What to do if you fall from your horse…
First things first, don’t panic. Falling is all part of this sport we so desperately love so we have to expect it at some point or another. The main thing is ensuring you take all the right steps after you’ve fallen as the last thing you want to do is cause more damage by exacerbating any injuries you may have sustained.
In over 15 years of riding I have had many unscheduled dismounts, as some people so pleasantly like to call it. The biggest thing I’ve learned is to give yourself a minute. After I’ve fallen I tend to lie still for a second and take a few breaths before trying to get back up. This gives you a chance to get your head together and check for any injuries. If you feel you’re ok to keep riding I would always recommend getting straight back up. Just don’t be a hero and ignore any obvious signs of a more serious injury as you will only make it worse.
If you’ve fallen and you think you’ve done some serious damage, don’t move if you can avoid it. Try to get to your phone to call for help – your yard manager should never be too far away. This brings me to probably one of the most important points of this whole post *ALWAYS HAVE A MOBILE PHONE WITH YOU WHEN YOU’RE RIDING*. You never know what can happen so be prepared for the worst and have a mobile with you incase you ever need to call for help in an emergency.
What to do if you witness someone else fall from their horse…
- Assess the injured person. Ask them if anywhere hurts, if they can feel their arms and legs etc, if they feel they can move. If they say yes, give them a hand and advise them to move very slowly incase they have sustained an injury that they don’t realise yet. Adrenaline can kick in and mask injuries so if the fall looked particularly bad, be confident the person is ok before allowing them to get up.
Thanks for Reading,
Darielle