How to Fall Off a Horse
Charlotte Hoffstrom
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When and How to Fall to Avoid Unnecessary Injury
You can't ride a horse until you have fallen off at least a hundred times. At least, that was the saying around the stable where I rode early in life - although the truth is, you will continue to fall long after that first hundred.Learning how to fall off a horse early on will keep you and your mount safer. Thankfully my worst experience was when I was six years old and ended up head first in a pile of horse manure. Humiliation aside, I was not physically hurt. Whether your horse throws you off without forewarning or is acting up and you find it necessary to get out of the saddle in a hurry, keep these tips in mind.
The difficulty is learning when and how to get out of the saddle without creating an unnecessarily dangerous situation. If the horse begins to get out of control beyond the rider's capabilities, it is time to get back on the ground. When a horse acts up in a potentially dangerous situation, the safest outcome for both you and the horse is to get out of the saddle.
You face many dangers when falling off a horse. A foot can easily get caught in the stirrups. The horse could step or fall onto a grounded rider. Especially if the horse has stumbled or is otherwise threatening to go down, the concern is to land clear of the horse.
Following two seemingly simple steps will guide you to a safe landing. First, shake the stirrups off both feet. This can be done as soon as the rider suspects the possibility of needing to get onto the ground. Always slide your feet out of the stirrups when facing a potential danger on the trail such as a patch of rough ground or before crossing a creek bed.
Second, keep a tight grip on the reigns to help avoid the possibility of falling head first off the horse. Once clear of stirrups, with a strong hold on the reigns, you can dive off over the horse's shoulder. If the horse is moving slowly and there appears to be no danger of falling onto the rider, your best bet is to fall feet to the ground and quickly stepping away.