Today I have an important story to share—my worst fall off a horse and some of the lessons I learned from it.
How the Fall Happened
Now, let’s rewind a few years to late 2021. My horse Joey was still young and inexperienced—a total rookie. He would rush at jumps going fast and flat rather than collected and using his back legs for strength—a common young horse thing.
Mid-session, everything was going well. It was winter, but the sky was blue and bright and not too cold. Joey had been very calm and was doing really well at slowing the canter and using his powerhouse back legs to get over the fences.
In my backyard arena it’s a tight but sweet 130 feet x 65 feet. I was coming up to a fence on the long side and—oops! We misjudged the striding and Joey clipped a pole, got frustrated, and did a funky back leg kick, throwing us off course.
Ever seen a horse stop on a dime? It’s crazy fast! Joey dodged the arena fence, but I went flying head-first into the sharp angle of the wooden fence. Bam! I went from a chill afternoon to a crumpled heap in seconds. Dazed and sore, I hopped back on Joey, finished some jumps, and called it a day.
Injuries and Healing
That was when the pain started to hit me. I had actually fractured two ribs, gotten a severe shoulder sprain, and the worst was my head.
I always wear a helmet, no exceptions. The helmet looked unmarked on the outside, but later when the Charles Owen technical team took it apart, it was wrecked. It had done its job to protect me, but wouldn’t be able to do the same again.
Eventually my ribs healed, my headaches stopped, and my shoulder repaired. However, it was my confidence took the longest to heal. Still, I was lucky, and the helmet saved me from a brain injury and perhaps worse.
Lessons Learned from the Fall
Here’s what I learned from that major crash:
◆ Always wear a helmet—you never know when you will need it.
â—† If you fall and hit your head, you need a new helmet. My helmet looked like new on the outside, but was destroyed internally.
â—† Don’t jump back in the saddle like me. Research says it’s best to take a breather after a head hit.Â
◆ Lastly, have a blast riding horses—while being safe—because that is what it’s all about.
This article about Esme’s worst fall off a horse appeared in the March/April 2024 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
