us over the same gymnastics course a few times in a row, the first part being a bounce. My horse was jumping really well that day, so my instructor put the second jump in the bounce up. My horse jumped the first one, but I don't think she was expecting the second one to be raised and she slammed on the brakes and swung in a circle. I flew around and landed on my feet holding the reins. I hopped back on right away and tried it again, but she was scared of the jump now and wouldn't jump it. We got another horse to lead me into the jump, but he knocked down the jump and freaked her out again. The same thing happened again except she kept swinging in circles and I landed on my shoulder.

I ended up whacking my knee really hard and still have a bruise from that. I also wrecked my shoulder again and ripped my shirt.
 
#47 ·
My worst fall was about 2 weeks ago. We were working in the small indoor arena. Misti needed to work on pacing her canter as it was really fast. She was doing really well, but suddenly she spooks and goes running off towards the gate, she starts bucking, and going in really tight circles. My saddle slips to her side, and I tried to hold on as tight as I could, but I was hanging off her side and she was spooking more, so I let go and fall right under her feet. She catches my shoulder but then jumps over me.

My shoulder is still bruised (my dad said I probably and well I sold that saddle and got a better fitting one, as well as a different cinch and saddle pad. Right before I fell I put on my helmet because I had a bad feeling, I am so happy I did.

And of course as soon as I fell off I re-adjusted the saddle and hopped right back on. I rode for another hour, and she did great.
 
#48 · (Edited)
The worst fall I had I was trail riding my arab mare in the evening. She brushed against jumping cactus and freaked out ducking out from under me. I fall and held on to the reins hoping to stop her, and in the process got dragged through 2 jumping cactus. It took 2 cowboys 1 and hour to pull half the spines out of my back. Yeah... English tack+ trail riding(Negra + cactus)= ow.
 
#49 ·
My worst fall was when I was 8. I had a 12.2 pony that we got off a dealer. Her name was daisy. I must have had her for about 6 months. One day I was riding around the paddock, and it was a little windy. She spun around a couple of times, but that was no biggy. Then she threw an enormous buck, straight up into the air and hurled me about 10 feet away. She then proceeded to come over to me and trample on me: back, and forth and back and forth. She literally tried to kill me. My mum had to pull me out from under her before she pummeled me.
We sold her right there and then at the sales as she was extremely dangerous. Last I heard she was in Portugal as stolen property. We bought her for 2500 euro.... Only got 400 euro for her in the sales. 1 bidder.
 
#50 ·
My worst fall was when I was 8. I had a 12.2 pony that we got off a dealer. Her name was daisy. I must have had her for about 6 months. One day I was riding around the paddock, and it was a little windy. She spun around a couple of times, but that was no biggy. Then she threw an enormous buck, straight up into the air and hurled me about 10 feet away. She then proceeded to come over to me and trample on me: back, and forth and back and forth. She literally tried to kill me. My mum had to pull me out from under her before she pummeled me.
We sold her right there and then at the sales as she was extremely dangerous. Last I heard she was in Portugal as stolen property. We bought her for 2500 euro.... Only got 400 euro for her in the sales. 1 bidder.

Holy spit :shock:
 
#51 ·
years and years ago, had an appy gelding, kids sicced their dog on us, he reared , cracked my skull , affected my vision and left a dent in my eye brow bone. he would also buck me off, and then try to trample me which he did a few times. Finally sold the crazy thing.
 
#52 ·
oooh some of these are scary! My worst fall wasn't that bad, it was about a year ago and I had come of a jump and a combination of two things made me a fall ONE was me I didn't sit up in time and TWO was Lucy she got overexcited about jumping (she loves it) and played on the landing, putting her head down and shaking it, the reins pulled me forward and gravity kicked in, next thing I know I'm on the ground, scrambling to my feet trying to suck in air because was winded and explain to my coach that I was okay (much harder when you can't breathe) there was a Sam shaped dent in the footing and a mall bruise in my hip. Funny thing is most of the time when I fall off a horse I manage to land to somehow magically land on my feet, everything else, I land on my butt or my face. I still remember the first time I fell, I went to slow down and somehow only asked with on rein so the horse turned and...well I did not I landed on my feet and the person who had spooked the horse I was on (this was barn gossip for the next couple days as this horse RARELY spooked) circled back around to apologize and tell me I was good at falling, it sounds weird but it's good.


I've seen some pretty scary falls though, once a girl at my barn rode her OTTB after he'd had a week off and didn't give him anything to calm him down and he bucked her off, she hopped right up but was bit sore, another girl fell and it was so up in the air if she'd fall I didn't think until a bout .1 of a second before she went down that it was going to happen, she wasn't going fast or on a big horse but she fell HARD, she didn't move fora moment and then her body starting moving up and down and she started crying, good for er though she got back on and jumped again
 
#53 ·
My worst fall would have to be on a 16.3hh Thoroughbred named Boston. He had too much energy and hadn't been ridden very much, other than by kids. So Boston for the past 5 lessons that I had was kicking out a bit, nothing I couldn't stay on for. But in our seventh lesson Boston started throwing out massive bucks, like all 4 feet in the air and kicking out when I would ask him to lope. So we were trotting by a wall and I asked Boston to lope, he let out a huge buck and sent me flying off his back. I slammed headfirst into the wall, shattered the top of my helmet and was knocked out cold for a fair amount of minutes (My instructor said I was out for about 13-15 minutes). The worst part was there were a whole bunch of family members watching cause we were performing a drill routine. The parents of all the family members were staring at me, and apparently a couple thought I was dead. But it turned out okay I was taken to the hospital with a fractured skull.
 
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