Q: What is the best way to fall off safely?
A: When we ride, we of course aim to stay on the horse at all times! However, horses are unpredictable and some situations are simply out of our control. Each fall is circumstantial and we often don’t have enough time to ensure we fall off safely. However, if you can remember these tips, it might improve the ‘quality’ of your fall (ahem!) and help a potentially serious injury, become a more mild one:
- Avoid putting both arms out in front of you to brace against the ground upon impact, as this can lead to broken bones!
- Try to bring one or both arms across you and try to bend through your body.
- Keep your head and chin tucked in.
- Aim to land on the back of your shoulder.
- Try to roll as you reach the ground to reduce the blow of the impact.