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I had a rotational fall with my horse about two years ago. We had been jumping an oxer and unfortunately this time around the jump had just been adjusted and it was done wrong. My horse didn’t see the width of the jump and she got her front legs stuck under herself. While I got my feet out of the stirrups, she was already on top of me and she took me down with her. She landed on me, rolled over me, and stood up on me. I broke some ribs and got a severe concussion, along with some terrible bruising from her standing on my hip, however somehow we were both okay. She had some deep cuts but she healed quickly and has no scars from the incident, and while it took me awhile emotionally, she had no fear of jumping when she was ready to go back to work. Now she jumps meter and she absolutely loves doing it. This is why I will always wear a helmet when riding/jumping and make anyone who wants to ride my horse do the same. My helmet was completely shattered and bashed in, and I would be dead had I not worn it. Also, the right tack for your horse is extremely important. Because my mare had good tack, she was safe and suffered very minor injuries. Be safe out there when you’re riding everyone! Good luck!
wow that is amazing. well done for still riding after that. I have fallen of 1 time. i was galloping and the pony bucked and would not stop bucking i fell over his head and landed on my neck/head thank GOD i was wearing my helmet. i still ride now
I've fallen countless of times but never injured myself. I've been training Ju-Jitsu since before I could walk and part of this sport is learning how to fall when you're in a fight. Those falling techniques really helped me with my horse fails, too. So if you don't have a clinic anywhere in your area going to a self defense course is another option that has helped me personally a lot!
in my first few months of beginning riding, i already had to do an emergency dismount. the horse spooked and bolted. my trainer yelled “FALL FALL” and i pretty much dismounted, hit the ground on my feet and rolled. i did gymnastics for 10 ish years before that and we’d learned how to fall safely. thank god my brain remembered that at that point! no injuries whatsoever. definitely shook me up a bit since it was my first fall, but I’m glad i wasn’t hurt. I haven’t fallen since, somehow lol. My two years of riding anniversary if you will is coming up in a month, and I just recently started jumping. this was a great video and the clinic looked like a lot of fun but also educational! I liked the pool noodle thing also 💕💕 great video as per usuall
I once fell off three times on my horse in one day. We were at a show so it made it even worse. The first two falls were over a jump and the third was because my horse spooked and started to bolt and I fell into the fence. It was not I good day but I had no injuries!
I had a horse growing up that was the best partner I could have ever had while learning to ride. I got her when she was 8 and she was bomb proof. No spooking, bucking, rearing, or bolting ever. One day a friend of mine wanted to let their niece ride and I trusted my horse with the world so I let her take my horse. I borrowed a horse that someone had at the barn that was suppose to be “safe”. I was young so I’d hop on any horse then, and learned my lesson. He took off with me bucking and threw me off at a bayou. I flew in the air and rolled down the incline, hitting my head on rocks. I didn’t wear a helmet, because I had never experienced anything like this with a horse. I trusted my partner and trusted that when other people told me a horse was “safe” that they were like my horse. I got a concussion and am lucky that is all that happened. I now have a new horse and I love her very much, we are working on our partnership, and I always wear my helmet because you just never know.
I’ve fallen off 6 times in my 2 years of competition riding, & one fall (my most previous one) was during the winter & the ground was still frozen. Duchess got scared of a plastic bag & jumped sideways, & I fell of diagonal backwards. I jammed my left elbow, because all my weight (102 lbs) was slammed into it. I couldn’t ride of 2 weeks (yay.) so that was a joy. Back in the saddle now & working with Duchess a lot! Also desensitizing her ALL OVER AGAIN so that doesn’t happen again. ThAnK yOu FoR yOuR tImE
wow! I actually went to one of these clinics today! Mine wasn’t as fancy, but it was definitely helpful to just learn the basics of falling off and what to do in each scenario.
What a GREAT idea!!!!!!!!! I had a bad wreck, came off backward on my spooking horse last Sept. I was on him bareback asking him to do a tight turn to the right, his butt hit the fence and it freaked him out, he spurted forward unexpectedly and I went flying off backwards and splatted on my back. I was in bed for several months for most of every day, and had to walk with two canes. I’ve recovered but haven’t ridden much since. I’m 67 and terrified now. He’s green and highly excitable, he needs training and I’m the one to do it. I will always ride with a saddle forever more. My western saddle is deep with a rough out seat, it has everything a saddle can be to keep me aboard, but we know that only goes so far. Knowing how to fall seems soooooo important!!!!!!! Good for you for going to the clinic and reporting it back to us. I’ve not heard of this kind of clinic. I love it!!
