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Be honest - how much is it your fault when you hit the ground?

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Be honest - how much is it your fault when you hit the ground? Empty Be honest - how much is it your fault when you hit the ground?

Post by FlorayG Fri Aug 29, 2008 6:20 am

Mooching about bareback on the Kitten a couple of days ago I realised that I no longer part company inadvertently with her - even when she shies. I used to do it all the time, either me falling or her putting me off, but now we have a better relationship I just don't. Her mother, whom I have always trusted implicitly, I can honestly say I have NEVER fallen off in 16 years riding her. (Can't find an emoticon for 'please believe me'!) We've fallen together twice though. So I began to wonder, how much of my days of parting company with the Kitten were all really my fault? Surely all of them as it never happens now? She looks after me now because I trust her - she never used to because we didn't trust each other. Your comments, please, on both my situation and your own.
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Post by Jo Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:08 pm

I know the couple of times I have parted from Trelawny it was totally my fault - but I have improved so much with my horse speak and confidence that now when he slips or whatever we are as one - of course I could be speaking too soon!!!!!!
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Post by Admin Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:41 pm

Great question,

I can identify with that totally. I think it does come with building the relationship. It comes with learning to read the horse and being in tune with each other. Accidents and falls usually happen when the horse is way out of her comfort zone, learning the horses comfort zone and how to stretch it to progress without going to far to be dangerous is part of learning together.

There are times when Ember is upset or unsettled that I don't even try and ride, if there is something wrong I am not going to help by getting on board! That would be unsafe and foolish.
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Post by Cyndi Fri Aug 29, 2008 6:48 pm

Each time I've fallen off Fanny, it's been my fault. I put her in situations where she wasn't comfortable, or some other foolish thing, and paid the price.

My balance is also off, but I'm happy to say that my riding lessons start on Sept. 16th!! Woo hoo!!
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Post by bohohorse Sat Aug 30, 2008 4:52 am

I've only come off Z once and it was 100% my fault. It was also the beginning of the end for any shred of 'conventional' training methods for me as I was 'showing him who was boss' at the time.

I think you are right in saying that it's mutual trust which keeps you together - literally! I've heard of horses 'saving' their riders when they are about to come off. Z will come to an abrupt halt if he feels me leaning beyond a certain degree which is quite comical when all I was doing was sliding a finger under his girth or reaching for a berry to pick for him! Very considerate though Very Happy

When you think about it, nearly all falls are caused by a difference of opinion between horse and rider - I want to go this way/I want to go that way. I want to jump/I don't. Once the mutual trust is established, the horse starts to say 'Yep, can do'. Or when he says 'Whoops, not sure that I can' the rider listens. And it's up to the rider to maintain that trust and dialogue so I'd say yes, it's going to be rider fault in just about all the situations I can think of.
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Post by Cyndi Sat Aug 30, 2008 6:39 am

Trust issues definitely played a part in my falls too!! Making progress there, thankfully.
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Post by Jo Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:14 pm

Of course the moment I posted to this topic I knew I was tempting fate!!!!
Trelawny and I went for a lovely ride this morning up in the woods - we both prefer bareback so thats what I did. We were doing a bit of off roading and a deer jumped out from behind a tree not 10ft in front of us. Well Trelawny jumped out of his skin - about 6ft sideways - and I didnt! Needless to say if anyone had seen it they would have laughed as I landed on my feet and Trelawny was looking at me as if to say well what on earth are you doing there!
This wasnt a trust issue it was simply a fright. I laughed, and gave him lots of cuddles and a bit of apple and found a spot where I could climb back on and carried on. We see lots of deer up in the woods and they dont usually bother him - I think it was the fact that it burst out from nowhere, and was so close (usually they run off when they see us) made us both jump!


Last edited by winterweave (Jo) on Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:20 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : wanted to add to it)
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Post by Admin Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:02 pm

You are so right about tempting fate Jo,

I came off today too for the first time in ages, and it was my fault.

I was trying out a new saddle, I have had it for ages but never got round to it. From the outset I didn't feel too good in it, did we confine ourselves to the school, no, it was off for a razz around the farm.

Em felt a bit reluctant to trot, did I listen, no, surely a good canter will be fine. Well for three strides it was fine until Ember gave her best bronco impression to date. Luckily the wheat fields are quite soft to land on.

And the saddle?....ebay!
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Post by Jo Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:29 pm

LOL! As long as you were both ok!
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Post by mazrush Sun Aug 31, 2008 3:08 pm

It seems to me that what happened when you came off Trelawney was more of a strategic dismount. I was famous for them when I only had my now almost retired mare Bethan. One spectacular one was when we were coming down a very steep hill and her saddle slipped onto her neck. There was only one way to go and I went very slowly. I don't want to say anymore about me and Diesel as I don't want to tempt fate but we do trust each other.
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Post by Jo Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:57 pm

strategic dismount - I like that. Trust or no trust - the fact is he jumped out of his skin when the deer jumped out from behind the tree - and so did I - I dont think many would have stayed onboard - perhaps I may have done had we had the saddle on...! or I could have got caught up in stirrups and it would have become a full on fall rather than a strategic dismount - never mind - we weren't hurt and thats all that matters
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Post by Sydney Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:01 pm

I did one of those today.

I "strategically dismounted" off Indigo for the first time lol! I was riding bareback down the lane and seen this thing moving in the field. Well as we got closer I realized it was a helium ballon in the shape of a gold star. We got about 3 feet from it and it flopped in the wind and she did a dive a few feet to the side and I hopped onto my feet, teetered and then landed on my butt in the dusty field.
I picked up the balloon, rubbed her with it she sighed as if to say "oh it's just like a plastic bag" hopped back on her with the balloons in tow and rode home.
All the way home she kept turning her nose in to see what the red and yellow bit was by my leg. She also did not particularly care about the gold star one that was airborn whacking her in the head every time the wind gusted but she just turned her head away from it.
I think I take for granted all the amazing things she does. Any other horse would have freaked and ran home with a ballon that just tried to eat them over and on the side of their head.
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Post by FlorayG Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:55 am

I thought about this yesterday when Dancing shied left-right-left in the space of 2 seconds and I slid off (bareback) and landed flat on my back underneath her. How could that have been my fault. on a slippery round horse moving so quick? Then I realised I had no recollection of the few seconds before the incident because I had been off in some reverie dreaming of who-knows-what as usual. If I had been 'in the moment' she might have been paying attention too and wouldn't have shied, and even if she still had I would have felt it coming and stayed on board. It's so hard not to drift off when you are relaxed, don't you find? Sleep
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Post by bohohorse Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:25 pm

Haha, glad you are ok FlorayG. Yeah, daydreaming is a real problem when hacking. Trouble is, the horse is inevitably daydreaming too, so when they see the monster they are as shocked as we are Laughing
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Post by Jo Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:16 am

Thats so true I am a terrible daydreamer and then wonder why Trelawny is more interested in whats over the gate than walking in a straight line along the road. When i pull myself together and concentrate he does too!
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