If you fail at something, do not be afraid to try it again. And if falling off of your horse is failing, then, I have had my share of trying again! I was never afraid to get back on a horse that I had fallen off, and always got right back on, but - I did have a few bruises! I remember 2 specific times when riding with a saddle when I parted ways with my horse (but am sure there may have been more, although I would think the embarrassment of having a saddle and still falling off my horse, would stick in my mind). The scariest was when I was 14 or 15 and riding along side my friend (was his horses) when our horses either caught scent of or saw a bear – my friend and his horse just took off through the wooded area, my horse abruptly bolted to the side, leaving me suspended in ‘air’ before hitting the ground. The horse then took off after my friend, and there I was sitting on the ground, watching her disappear. I am sure the bear was also scared by the commotion, as it was no where to be seen, and shortly my friend returned with my horse, laughing his head off! How my feet came out of the stirrups and the horse just disappeared from beneath me – not sure of the physics of it all – but not a pleasant experience. The two horses we were on were normally very calm, as we actually would duck hunt (or grouse or hungarians partridge and prairie chickens) and fire our shotguns from their backs. Because they had such a great temperament, a person tended to ride them, with little concern for ‘really holding on’ – guess we had never come close to a bear before! Another time I fell off a saddled horse was when I was 7 years old, and I do not know to this day, if my cousin (who caused it) did it on purpose or not. There were four of us riding to school, myself, my cousin (about 10 years older than I) and another older boy and his younger sister from the farm next door. Often we would race, and the sister and I would be given a head start. I was riding Jim (what a horse!) and he was going full out, we rounded a corner, with the girl and I pretty well neck and neck when I felt myself slipping. I need to rephrase - I did not actually fall OFF of Jim – meaning that I never really left the horse – also I need to say that at 7, I was able to saddle Jim myself with the exception of tightening the cinch, which was my cousins responsibility.
http://www.ehow.com/video_5238809_tie-cinch-strap.html
So back to me falling - but wait (if I am falling - ‘why’ was I was still with my horse) my feet were still in the stirrups, and I was still in the saddle – but the ground was getting closer!!!! Jim came to an abrupt halt, and there I was, hanging upside down, under the horse holding onto the saddle horn for dear life – with the cinch (now on the top of Jim) loosely holding the saddle (and me) from the ground. In a couple of seconds, the other two racers came around the corner…. they just started to howl – I guess I was quite the sight, dangling under Jim!!! Like I said, I do not know if my cousin purposely did not tighten the cinch, or if it was an honest mistake. Of course when we got to school, (one room) everyone heard the story and I endured much teasing. Sure glad I was riding Jim – not sure if other horses would have stopped or not. When riding bare back, it was not unusual for me to be on the ground, watching my horse continue on its merry way. But – the most embarrassing and funniest was when I was removed from one horse by another horse. I was riding a ‘work’ horse, part of a team. A team of horses usually spend their whole lives together, and it seems can become upset when separated. My friend and I had been into town and when we returned home the mate to the horse I was riding was acting like some ‘stallion’ you would see in a movie… strutting – kicking up, snorting (this from an docile work horse!!). Not being too bright, we rode our horses into the pasture he was in – then all hell broke loose. The antics of the other horse were so bizarre and we were laughing at how he was acting – he started to circle around me and the horse I was on – prancing.. and kicking up, it truly was funny, but all of a sudden he came along side my horse, turned to the side, and kicked up. His hooves caught the underside of my feet and I flew into the air – not just off the horse – but UP and off. Like I said, many bruises – and a lesson learned. If I ever rode that horse again, I made sure her mate never got close to us. It really is a shame that we did not have video cameras back then, I am sure I could have won some of TV Funniest Videos contests.
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