Always glad to see someone learning more. I myself have been in a dive of new trainers and styles. I would suggest looking into Warwick Schiller. I’ve had horses that buck, and one mustang I’m working with RIGHT NOW threw me 2 times in 7 days. Once he almost killed me. Warwick focuses on the why of EVERYTHING. And he connects you to your horse. After a couple days, I can now comfortably ride him again. And when he gets scared, it only takes a couple seconds to calm him instantly and we go back. He is calmer than he has ever been, and me and him are closer than ever before. I do think that learning how to fall is very important. If I hadn’t played rugby and football for years then I would’ve gotten hurt way worse than a few scratches.
My younger daughter so needs this ! She has broken her arms a total of 5 times (3 distal numeral fractures , one comminuted wrist fracture , 1proximal radius epicondyle fracture plus a broken collarbone.) It’s not like she comes off often but she breaks something pretty much every time she comes off. The last fall was scary although I didn’t see it because she was in FL and I was in IL. She was schooling a corner to corner bending line and had done it in one direction. The other direction was a left bend and her mare tends to hang on that rein. That shortened the mares stride and she took off really long and slid over the jump falling on the landing. She didn’t fall on my daughter but may have stepped on her getting up (the proximal radius fracture). Jess had a concussion and the poor mare badly strained her neck because she landed on her face and hyper flexed her neck. I was surprised the mare jumped when she was going to crash because she is generally very careful. Also the jump was novice height and the mare had competed thru what is now 2* and she and my daughter had been doing training very successfully. I have never pushed either of my daughters to ride and we have always erred on the side of staying at a level until it was consistently somewhat boring.Jess’s courage to persevere despite all the injuries amazes me . I almost wish she would take up stamp collecting. This was in Jan of 2021 and they have gradually worked back up to training level which is where I peaked. Jess thinks that’s as far as she wants to go. As opposed to sedate Jessie, my older daughter was a kamikaze child , running before she could walk and climbing like a monkey. She perfected the art of falling as a toddler and then honed the art of not getting dumped with a series of naughty ponies and horses. She almost never falls and when she does she usually lands on her feet.
Lol my mom taught me this stuff when she was teaching me to ride. Her motto was if your gonna ride, first youre gonna fall. I am thankfull for this uears later as an adult as ive had multiple instances where it saved my life, including a full summersalt with my thoroughbred in ful western gear going full speed to catch a loose horse heading for a highway road, we hit a spot that was so soft she sank and helad to summersalt to protect herself, we were both ok, i was only a little bruised but if i didnt have my fall training i probably would have been seriously hurt or even killed that day, and my grandmother who has passed from cancer had a horse rear over backwards and shatter her hips, back in the time when they could fix that kind of damage, so while this type of clinic doesnt come to my area i highly agree with this idea of learning to fall correctly to avoid or reduce injuries
As you said this is definitely very important. Im so glad that you made a video about this because it really spreads awareness to the dangerous of Ridding, and the precautions you need to take to make sure it’s as safe as possible. especially to beginners that may not realize the dangers of ridding, yet. And I have fallen off to many times to count if I being honest, 😆but thankfully I have never had any severe injuries from a fall.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing! I learned to ride in the 1970s. We weren't really taught how to fall. In fact, we were kind of expected to ride it out...no matter what! Madness. Flash forward a few decades or so and I have returned to the sport without this kind of training. Fortunately, I have had a good five years but I am not riding for sport now. I will definitely take a clinic like that, it would really help. The closer to 60, the harder the ground and I imagine that won't change. Lol! Hope your neck feels better now.
