If a rider falls off their horse in the forest, and no one is around, does the cursing make a sound? Yes, it does, because darn that hurt! The pundits say that unless you stick to carousels, if you ride a horse, you will eventually fall off. Horseback riding is inherently dangerous because the rider is on top of 1,000 pounds of independent thought and occasionally there is a misunderstanding or an out and out disagreement.

Local rider and stable owner Lucy Prybylski shared a story of a “trifecta” fall. A number of years ago, a group of riders returning from a long trail ride crossed into an open meadow with tall grass. Unexpectedly, a large tom turkey with a full tail display seemed to levitate from the grass rising to a height of several feet. Three of the horses whirled and bolted leaving three riders on the ground in a nanosecond. The horses galloped back to their barn as the riders sat dazed but unhurt. That field is now known as “Turkey Meadow.”

There are many reasons why we fall. The spooking fall described in this story is one, but there is also the “going over a jump” fall, the refusal fall, the deliberate “gotta buck you off” fall, and the rearing fall. There are probably as many reasons why we fall as bones that can be broken. When horses act in a dangerous manner, it’s not capricious. Something is triggering the behavior, so don’t be angry at the horse. Fear, pain, or other physical issues are behind the action. Since we riders are committed to our sport, it makes sense to look at ways to reduce not only how often we fall off but also at ways to minimize injury.

An ounce of prevention can reduce bad outcomes. A poorly-fitted saddle or a bit that causes pain can cause a normally complacent horse to buck or run. Physical issues such as bad teeth or Lyme disease can also cause unpredictable behavior. A friend told me the story of a horse that reared and fell over backwards onto her causing serious injury. The reason turned out to be dental issues and the horse simply could not bear the pain of the bit in his mouth. Once health and tack are checked, there are other safety measures you can do. If you have a high energy horse, longe him first to release energy and work out any kinks. Regardless of your horse’s temperament, always be on alert for things that might spook him. Good posture is always important; it centers your weight over your hips for a more secure seat.

The number one way to reduce injury is protective gear. Leslie Smith is a local rider who remembers a crazy fall where she landed straight on her head and skidded for a bit before collapsing into a prone position. She says that without a doubt, her helmet saved her life. An ASTM-approved helmet should always be on your head and fastened securely. Some riders also wear padded vests that protect the spine and torso in a fall. After a friend broke her leg when her foot remained tangled in the stirrup after a fall, I purchased breakaway stirrups that have a rubber band instead of a metal arm on the outside of the stirrup. The rubber band releases under pressure. A few items you may not consider as safety equipment per se but help with control are gloves, riding pants with full seat grip, and boots with a heel.

Do you know how to do an emergency dismount? This maneuver is useful if you feel you will be safer on the ground and need to get off quickly. Take your feet out of the stirrups, put both hands on the neck or horn and swing one leg behind you and you jump off. Push away from the horse and try to land with knees bent. It’s not easy, but you can practice it anytime, starting at the halt, then progressing to walk, trot, and canter. Check out YouTube for helpful videos. Another skill is the one rein emergency stop. The trick here is to lift the reins up before you pull on one rein to turn and stop the horse. If you lean forward to shorten the reins, you could lose your balance. YouTube also has videos on this technique, as well as how to sit out a bucking horse. If your horse starts to buck, not just little crowhops, but scary big bucking, drive your heels down like you want to press them into the ground, sit back on your pockets, and try to move with the horse. Don’t pull on both reins to get his head up because he is stronger than you. Instead, pull up on one rein to turn him and then try to drive him forward.

When a friend has a fall, we always ask if the horse hung around or hightailed it home. In researching this article, I found that you can actually train your horse to stop when you fall. Put a saddle on your horse and place an object like a deflated tire or bag of sand in the saddle but don’t secure it. Start to lead your horse around and the moment the object falls to the ground, say “whoa,” stop him and give a reward. Over time the horse will learn to stop when they feel the weight fall.

It’s one thing to read about what you should do, but falls happen in an instant and your brain doesn’t have time to formulate a plan as you are flying through the air. You can’t really practice falling off a horse, or can you? LandSafe, a company based in Maryland, travels the country running clinics on safe falling. Their simulator horse, which is similar to a mechanical bull, moves along a short track and then stops suddenly. The rider pitches forward onto thick tumbling mats. With practice, the student learns to tuck and roll in order to land safely and at the same time develops muscle memory. When a real fall happens, the body should remember what to do. Through their research, LandSafe suggests the following if you feel that you have reached the point of no return and must fall off the horse: tuck your chin to round your back, extend your arms but not your hands and aim to take the brunt of the impact on the long bones of your arms. Roll away from the horse. Don’t try to hold onto the reins; that will impair your ability to roll away.

Finally, a word about your psyche after a bad fall. Our brains want to protect us from danger, and fear is natural, but can be debilitating. Go easy on yourself and accept the anxiety or fear without criticism. Give yourself time to build confidence again. Start in your safe spaces, which might be grooming or groundwork. Work on physical fitness off the horse because fitness ties directly to safety. Expert athletes imagine good outcomes and don’t replay bad history in their minds; you can do the same. Slowly expand your circle of comfort and your confidence will follow.

Riding with friends is safer than riding alone. A membership in the Newtown Bridle Lands Association can bring you new companions and new trails to ride.

Tracy Van Buskirk is a 37 year resident of Newtown and President of the Newtown Bridle Lands Association, at www.nblact.com, a nonprofit volunteer organization formed in 1978 to foster an interest in horseback riding as well as preserving, protecting, and maintaining riding and hiking trails in the community. Horses have always been a part of her life. She owns a small bay quarter horse named Little Bear.