by April Corvino

Created on: January 18, 2010   Last Updated: January 19, 2010

How to fall off a horse and avoid injury. There are many reasons we may come off of your horse whether we need to or not. Some people got experience of how to fall by learning the hard way and some are taught before it happens to them.  When we taught children and adults to ride we taught emergency dismount. Sure it is controlled but once the child is secure in it at the walk and trot and sometimes even at canter we will then as we have a lesson cal for the emergency dismount and they are timed. We teach to quickly react and remember the important things to be sure your clear of. I have had my share of nasty falls but since I learned from emergency dismounting it isn't that hard. Most times you won't know you are going to until its too late to even try to get off. I have also played hockey, you may not think both have things in common but they do as my friend was impressed by how well I could turn my body and let the horse follow my body since I was practically new to riding at the time and falls I have had plenty sure they are not as far but to me I would take falling in dirt any day then to fall on the hard concrete of the road for street hockey.

Check list for emergency dismount, rehearsals are great to get your mind to be able to do these quickly. Reins do not worry of them if you hold on which many like to do you can cause more harm than good you will either make the horse fall backward or come on top of you sure in the cross country and jumpers do it and they haven't but I have seen a good few that do. Stirrups, be sure they are free and clear from your feet. Watch where you are falling into and push off.

Not always will you be able to think about stirrups or reins this is where my hockey or roller blade training comes in although I know there are a few horse trainers that say the same thing. When you know you are coming off relax your body. Your body will know what to do, I am not sure if every one has this experience since I think we don't really bother with it but I have experienced it and another girl who couldn't understand what happened. It usually happens right when you realise you're coming off you don't get to see anything and you become almost unable to move. When you do seem to wake up you notice your on the ground. I believe this is a response to the fall your body goes into to prepare itself for impact.

There are things we trainers teach which is heels down I have seen self taught riders not know about this. There is a reason why some trainers don't allow stirrups until you learn not to brace in the stirrup and to keep only the ball of your foot in the stirrup. This limits the risk of your foot getting stuck and the reason why us trainers always recommend riding boots it isn't for fad or what we wear but it is because how the boots are made for the saddle not very comfortable usually to be walking in but are nice to not worry about.

Another way, if you are worried about a foot getting caught up they make break away stir-ups. I use endurance stirrups that are really nice since the taper down so if or when I do fall off my feet just slide out.

In conclusion, Do not brace your body and get yourself into knowing what to do when you need to dismount instead of making a move and end up getting hurt because you rushed with out thinking of what can hurt you. Emergency dismounts do help in that repetition of what you need to do will become second nature so you won't have to even think just do. Allow your body to fall the worst thing to do is fight the fall which ends up hurting worse since your muscles are tense, your body has its own way of coping with a fall.

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