Wow! this is so cool! The only serious fall i've had so far was on a shetland pony, he galloped around the arena and started bucking and i fell onto my head, got back on.. and fell onto my head again. I ended up getting a concusion.. and went partically blind for 4-8 days.. but this all happened when i was 8 years old so i dont remember all the details
I started riding in the 1970’s…when riding safety wasn’t often addressed …..other than when my instructor would say something like” you aren’t a REAL rider until you’ve fallen off at least 200 times”… well, as a kid, I took this statement to heart, and proceeded to bail out every time things got a little hairy. It didn’t help that the pony I was put on for lessons was a notorious grass diver, and I was a tiny kid- easily unseated by any wobble…Looking at it now, I Know the instructor was way out of line to start my jumping lessons as an unsteady 8 year old kid! Over the cross rails we went, and Sprite would immediately yank his head down for grass, taking me, holding a clump of mane to the ground. Some lessons had multiple falls. I began to dread my riding days….I still loved horses (obsessed, really) but was done with all the falls. We eventually changed barns, and I was put on safe lesson horse…where I regained confidence and learned to jump in a safer manner. My fall rate reduced drastically, as if I was glued to the saddle. I had a few falls after that- and only one (at 13) that was quite bad. It was entirely my fault- riding by myself, jumping….I was too forward, and hadn’t given my horse enough warm up and asked him to jump something he wasn’t ready for…. The sliding stop refusal rocketed me through the fence…where I cracked a 4x4 pressurized wood pole with my head! My helmet saved my life that day….even though it wasn’t nearly as effective as the helmets we have today. I suffered a fractured eye socket, concussion and multiple abrasions (and bruised ego). Since that fall, back in the 1980’s, I’ve had a handful of tumbles….but nothing serious. I’m a MUCH better rider now, and at 55 I don’t take chances. If I go to a lesson and am given a horse I’m not comfortable with, I refuse and ask for another option. I’m not interested in visiting the ER, I’m only riding for pleasure at this point and falling doesn’t fit that bill! Thanks Marina for another great video!
Go LandSafe! I organized a clinic at our barn up here in the Pacific Northwest. The Warrington's were great at the clinic and it was invaluable. My only advice is to take some motion sickness meds beforehand! I got so dizzy from all the rolling, LOL, although the first day was the hardest. Thanks for sharing! Hope your neck is better!
I had a rotational fall, it was my first year riding and I was gaining confidence to canter( still on the lunge line) and we started cantering and the horse tripped fell head over heels and landed on my leg. The horse was on the lunge line thankfully so my trainer pulled him off of me I wasn’t seriously hurt or anything but it’s hurt to sit on my tailbone ever since.
I’ve fallen off twice in the span of 3 years. The first time I fell we were on a trail ride and I was riding a horse I was unfamiliar with. They gave me no information on the horse, and they just said he was good on trails rides. Whenever we were about to bump it up into a trot, my horse decided to bite the butt of the horse in front of him. That caused the horse in front to start kicking, then MY horse started kicking. I lost my stirrups and flew over the horse’s neck. I landed on my left side and luckily I wasn’t seriously injured! My second fall was in the arena. We started loping and things were going nice. Then, my saddle slipped. I didn’t tighten my girth well enough which resulted in the fall. With that fall, I landed on my right side. I wasn’t seriously injured but I was sore. (Both of those falls took place whenever I was a beginner.)
Such a necessary skill, and a great video to share honestly. I had SO many falls as a kid, and the worst one was a drag, resulting in a concussion. I was lucky however in that I had an old school 4-H leader who taught how to tuck and roll away. It was part of pony club game night. So as an adult, when I became a 4-H leader myself, I passed the torch to my group of kiddos and taught them, what was so generously taught to me. One of my kids, had a bolt and runoff in a show parking lot and I truly think this information saved her life.
Thanks for putting this out there. It's important to know how to fall properly when riding, because you never know what might happen at a lesson, trail ride, or any sort of horse riding activity, it's always good to be knowledged about this side of riding. I will definitely look into these clinics and maybe tell the riding club I ride at about hosting one of these, thanks for this video😁 xx💜🙂
This is so cool! It's great clinic's like these exist. I remember getting all my horse knowledge from youtube and learning how to make sure you're safe when falling was one of the things I learned. I had a summer camp one summer and it was my first time having a "lesson" as I had done only like 1 or 2 trail rides before. This camp I was at I trotted for the first time on a lunge line. I was ready but then I was told not to hold on or have my hands on the reins. This is the first day, and being the inexperienced rider that I was, I didn't know how to use my core strength. I fell off and luckily didn't get hurt because I knew what to do.
That is such an interesting clinic. But so awesome! I have only fallen about 10-15 times and none were bad at all. My most unfortunate fall was when I landed in the mud lol. Luckily I have a habit of somehow landing on my feet when I fall
Love that they teach this!! I've always made my riding students go watch parkour experts showing how to "fall" off things, which teaches how to land with the least possible injury! I would love to see more of these clinics around!
