I like to think I’ve had a pretty good track record when it comes to staying on the horse and defying the perception of riding as “dangerous.” In the eight years since I started riding again, I’ve had a handful of falls – maybe a dozen total – along with the requisite scrapes, bruises, etc.

The worst one happened in 2019, when Cosmo got hung up on an oxer in the warmup ring at a show, crashed through, and I went headfirst over his neck. Busted helmet, scraped face, broken nose, concussion – going to work the next day with bruises and scabs all over was delightful. As of last week, I hadn’t had a fall in over three years, not since the January after I bought Bronx (and it was my one and only fall off of him, ever).

Several years of martial arts training before I got back into horses did teach me how to fall properly, and it’s gotten me out of things mostly unscathed. Think similar to the Landsafe clinics that started going around a few years back – don’t tense up, don’t stick your arm out to try and catch your fall, and try to land on as broad a surface area of your body as you can.

Of course, there wasn’t a nice soft way to fall when I hit dirt this past Saturday.

Naturally it was an otherwise fantastic lesson. I’ve kept my Saturday-evening private lesson spot with my trainer despite being horseless since mid-January, and I usually ride either one of her horses or a lesson horse from the school program. Today she asked if I would do Purdy, a semi-cranky grade paint/draft mare who is honestly pretty fun to ride if you’re not a beginner – if you aren’t asking her strongly/properly/persuasively enough, she’ll just stall out and refuse to budge. Trainer said she could use a “proper” ride (i.e. one with someone who won’t let her get away with nonsense), so away we went.

She was fine on the flat once I got her marching. Offered a couple of her customary bucks at the first canter transition, but they’re more for show than anything. All in all she’s a nice ride – smooth gaits, not so round that you can’t get your leg on – and we did a few warmup trot jumps just fine.

And our proper little 2′-2’3″ course? Lovely, with good distances all around and only needing one simple change. But the closing circle definitely didn’t go as planned. I was just about to turn my head toward Trainer, enthuse about how good she was and how we should end on that note, when Purdy stumbled in the front end.

I instinctively sat back and slipped the reins, but she kept scrambling – and the cinderblock wall of the indoor was getting close, so I completely chucked the reins at her in a last-ditch effort to summon her feet back under her.

But no dice. Princess P hit the ground hard and I popped off and to the side – luckily out of her path (and not up against the wall!) but without enough time or space to try and roll. My right hip hit the ground first and the impact bent my right shoulder down toward it. I felt a faint pop in the front of my ribcage and knew immediately that the wind was knocked out of me. It could have been so much worse, but I didn’t a.) rip my favorite rust Tailored Sportsmans and b.) Purdy didn’t roll over onto my saddle, but we were both a bit shaken up.

So for the next couple of weeks I’ll be nursing a creaky torso via Tylenol and Motrin and ice packs – fingers crossed I’m feeling more limber once Pierce comes home… his shipping pickup is scheduled for March 18th.

How about a nice cute video of Pierce helping out with chores as a palate cleanser after all this talk of eating dirt?