WHEN YOU FALL OFF YOUR HORSE....

Those of you who have horses (and love them), at one time or another are going to fall off, get thrown or stepped on.  What do you do when this happens?  As the old saying goes, "you have to get back on!"  People end up on the ground for different reasons:  the horse might spook, crow hop and you go over their shoulder.  Maybe they buck when you don't expect it....  Even if you have the sweetest horse in the whole world, you always have to be prepared to keep accidents down to a minimum.  They can read you like a book.  If you are scared, they know it before you do and may react to your energy. The more you experience, the more experienced you become.  Working with horses is not always like the movies and Disney's old "Spin and Marty" series.  You need information.  The best way to get it, is to hang around with some respected horse people...go to clinics...read.  A horse is a very big animal with the ability to do anything it wants.  You have to figure out how to communicate with each other in a way that is SAFE and mutually beneficial.  Have you ever heard anyone say that animals reflect their owners??? (they do in my experience).  If you are nervous or scared, they feel it...if you are relaxed, they are.  Breathing is always good. 

Today a young rider came to use our Indoor Arena.  When she lost her stirrups at what started out as a nice relaxed canter, she panicked.  Her horse felt it...the rider lost her balance and fell over the horses shoulder.  She was bruised and scared.  Sad but true, this comes with the territory.  It is hard to find a horseperson who has never fallen off.  In this case, the horse is as kind and giving as they come...she is well suited to the rider.  Under protest, the rider got back on and walked around the arena with her father at the horse's head.  I hope they return soon so the confidence level can return to what it was.  Working with and riding horses is a serious proposition that you can't take lightly.  If you love your animals, you need to invest in them...that takes a lot of time and effort.

PS... I found out tonight, that this young rider broke her arm.  I hope the love of her horse and riding will get her back in the saddle when it heals...she has a great position, good hands and a very special mare.