DD had her first fall today.

[Waveafterwaveslowlydrifting]

She is fine. I'm a mess!

Pony was cantering and bucked her off as he was spooked. She was wearing her body protector and was winded but not really hurt, just shocked. Very pale. When she got her breath back she got back on and had a walk about.

I think we both realised the danger and it was scary. She's absolutely fine now and has had a bath and a hot chocolate at home. I know nothing about horses but the riding school instructors are fab. She's been checked over. I'm shattered now!

That’s horses!
Just some gentle advise from growing up around horses and doing some PC instructing... try not to make a big deal of it.
The confident kids I used to teach are the ones who’s parents, when they fell off were all bright and breezy and would come over and go “oh dear! Two legs? Breathing?” And just Chuck them back on. The ones that would make a huge fuss ended up with nervous kids who’d all quit by their early teens.
I think there is a stream of a full badminton XC from a few years ago on YouTube, maybe that and showing that even the best riders come off might help her rationalise it a bit, as if she wants to keep riding, falling is going to be part and parcel I’m afraid

I lost count of the number of times dd fell off years ago, but it must be around 50 ..

She always got back on, apart from the time she broke her wrist but that’s the only actual injury she’s had other than her pride.

She hasn’t fallen off for about 3 years now even when her new mare threw some rather impressive shapes when she first got her, so
she’s developed a very sticky bum.

If your dd wants to carry on riding she will fall off again at some point, so I agree best not to make a big deal of it

Totally agree - don’t make a fuss, it’s part of learning to ride and inevitable. The first time I fell as a child, my friend told me ‘you’re not a jockey until you e fallen off a hundred times’. It made me more determined to get back on each time. Learning to fall, learning to stay on go hand in hand.

If you feel too worried about safety, it’s up to you to allow her to keep riding.

ANP, I was always told as a child (and used the line!) that it was 7 times falling off to make a horseman/horsewoman - far more 'achievable' than your 100!

OP, I'm sorry her first fall was a scary one, all riders fall off eventually but it was a bit unlucky if anything that she's stayed on without a fall this long, it's quite nice in a weird way if they have an innocuous 'slip off' type fall quite early on so they get used to the fact that falls happen and aren't a huge deal (the vast vast majority of falls, especially of children they aren't even slightly hurt, yes of course riding can be dangerous but it is still really rare to actually hurt yourself - in over 50 years combined riding experience between myself and my children the worst we've experienced is one concussion and one hairline fractured ankle, and believe me, all of us have fallen off plenty!).

I am def in the school of trying to swallow your own fear and make them laugh about it if you can and/or feel 'proud' of the fall and getting back on again...

I remember my first fall. Was plonked straight back on. Dont remember any after that, though there were plenty. Dad probably remembers them all though

Yes, definitely no fuss! I had a pony that bolted for the gate, and I would fall off in slow motion at a gallop every single time! Dad would dump me back on unceremoniously and I was expected to get on with it. Unless confidence is really damaged its best treating it very matter of factly, hot baths and chocolate arent usually needed
Falls are part and parcel of riding, especially if she wants to compete etc.

I remember when I was about 10, proudly announcing to my (very non-horsey) mother "I fell off THREE times today!" and wondering why she'd gone pale.

@Sarahlou63

Being a horsey mum, I definitely fell into the "if you can walk and talk you can get back on the pony" camp I'm afraid.

I've had some crashing fall, always always got back on once I got my breath back and was sure I wasn't concussed (even though I have been mildly concussed 3 times - only realised afterwards!!).

It's a seriously risky sport although in a decent riding school the risks will be lower - but they will still be there.

Not wanting to scare you - but it is a fact that horse riding comes with potential injury!

Oh I didn't make a fuss in front of her. She got back on and was fine. I panicked internally though

^It's a seriously risky sport although in a decent riding school the risks will be lower - but they will still be there.

