I think part of what makes the thought of riding a horse so scary for most people is not only working with such a large creature but the possibility of falling off this large creature. Did you know that equestrian helmets are actually quite different from bike helmets and most equestrian competitions do not consider bike helmets to be legal?

 

If you compare them side by side, equestrian helmets have substantially more foam and fabric padding and are generally stronger than bike helmets. This goes to show that it is easier to have a worse fall from a horse than from a bike. The reason for this is probably because a bike does not have a brain of its own that causes the bike to act erratic from time to time. Like people some days are just bad days for horses, and this can mean they really do not have the desire to work leading to their rider falling off. The other difference is that you do not see your standard bicycle jumping four-foot obstacles. 

Other than a horse’s occasional unruly independence, the height of their mount alone could scare someone from trying this incredible sport. A 16-hand horse is about 5’3 meaning that you would be falling over five feet. The comforting part to all of this is that unlike a bucking bull, horses do not generally have the intention of getting you off their backs nor do they want to crush you like a bug once you are on the ground. The biggest reason a rider will fall is because the horse becomes frightened and is actively trying to preserve their own life. All rules and the well-behaving nature of horses goes out the window when they fear for their lives. 

I think what is more interesting is that, while there is an official method for dismounting in an emergency, there really are very few instructions on how to fall from a horse. While we as humans have some instincts as we fall, there are no specific falling techniques like what you can expect in a sport like martial arts. Some of the things we will do instinctively are curl our heads inwards to protect our neck and spine, stretch out our arms and hands to break the fall, and tuck our legs in to protect our vital organs as we roll to distribute the force of falling.  

Even though equestrians are not necessarily taught to fall, in next week’s blog I will be discussing what we are taught instead and how years of experience can keep us safe.