Ima Sample
Ms. Lawrynovicz
AP English III—2
17 October 2011
How to Fall off a Horse
If you ride horses, it is not a matter of if you will fall off; it is a matter of when. Horses are unpredictable, and even the oldest, calmest gelding can teleport out from under you or turn into a bronco at the most unexpected moments. He might see the new trashcan and think it is a horse-eating monster, or smell smoke from your neighbor’s barbeque and think a forest fire is moving towards him, and the next thing you know, you are on the ground. If you are lucky, only your pride will get hurt. If you are unlucky, you might break an arm, a leg, your back, or your neck. The trick is to minimize the risk. Learning to fall in a safe manner could save your life.
Falling, even in a controlled environment, is still dangerous, so when you practice your falling technique, you should always wear a helmet. It could be the difference between getting a concussion and going to the morgue. Whileit might be true that riding helmetslook funny and mess up your hair, you are not going to care what your hair looks like if you are dead or in a coma with massive brain damage. So wear a helmet. If you think it looks uncool, get it airbrushed with blue flames or the Green Bay Packers logo or Tinkerbell.
Wearing a helmet does not make you indestructible, however. Even if you have a helmet on, always practice falling somewhere safe. An arena with soft footing is best. That way, you will have a forgiving surface on which to fall, and your horse will not be able to go galavanting off on some grand adventure without you. Practice falling first from a standstill, then a walk, and then a trot. You do not want to just launch yourself off at a gallop without first perfecting your form at a slower speed.
When falling, your first step should always be to kick your feet free from the stirrups. You might think that your feet would naturally slide free during a fall, and sometimes they will. Sometimes they will not. If your foot is caught in the stirrup, you will end up being dragged by the horse, and you may be trampled to death before you can wrench your foot out.
If you can, you want to fall into a shoulder roll. If you do not remember your tumbling classes from elementary school, imagine a somersault, but instead of going straight over on your head, you roll at more of a forty-five degree angle, putting your shoulder to the ground, and tucking your chin so that your head does not actually hit the ground, or if it does, only in a glancing way. You probably want to practice this move a bit on the ground before you try it from the back of a horse. Somewhere with plush carpeting or a mat might be a wise choice. Once you feel comfortable with the shoulder roll on the ground, try it from an elevated position, perhaps when standing on a bucket or mounting block. Then practice from horseback, but at a standstill. It is a good idea to have a friend standing by to hold or catch the horse once you come off. Enough practice with this move should give you the necessary muscle memory to repeat it without thinking should you happen to fall unexpectedly.
Unfortunately, your horse may not always be considerate enough to spook in such a way that you can dismount in a shoulder roll. You may find yourself airborne, going off the back of the horse. In this case, there are a few key points to remember. Unless you want to end up with a broken finger, arm, or collarbone, you do not want to put out a hand to break your fall. The small bones in your hands and wrist are likely to break under your full weight if you fall at any speed. Many people unconsciously do reach out with a hand, so when you practice your shoulder rolls, cross your arms tightly over your chest. This may help because even if you are not able to shoulder roll, your arms may automatically snap over your chest, preventing you from landing on and breaking a hand. The other thing to remember is to let go of the reins. You may be concerned about losing control of the horse, but once you are on the ground, unless you land on your feet, you are actually putting yourself in more danger by holding the reins. Keeping a panicked horse close to you while you are on the ground increases the danger that you will get stepped on or kicked. You also risk breaking fingers or your arm if you hold onto the reins. It is safer for both you and the horse to let go. If you are worried about your mount running off, it would be a better idea to train him to stop on a voice command than to try to hold onto the reins if you are unhorsed.
Learning to fall safely will not only help you when you are thrown, it should also help you be more confident when you are in the saddle. Many riders fear falling so much that they shy away from jumping or other high-level equestrian activities that they might otherwise enjoy. Falling off is an inevitability when riding horses, but that does not mean that you should stay on the ground or only ride at a walk. Yes, you may occasionally “eat dirt,” but with some practice, you should rarely get hurt doing so.