Getting back on the horse
Returning to the saddle following a fall doesn’t always come easy. Rethinking your routine, adjusting the goalposts and considering the steps you can take to be safer will get you happily back on board
Words: Bethany Searby.
Photos: Jon Stroud
We wish it weren’t so, but taking a tumble is part of being a rider – unless you’re extremely lucky and have a second-to-none stickability factor. However, even the best riders get unseated and feeling nervous, upset or sore following a fall is nothing to be ashamed of. What’s more, how you react in the minutes, hours and days that follow can not only help shape your confidence but could keep you safer, too. Our steps show you how – and even if you’re lucky enough to come away emotionally and physically unscathed, our tips will change your future rides for the better, too.
Before you begin
The most important thing you can be in the saddle is safe, so always check your tack. As you saddle up, assess its condition – particularly your stirrup leathers, girth, reins and cheekpieces. Replacing them at the first sign of wear and tear will help you avoid mid-ride tack failures – which rarely end well, we assure you. Your smartphone is also an important safety device.