Horse fell to his knees when stopping.....:-(

Ok, as some of you know, my guy has been in training now since mid October, which, in the big scheme of reiners, is really not much at all......especially since he is older and lots was retraining.

So, I got to ride him yesterday for the first time I'm almost 6 months. SO exciting! We did really well, at least for us. The trainer told me to ride to the center and stop. So, I did, just how I was taught-legs forward, seat deep.....and he fell down onto his knees. It took him a minute to recover, and he seemed fine. Trainer just said-"how odd"......hmmm. I certainly do not want this to happen! I don;t want him hurt. I think maybe because he is still bouncing in front rather than stepping, could be part of it, but the fact that he fell forward also tells me his weight was not far enough back. Is there anything else I can do to help him? Obviously the trainer(s) will be working on this in the next few weeks.....they have him unit the beginning of June, then I will take him back north with me for the summer.

Thanks! Just wondered if this happens very often? I have never seen it myself, but have heard of one somersaulting on someone......

It may not have had anything to do with how proper or improper he's working or how proper or improper you were riding. It may have been nothing more than a stumble at just the wrong time and he was unable to recover like he usually would.

Truthfully, I wouldn't concern myself with it unless it starts to become more common.

Heck, a while back, I found several videos on youboob showing reining or pleasure horses that would fall and completely flip over just trotting/loping along because they stumbled and couldn't recover. It happens, just like it does with people. I fall all the time for no apparent reason .

Does he stop on his front when your trainer rides him? Or did he just stop on his front (bounce) when you asked him to stop?

youboob? LMAO!

I agree with the first post, I wouldn't think too much of it unless it happens more often. My horse has fallen to his knees, just because it was a little puddly and he's the biggest clutz on earth! I would keep an eye on it, but I wouldn't lose sleep :) good luck to the boy! I'm a total sucker for reiners, love them all :)
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Rookie-he slides and uses himself better when the trainer rides him, but still has not gotten the hang of walking his front legs, so he bounces them. It was probably me, plus I was riding indoors, so in a smaller area. Hopefully we will be outside today, and will see a difference.

Just jump-reiners are SO fun! Loving it, even tho mine is certainly never going to be a real contender in the NRHA, we have fun, and that makes it all worth it.

Hmm that's odd that he's stops on his front with the trainer too...after 6 months of training....from what I have seen around here that is the first thing that go after ( lightness )...but hopefully he was having an off day or it was because of how you were sitting..not his training :)

They tell me the stepping on the stop comes with time. They have had a really tough time with him because much of his training was RE training, which is much more difficult. He does now sit the stop, but hops in front...weight is in the back, at least with the trainer. I am going out shortly to have another lesson and we will see.

I had a horse that did that to me. When I got off and checked him. He was just not him. Can not quite explane it. He had never done that before and he was fine a few days before. Anyway called the vet out to have him checked for EPM sure enough he had it. Caught it early but still took a big to treat it.

THanks NRHA-He was good today, but I will say-he stumbles a lot at the lope in the rear-like 5-6 times a ride. Trainer thinks he is not yet totally used to the plates and is driving hard behind. I am going to watch. It. He has always down some of that, just not this bad.