The Hazards of Horse Riding

Riding is a dangerous activity. That’s a given.

As riders, when we decide to get on that horse, we know that there is a certain amount of risk involved. Falling, getting bucked off, getting thrown off, although highly undesirable, come hand in hand with riding. We’re taught to always be prepared for the unexpected, to always mind our posture/balance and our contact with our horses, and above all, be very very careful when riding.

Still, you can never truly tell what would happen when you’re out riding. Today, we were riding outside the arena, mostly to practice for the endurance race, but otherwise, just for fun and to let loose a little. This was what happened:

I had already been riding BJ for nearly an hour at the time with one of my riding partners, Kak Safura (Riding Gray).  At one point I saw Kak Lyn (Riding Expresso) and the others just ahead of me, so I went ahead to join them. Here’s the sequence of what happened during the incident, and HOW it happened, to my recollection. Ladies and fellow riders, if you saw a different view, feel free to comment. This was just what I saw.

1. We were riding past an area built for kids. It’s a penned area, behind translucent barriers, and had a trampoline/play area in it. It’s located right next to the road where we ride our horses. In normal circumstances, that stretch of road would be one of our canter spots. So the horses, being used to the idea, were ready for the canter even before we were, I reckon.

2. We were just passing the play area, and the horses up front with Kak Lily, Kak Lyn, and Sil, our trainer, have already started to canter (there was another horse and rider, but I can’t remember who). Seeing the horses in front cantering, Space U and her rider, Anis, and BJ and myself followed.

3. I heard someone scream (I was told later that it came from the play area), and the next thing I know, I saw Space U buck. That one unexpected move threw Anis off the saddle, and she tumbled to the ground within seconds. To my horror, she fell directly in front of us. And BJ was already in canter.

4. I pulled the reins left and shouted, sitting back, trying to slow BJ down and swerve him at the same time. The only thought flashing through my mind then was that if I didn’t turn BJ fast enough, we’re going to run into this girl, and God knows what would happen then. Thankfully, BJ was a very calm horse, and as soon as he saw the girl tumbling in front of us and felt me pull, he swerved.

Shouts of alarm erupted from all over. I lifted my eyes from the ground and saw Kak Lyn rolling under Expresso (who was also startled by the noise), a massive 19h black ex-Dressage horse. Expresso, by instinct and good sense, had kicked his back leg just in time to avoid stepping on Kak Lyn, and thanks to that horse, she wasn’t hurt bad.

Anis, however, was a different story.

I pulled BJ to the side and dismounted as quickly as I could, and held onto BJ’s reins while Space U, now frightened,  galloped madly (you could see the whites of his eyes…the poor guy was so terrified) back to where we were all huddled together. Startled horses were tossing their heads back, kicking, snorting. People were shouting, crying out, and several kind folks came out of the surrounding areas to help us with our horses and see to Anis.

During the whole commotion I held onto BJ’s reins and stroked his nose, trying to calm him down. Which was pretty moot. He was calmer than ever, and more interested in the grass at my feet than anything. I saw Kak Lyn on the ground, already sitting up. She had friends to help her up and seemed alright.  When I looked back over my shoulder, I saw Anis lying prone on the ground, crying.

I don’t know the extent of her injuries, but I was told that a lot of blood was involved.  A stretcher was called for, and Anis had to be carried out of the riding school, to the hospital. The trainers managed to catch Space U at some point. He was terrified, but otherwise okay.

You can’t imagine the relief I felt to have swerved in time, and the horror of realizing what a close call it was. In the midst of all the hubbub BJ proceeded to chew grass, and ended up being the source of comfort for ME, instead of the other way around. When we all walked back to the stable, he kept turning his head towards me, a quizzical look on his face, chewing a mouthful of grass as if to say “What’s bothering you? I’m hungry.” I am very glad to have ridden him when the incident happened. Nothing fazes him, and a fellow rider, who favours BJ as well, confirmed this with me when we were back at the stable.

Whatever the case may be, riding is dangerous. I’m not going to sugar-coat it and tell you that it’s a safe sport; that falls like this are rare. Fact of the matter is, we’ve always been taught to be prepared, and I hope to God that if an incident like this happens again, I’ll be on a calm horse like ol’ Jimbo.

I hope Anis recovers soon, and I am very grateful Kak Lyn didn’t get stepped on by Expresso when she fell over. It was amazing to see the lengths that horse took to avoid hurting her. Flicka kept his rider, Kak Lily on him as well, refusing to let her dismount just so he could keep her safe when Space U was galloping around us.

Yep, riding is dangerous. But one of the things I’ve learned today is that horses are just wonderful partners when they decide to be. And on that note, I owe BJ some treats and snorgles

Slainte, folks.

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