Not wanting to scare you - but it is a fact that horse riding comes with potential injury!^

I was thinking about the innate riskiness of riding yesterday, as I watched my daughter jumping a pony for the first time that has previously bucked off another child, breaking their back. All fine, but I do sometimes think twice about it!

I’ve also been told the 7 falls line...

I think you have to balance 'Back on you go' and 'just lets have a chat and check for concussion/other injuries'.

While we wear helmets, the brain can still get an almighty rattle around in the skull when you come off, and concussion should be taken seriously (especially alongside the research saying concussion in females is more dangerous)

Riding is actually pretty dangerous if you think about it.
So it is probably best not to think too much.
Five of us rode growing up, there was only one concussion and one broken collar bone between us.
We all came off a fair bit though, it is impossible to avoid I would have thought.

If she is a truly committed rider, she will brush off the falls and just crack on. You'll get used to it! The people I know who gave up are the ones who couldn't cope with a fall. I've been riding for 30 years now and still fall off reasonably regularly, touch wood (!!!!) no serious injuries, although have had some crackers - not getting back on just never occurs to me unless the horse is trying to tell me something!

Oof that must be horrible as a parent. As a kid I remember it being fine, I never wore a body protector, can you imagine !!!!! It was never even suggested across the 4 riding schools we went to. My kid does ice skating and falling down from his own height is bad enough!

Jockeys wanting to go pro have a 6 week falling off course!! Part of riding at the higher levels needs to include learningto take a fall and protect yourself and the horse as well. Frinds 15 yr old fell the other weekend - as she says her legs and feet were high for racing and as soon as the horse bucked she popped off - even the manager said she didn't stand a chance of staying on - she got right back on again too and just a bit bruised - Mum had palpitations though!

I was always told 7 falls to be a rider too then I lost count

Fell off loads but only twice spectacularly, once under the horse onto a jump whilst jumping (no idea how that happened) and once thrown directly headfirst into a gatepost at speed (only realised the damage when we removed the silk from my hat after I'd got back on, ridden the rest of the lesson, groomed the pony and done my Grandad's birthday party whilst feeling VERY ill - hello concussion!)

I'm 27 now and touch wood nothing broken from riding despite some very cheeky ponies.

OH played football as a child (amongst other things including a lot of skiing and still does) and every single one of his injuries has been football related. Yet no one bangs on about the dangers of football!

Riding is high risk, but then so is a lot of life!

Agree with @buckingmad. I’ve had my slightly psycho horse nearly 5 years, I’ve come off him once despite his many many attempts. I didn’t hurt myself.
My OH is now banned from playing football as he apparently can’t play without breaking a finger, bone in his foot, etc.

DD's have learned on young green ponies who liked to spin and drop shoulders . 'Hit the deck' as we call it many times. They don't fall often these days though as they have learned how to predict to stop it or sit things and laugh as they buck and leap around. Always just a breezy up you get and get on with it when they do go. No big deal. My friends daughter once fell off cross country aged 6 and when she went white she fed her a can of coke and a Mars bar and sent her on her way. She completed the course. Turned out she had broken her collar bone but this dc now show jumps at horse of the year show, royal international etc. Dd1 has had one break which was an unfortunate grooming accident. Horses are dangerous but horsey dc are (need to be) tough. Falls and potential injuries is part and parcel, especially outside of a riding school setting.

I’m a massive crier after falls- I’ve been in horses for 10 years, had 15+ falls, but the ones from my own heart horse have shattered me (if it’s another horse I laugh it off!) But it does get easier to get back on.

I was always told it takes 24 falls to make a good horsewoman and told to get back on immediately! We only wore body protectors for cross country.

I’m sure your DD will be fine and fall many more times before she’s an adult.

I remember trying to cross a flooded ditch once (or rather get the horse to slide down the bank then jump at the right point). At least 15 people came off trying to cross it, many of them very experienced riders. People were being pulled out of the icy water by their arms!