Last March I fell off a horse in One of my horseback riding lessons, I had to get two surgeries because of that. Then about 4 months later i broke it again and how to get another surgery due to that fall.(it happened last week and i am still in a cast and won’t be able to ride in 10 weeks) this clinic seems like a great opportunity for me and a bunch of other-rider too thank you so much for making this video and I think that this clinic will help me out a lot!
This was such a fun clinic! I loved going to LandSafe and it was so fun I got to meet you there! I have called off twice recently and it helped me a lot!
I just went to a clinic similar to this! Taught by a cheer coach and his sister who rides. Was very helpful, they let us push each other off of the fake horses 😂 I had a fall last year where I was thrown into the arena fencing, I became really afraid of falling off after that. The fall safe clinic helped me a lot with that, highly recommend going to one!
Wow, that's so cool! I'll certainly have to check it out! I think the worst I've ever been hurt is getting a mild concussion after the lesson pony I was on bolted and I did a terrible emergency dismount and hit my head. Something like this definitely would've helped a ton!
Wow, this looks actually really fun. I know I sound sarcastic but I’m not. I think when I’m older I should do this because I just learned how to canter of the lunge line and this was on the hardest horse to canter on. She spooks at random things I don’t expect so I want to know how to fall safely
Keli & Danny are the best! I have done two of their clinics and we hope to host them again next year. I encourage all of my students to do their clinic. It works! I have come off with just a scrape on the elbow, and last year was in a rotational fall where a horse tripped and somersaulted with me & I walked away with a torn ligament in my shoulder - but I WALKED AWAY. Love what they do!
This is so interesting I’ve never heard of this! I personally learned that as you ride and as you evidently fall you learn how to fall safely/safer. 😅As someone who has ridden and trained with horses with only a couple rides on them all the way to schoolmasters, accidents happen and can always happen, but you do tend to figure out the landing after a couple falls. I am interested to know what the reason for some of the flipping/tumbling off the simulator is for because in my personal experience and to my knowledge, if you happen to be going hands first of course you should keep them out to protect your head but falling on your side or shoulder from personal experience is far safer that you head or back (I can see how the tuck and roll would make sense but I do feel like a free fall off a moving horse into a solid floor would make the tuck and roll move a little more risky, but maybe that’s just me!) but I’d love to learn more about these, super interesting idea! And to be quite honest it looks so fun 😅
tucking and rolling redistributes the momentum reducing the force you hit the ground with thus reducing injury. it also protects your head and neck more efficiently and prevents you from breaking your wrists or arms. if you do it right it can also get you out from under the horse before it falls or steps on you.
Cool video and great idea for a clinic. I have back and hip issues from my old gymnastics and dance troupe. I agree that learning how to fall safely is important. Most of my falls that happened involved jumping. So many fond memories of being dumped over the horse and the jump. The horse is looking at me like why are you on the ground human? I was bucked off once but ended up doing somersaults to cushion my landing. I learned that through my dance troupe days. 😂
my barn practices emergency dismounts frequently. I have never had to do an intentional one when a horse misbehaved luckily but once I was at a show and my horse basically just decided to swerve out from under me and I started going off the side, but because i had practiced emergency dismounts I was able to sort of save myself and i landed on my feet!
As I grow in my equestrian career, I may very well need this. I’ve never fallen off a horse in my 7-8 years of riding. Although, I’ve been on some of the best and most well trained horses. I own a horse which used me be my lesson horse at a different barn. She has been to pony finals in her prime. Although she is 20, her Arabian in her 100% turns her green despite her huge showing past. I could go on and on about these horses I’ve ridden. I will tell you about this one. Off-the-track thoroughbred who was around 20+. He was SOOO GOOD. He would literally stop in his tracks no matter how fast he is going if I was even the tiniest of balance. He would follow me around without a lead rope, he would call to be as soon as he saw me. I need to typing this because I’m going to break down crying. Anyways, have a good day.
Wow, that looks like a crazy clinic! Would definitely make me dizzy 😂 My first fall was a rotational one, thankfully neither the horse nor I were injured and somehow didn't knock my confidence at all
Definitely checking this out, it sounds very helpful for future falls. I think I’ve fallen around 17-20 times in the 1yr and a half I been riding and luckily I’ve had a very knowledgeable instructor that taught me emergency dismounts. I’ve never had a serious fall just a couple that would knock the breath out of me for a while.
