by Jane Gilgun

Created on: July 20, 2007   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

Falling off is part of riding. Knowing how to fall can mean the difference between an injury and a reason to joke about taking a header.

Emergency Dismount

Learning how to do an emergency dismount is the first step in learning how to fall off a horse. If you think you are going to fall, drop the reins, learn back slightly, and swing your right leg forward over the pommel or horn of the saddle, take your foot out of the left stirrup, and land on your feet on the left side of the horse. Every rider should practice this dismount with a knowledgeable person showing them how to do it..

Many times, riders keep their balance for a few seconds before they know the fall is inevitable. In cases like this, you have choices. You can do an emergency dismount. If you are in a position where an emergency dismount is not possible, you may be able to slide off and land on your feet. Think about letting yourself fall to the ground, even when you land feet first because this will lessen the impact and may helpyou to avoid an injury.

Relax and Let Yourself Go

If neither of these dismounts is possible, then let yourself go. Do not fight it. A relaxed body is much less likely to get hurt than a tense one. Wrist injuries are common because riders try to brace the fall. Do not stretch out your arms, but relax them. If you are landing toward your back and hips, relax and allow your body to roll as soon as you hit the ground. Rolling lessens the impact of a fall.

Sometimes, the horse bucks, spooks, or stops short so suddenly that riders fly off. They have no opportunity to try to keep their balance. Some lucky rider land on their feet, especially if they fly over the horse's head, but going with the flow and letting your body fall to the ground can prevent injuries, especially if you are falling at a fast clip. Other riders may land on their heads, backs, and hips. In these cases, accepting the inevitability of the fall is paramount. This can create a relaxation response that may lessen the impact.

Dismounting a Runaway

Some riders fall when their horses run away with them. This is frightening to many riders, but the best way to prevent a fall is to use the reins to pull the horse's head toward you slowly. As you pull, think "circle." You want to get the horse to move in a circle. As the horse does, the horse will slow down, and you can get it to stop. If you can't get the horse to stop, this maneuver will get it to slow down. As the horse slows, do an emergency dismount or slide off.

Prevention

Prevention

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