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Ah! The UNSCHEDULED DISMOUNT! I know it well! Where I come from, anyone who falls off a horse must purchase ice cream for everyone at the barn. (We're probably just trying to fatten ourselves up, so we can sink deeper into our saddles and stay on!)

After spending several years and way-ay too much money on professional equitation training, I finally found a trainer who could put all the hidden secrets of horseback riding into a single sentence. I'll save you a fortune. Here it is:

THE SECRET TO HORSEBACK RIDING IS TO KEEP YOUR HORSE BETWEEN YOU AND THE GROUND.

However, there are certainly many ways to fall off a horse. Here are several methods that have proven to be popular at our barn.

1. Ride in an ill-fitting saddle that pinches the horse's back.
2. Ride with stirrups that are too long.
3. Ride away from the mounting block before you are fully seated on your horse.
4. Ride without tightening the girth or cinch.
5. Ride a horse that has never been backed before.
6. Ride alongside a car that backfires.
7. Ride in a park and suddenly find a bicycle coming around a corner.
8. Ride up to a jump at full speed and let your legs fall away from the horse's sides, so he stops suddenly.
9. Ride along the long side of an indoor arena and find a stray cat leaping suddenly onto your horse's back.
10. Ride on the trails without looking where you are going, and allow your horse to step into a hole.
11. Ride outdoors by a pond or creek and surprise a flock of geese, herons, gulls, or any other birds, so that they zoom right over your horse's head with their wings madly flapping.
12. Ride with another horse and rider, who are racing along out of control.
13. Ride outside on a muggy day without fly-spraying your horse.
14. Ride bareback on a steep hill.
15. Ride outdoors while an airplane or helicopter is landing nearby.

Despite all these possible scenarios, there are several steps you can take to maximize your chances of remaining in the saddle.

START WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

First, wear a protective riding headgear whenever you are mounted on a horse. Helmets have saved my life, my kids' lives, and my friends' lives more times than I can count. Horseback riding is a risky sport, as horses have minds of their own. Wearing a helmet is using your head!

Protective vests are also marketed for eventing (including steeplechase jumping) and other rugged riding applications.

Wear heeled boots. At least 1" of heel will keep your feet from slipping through the stirrups and becoming caught, if you should fall

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