I’m definitely one in 55, and a lucky one at that. I broke my back in December coming off at the end of my lesson, total freak accident that ended up really serious. Came out of a jump off balance and had to turn at the end of the arena. I thought I could roll, but hit the arena wall on my way down. Didn’t think I broke anything, thought I bruised my pelvis as that’s what hurt when I tried to get up. Went to Dr next day, just in case. Based on my pain (or lack thereof) he didn’t think I did either but took an X-ray just in case. Ended up showing a compression fracture of my 3rd lumbar vertebrae that had burst, meaning I had bone fragments in my spinal canal. Was told to immediately go to the ER for a CT, results upgraded me to needing an MRI and being admitted to the hospital. Three days of strict bed rest before I could have surgery, they fused my L2-4 with screws and rods, was in a body brace for 3 months except for showering and sleeping. Moral of the story: always go get checked out even if you think you’re okay. And the extra safety equipment or training is worth the investment (I wish I’d ridden in a vest even though I’ve never jumped over 2’6”). My neurosurgeon sees about one similar injury a month, and I was very lucky to walk away, and we’re not in a very equestrian concentrated state.
I've fallen off horses countless times, and I'm very interested in this clinic! My riding instructor has done a lesson when we practiced just jumping off of a horse and landing on our feet but nothing like the clinic in the video
I've never heard of this before, seems so interesting and looks fun! I've only fallen off twice (one I was actually bucked off) the most I got hurt was a bruised knee. This looks super helpful, though!
My worst injury with a horse was a broken collar bone and I wasn’t even on the horse! Fall wise - would have been when I went head first through a jump and I’m pretty sure I briefly blacked-out. (Also I really wish they had clinics like these in South Africa because I would really love to learn how to ‘fall’ properly, also, it looks like a blast 🤪)
Hi Marina, thank you for the info on this clinic!! I was noticing your library, can you share a more in depth look? I would love to know your thoughts about the books! I already know I love the Masterson Method book.
This is one of the first things I leant to do when I started horse riding, when I was 5 (a loooong time ago 😂): how to fall properly. Well, it was not as secure as in the clinic here - we were on a real horse, lunged in a round-pen (ground was sand) and we literally did that for 3 lessons of 1 hour each. I think it actually worked pretty well, as I was never seriously injured when falling from a horse - the "worse" has been when my horse fell on my foot once (broken foot, recovered well). So I am grateful for my first instructor who has done an amazing job at teaching us that!
I’ve been bucked off at least 3 times. And have fallen off untold times when my horse stopped dead before a jump. Fortunately no serious injuries. I am now too old to take such risks….no more jumping for me! 😁 Great video!!
I’ve fallen more times than I can count. I did learn how to fall when I first started riding when I was 7. But in a freak accident I was bucked off and broke my femur when I was 10. Still riding 20 years later
That looks really cool! Last year a horse I was riding tripped over a jump and she flipped over and landed on my arm. We were both alright other than a few scratches!
Thanks for sharing this! My horse's hoof rolled on a perfectly sized and shaped stick while he was trotting. He fell to one side and I was still in the saddle. I was able to dismount and pull my leg out before he stood back up. It seemed kind of funny at the time. I did end up with a knee injury that healed over many years. My horse was okay, thankfully! But still, I can see how very small things have the potential for disaster. I was sad to hear about the man's wife, but happy he is trying to prevent that from happening to others. What a blessing. Stay safe out there!
Learning how to fall is the really important bit of riding. You had crash mats, I had a softish wet field and a very lively, non winning ex NH racehorse who took an instant dislike of myself, he wasn't that keen on her, but I did receive the initial training in the pond. I had to teach the GF then how to come off a motorcycle safely in return, unfortunately the bike needed extensive repairs after several goes, she did not adhear to the keep it below 30 instruction, luckily it was my spare one, she was an adrenaline and pain freak. I also got it in the neck from her Father's gardener for chewing up the gravel drive which he had spent all morning making pristine.
I feel like this is a amazing thing to know, to know how to fail is good, to know how to win is also a amazing thing.😀😀 These days when kids loose they get so angry, but I ride for fun and ride because I love horses not beacause I can make money sometimes or win, but because I love them
Speaking as an Equestrian (and Martial Artists), I've found that taking a fall and landing propperly is important. I also know, that when a person rides a lot, they WILL take a few falls.
I have an older client that teaches pickle ball, the first thing he teaches everyone is how to fall, he said its a matter of time before someone does. This makes total sense to teach equestrians. Thanks for sharing!!!
