Did anyone ever actively teach you how to fall off?

Question

I teach little kids during a very experienced trainer's lessons but she lets me have a very free rein (hahaha ;-p) in terms of what i do in any 10 minute period with a girl. In the past few months I won't let the students train past a certain point (with me specifically) until they can, at the drop of a dime, immediately kick both feet out of the stirrups, hop off, and hit the ground feet first and really bend their knees (both standing up and rolling is fine) at the standstill, walk, and trot. until they do i won't let them try certain things because the risk of falling off is inherently higher even though they have the skill level to start. the trainer also does this, i just emphasize it more and give it more structure with the kids i get. I don't count this as the sole determiner in what they can or can't do: i add it on to the criteria that already existed (for the lessons barn). I've noticed that students who consistently practice jumping off at the walk and trot a 2 or 3 times a lesson automatically kick their feet free and hold on to the mane just long enough to keep their upperbody positioned over their lower body when they fall unexpectedly. that could just be confirmation-hypothesis bias, though. i practice once or twice during my lessons just for fun and i normally land on my feet when i fall.

I'm just curious as to what you guys think about that in terms of good idea/unnecessary/bad idea? Did anyone ever do that with you?

Answer 1

It is a very good idea. My previous instructor would make it into a competition to whom could emergency dismount the fastest but while still having composure. In a realistic situation emergency dismounts may not be the outcome but it definately helps to know how. It comes in favour with run away horses or horses that spook and "lose their mind" per say. Definately keep teaching it, especially with a roll. Generally speaking if you fall off a horse your not going to be able to stand on your two feet so the roll will defiantely help people learn how to "fall safetly"  

Answer 2

I did have a couple of "falling off " lessons when I was about 12 but once everyone had got the idea the lessons were more based on not falling off.

The fact that you know how to fall doesn't always help anyway but folding and rolling is always useful.

Answer 3

When i was younger i was taught how to do an emergency dismount. Im guessing this is what your saying.  I was taught at walk,trot, and canter. but this was due to me being like a sponge. I listen and did it.  This helped me in a lot of situations i got on a horse that went into a canter and then into a gallop. I couldn't stop him he wanted to keep going. I was able to get off and fall on my feet. the horse stopped on a dime. I was safe and thankful that i was able to do that or i thought i might have gotten seriously hurt. I have been bucked,reared,etc and had the same problem and was able to get off with out a scratch on me. One actually recent one is i was working with a horse and the horse went into a canter as i asked. then i felt the saddle going under. and this horse was a pacer. and was in the zone. he also wouldn't slow down. i had to get off cause now my foot was going under the stomach. Stupid me had a winter coat on. It got caught on the horn. but i was able to get off and land on my feet. with out getting hurt again But i ran for the exit and the horse saw it too i got trampled. and dislocated my shoulder. But i gotta say if i didn't know how id probably be under that horse and gotten it a lot worse. Im pretty thankful i learned it. I teach my advance riders how to do this. The ones Ive taught has never gotten hurt for me teaching them this. But what i show is you kick you feet out,swing the leg over and let them push themselves off the saddle. Not holding on with the mane. i find that if the horse is going faster you hand keep balance and will give you more chances of not landing on there feet. but that's just me.

Answer 4

Yea, I was def. taught the emergency dismount, however it was not the focus of every lesson, instead we rode without stirrups... a ton! Every lesson there was at least part of the lesson where we had to cross our stirrups... I really believe that was one of the most beneficial things we had to do.  

Answer 5

I teach it because no one ever taught it when I was learning.  I call it "Tuck, duck and roll".  I'm getting a bit long in the tooth to do it nowadays, but still teach my kids how to do it for their own safety.

Answer 6

yes, i was taught an emergency dismount when i was a beginner. I think its a good and bad idea.. good incase its a real emergency. bad..if the horse is just acting up and the rider doesnt have enough confidence to handle them. they shouldnt let the horse get away with that (i've seen t so many times before) At one point this girl at my old barn(awesome rider!) would do an emergency dismount if her horse(calm, beginner lesson horse) tripped, coughed, slightly spooked, etc. it was ridiculous! that horse learned it could get away with everything.

Answer 7

I learned to vault myself after plenty of hanging on until I fell the wrong way.  When I trained my children, the first way was grabbing mane, but only because I was right next to them to catch them before they hit the ground.  When they were old enough to ride independently, they were taught to push away right when the offside leg cleared the saddle.  I taught them to land on bent knees and tuck their shoulders for a roll to one side if they needed to.

The only concern I'd have in your situation is that if one of the kids sustains a stress fracture from landing on their feet, or separates the shoulder (ac separation) when they roll, you could be held accountable if you don't have the professional training to be teaching this.  Liability issues are always a concern when you are held to a professional standard.

Answer 8

I think that is great idea! I have never heard of it before, but I really could have used it this summer. My horse flipped out and took off with me on her back. I could not stop her and didn't know what to do. Eventually I fell off and broke my arm. That could have saved me a little pain.

Answer 9

I was taught the emergency dismount but never this.

Persionally i prefer it because children fear falling off and teaching them this, teaches them to jump off whenever they feel un-nurved.

I am a clinger. I dont fall! I stay put as long as i can and cling on for dear life. I have found myself round a horses neck more than once and i dont have to waste the time getting back on.

If i had been taught to jump off whenever i felt i was going to fall, i would just jump off whenever but instead i would never do an emergency dismount mostly because you can break your legs.

I was always taught to land on my front with my arms breaking my fall because this way you dont put all your weight and the weight gravity adds on your legs which can break and iv seen it happen.

Also alot of the time you dont land on your feet during an emergency dismoutn and because you have tried to, you land on your back or side and it hurts.

Persionally (purely my opinion) i wouldnt do it because in my opinion, i think it teaches them to be more afraid of falling off and to tense up and leap rather than to sit deep in the saddle and go with the movements of bucking, bolting, rearing ect.

Obviously on some situations an emergency dismount is the only way to save your life, but often, if you are faced with something like that you ahve not taken all possible precautions.

I think it would be better to teach them to sit deep and go with the movement, i know theyre young kids but the earlier you get it drummed into them, the more it will mecome second nature to them and it will not teach them to pannic and try to leap off if the horse spooks, bolts etc.

Sorry about my waffling, lol.