Falling from Your Horse: How to Fall Safely Every Time
Falling from your horse is an experience nearly every rider faces, often multiple times throughout their riding career. While falls can be distressing and may cause injuries, understanding how to minimise the risks and adopting safe falling techniques can make a big difference.
Whether you enjoy high speed hunter trials, breaking in horses and ponies, or peaceful hacks on a steady mount, these safety tips will help you ride with greater confidence and prepare you should the unthinkable happen. Let’s explore how to avoid falls from equipment failure, the correct safety gear to wear, and important techniques to lessen impact during a fall.
Prevent Avoidable Falls from Equipment Failure
Many falls are preventable by maintaining your riding tack and equipment in good condition and ensuring proper fit. Invest in high-quality leather or synthetic tack certified for safety rather than cheap faux-leather alternatives that may fail unexpectedly.
Always check your girth is securely tightened before and during rides, as a loose girth slipping can cause a sudden fall. Inspect the girth straps and saddle billets for wear and replace any worn parts promptly.
It is helpful to learn to balance and ride without a saddle; however, do not underestimate the risks of broken reins or stirrup leathers. Be vigilant to ensure stirrup sizes fit your boots correctly, and keep the stirrup leather keepers engaged to allow stirrups to release if your foot gets caught to prevent being dragged.
Wear Proper Safety Equipment for Protection
Safety gear is your last line of defence if a fall occurs. A well-fitted, Kitemarked riding helmet, compliant with the latest safety standards, is essential and should be worn at all times in the saddle. Helmets should be replaced after any impact, even if damage is not visible.
Consider wearing a back protector or an air jacket especially if you participate in higher-risk disciplines like eventing or cross-country. Gloves protect your hands from abrasions, and long sleeves shield your arms. Sensible riding boots and jodhpurs complete your protective outfit.
Keep reins appropriately sized, and avoid excess length that may snag. Always carry keys or sharp objects in secure pockets away from areas that could cause injury if you fall sharply.
Fall or Jump? Choosing How to Get Down Safely
When you realise you cannot stay aboard, try to control how you leave the horse if possible. Ideally, jump off to land on your feet, bending your knees on landing to absorb the impact gently. While it’s rare to land perfectly, even slowing your fall this way helps reduce injury.
Master Managing the Fall
In the moment of a fall, it’s challenging to remember safety advice, but practice and experience will help you improve your natural reactions over time. Here are key techniques to minimise impact:
- Relax your muscles to avoid stiffening, which leads to harder impacts.
- Avoid breaking the fall with outstretched arms as this often causes wrist fractures; instead, keep your arms curled in.
- Attempt to roll as you hit the ground to dissipate energy; turn your body so you roll over your shoulder and side rather than landing flat.
- Protect your head and face by tucking your chin and turning your head away from the ground.
- Prioritise staying clear of tangled reins or stirrups that may catch you and cause further danger.
What to Do After a Fall
After falling, it’s important not to rush getting up immediately, even if you feel alright. Take moments to breathe and assess for pain or dizziness. If you hit your head or feel disorientated, seek help immediately and avoid moving if possible.
Check your horse over carefully and calm it if unsettled. Re-mount only when you feel mentally and physically ready—there is no need to regain the saddle instantly if you are shaken.
Remember, taking time to recover is part of responsible riding and safety.
Expert Tips to Ride Safer and Fall Smarter
- Perform regular equipment checks and replace worn tack promptly to prevent unexpected failures that cause falls.
- Wear a certified helmet and suitable protective wear whenever riding.
- Practice emergency dismounts and falling techniques in a controlled environment such as a riding school arena.
- Keep stirrups properly adjusted and ensure safety mechanisms are functioning to prevent foot entrapment.
- When falling, relax muscles, tuck your arms, and aim to roll rather than landing stiffly.
- Inspect yourself carefully after a fall and do not hesitate to get medical help if anything feels wrong.
- Give yourself time to recover mentally and physically before remounting.
By following these guidelines, riders can increase their safety on horseback and be better prepared should a fall occur. Practising proper techniques and maintaining good equipment will reduce the risk of injury and improve your riding confidence.
Stay safe and enjoy your riding adventures!
