Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Pastel the Rooster]

You fell off. Not kinda. You did fall off.

I hope you're ok.

It’s my fifth time falling off a horse, and it’s the second worse fall I’ve ever had. The three okay ones I landed on my feet the worst one, ohhh it hurt. The pony spooked at her reflection in a mirror and took off. (I think I’ve said this before) once she realized that she wasn’t going to die, she “hit the breaks” and I went flying over her shoulder and landed on my left arm. It hurt badly for two weeks. It still sometimes hurts. For years after that fall, I would get butterflies in my stomach when going to the barn.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

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OMG they are precious!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

I’m chilling in my hotel room, and I heard sirens. I ran up to the window and I think I heard a gunshot. I’m not positive though.

 

[notabitail]

I’m chilling in my hotel room, and I heard sirens. I ran up to the window and I think I heard a gunshot. I’m not positive though.

You're in Washington DC, right? If so, expect crazy and stupid.

 

[Ponypoor]

I kinda fell off of Auggie on Tuesday…

I asked him to canter, and he was doing great for a few seconds. He decided to put his head down and shy off to the side. I lost my balance and went over his shoulder. First I landed in my right shoulder, and then on my bum. Both hurt
I’m not exactly sure how breakaway stirrups work, but I don’t think that the leather is supposed to snap… mine did though. At least they work
I got back on and walked and trotted around with normal stirrup and a stirrup that is missing a side…
My shoulder and arm hurt like &$&@ but other than that I’m fine. Of course, Dad was there to watch me ride.
Once I got back in he started yelling at me and was telling me that I look tense.
Like, you haven’t ridden a horse since you were my age, so please hush!

He just yelled at you because he was worried.

When you get home take a photo of your breakaway stirrups and I will tell you how they work. There are different kinds. I have two types - one has the outside metal missing and that space is filled by an elastic strap that pops off if your foot gets stuck. My fancy show stirrups actually are hinged, the whole side and foot pad swing out if a foot gets caught.

Safety first!

So next time your boy does a duck n dodge, you need to be sitting upright and have contact on the reins, make sure your weight is 95% through your feet sitting in the stirrups and only about 5% with your derrière sitting in the saddle- this way you are balanced.

Your ankles, knees and hips act like springs and you absorb the movement of the horse through these joints. If you are sitting on the saddle you can kiss your arse goodbye if he bucks or does another duck n dodge.

Have enough tension on the reins that as he is walking the movement of his head will gently pull your arms forward in motion with his walking. Riding is all about balance and flexibility. Never strength - you will never win a strength contest ever!

Horse talk tax

In the spirit of RC’s musical ride chickens I give to you the old bats musical chicken ride.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

He just yelled at you because he was worried.

When you get home take a photo of your breakaway stirrups and I will tell you how they work. There are different kinds. I have two types - one has the outside metal missing and that space is filled by an elastic strap that pops off if your foot gets stuck. My fancy show stirrups actually are hinged, the whole side and foot pad swing out if a foot gets caught.

Safety first!

So next time your boy does a duck n dodge, you need to be sitting upright and have contact on the reins, make sure your weight is 95% through your feet sitting in the stirrups and only about 5% with your derrière sitting in the saddle- this way you are balanced.

Your ankles, knees and hips act like springs and you absorb the movement of the horse through these joints. If you are sitting on the saddle you can kiss your arse goodbye if he bucks or does another duck n dodge.

Have enough tension on the reins that as he is walking the movement of his head will gently pull your arms forward in motion with his walking. Riding is all about balance and flexibility. Never strength - you will never win a strength contest ever!

Horse talk tax

In the spirit of RC’s musical ride chickens I give to you the old bats musical chicken ride.

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I actually got pictures of the stirrups already - and yeah, I honestly don’t know how I was sitting in the saddle. Knowing me, I was all nervous and hunched forward. I need to work on my posture

You can use breakaway stirrups in shows? I didn’t know that. I’ve heard of the ones you use though.

 

[Ponypoor]

It’s my fifth time falling off a horse, and it’s the second worse fall I’ve ever had. The three okay ones I landed on my feet the worst one, ohhh it hurt. The pony spooked at her reflection in a mirror and took off. (I think I’ve said this before) once she realized that she wasn’t going to die, she “hit the breaks” and I went flying over her shoulder and landed on my left arm. It hurt badly for two weeks. It still sometimes hurts. For years after that fall, I would get butterflies in my stomach when going to the barn.

Good
Having a good healthy fear of riding will help make you aware and take care.

Riding is also about taking risks - if you don’t ride you don’t fall off. I have had some horrible falls, whiplash about 6 times, I am one huge aching body now a days.

Do I get fearful? Absolutely, I don’t trust Truly at all she is prone to rearing and bucking when she doesn’t get her way.

Tax

 

[Ponypoor]

I actually got pictures of the stirrups already - and yeah, I honestly don’t know how I was sitting in the saddle. Knowing me, I was all nervous and hunched forward. I need to work on my posture

You can use breakaway stirrups in shows? I didn’t know that. I’ve heard of the ones you use though.
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Yes I have those, and yes you can use those at shows in specific classes, and age groups - at least here in Canada.

I take it the ‘leather’ that broke was the loop holding that elastic in place? You can buy those easy.

Tax

Trot on Marty!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I kinda fell off of Auggie on Tuesday…

I asked him to canter, and he was doing great for a few seconds. He decided to put his head down and shy off to the side. I lost my balance and went over his shoulder. First I landed in my right shoulder, and then on my bum. Both hurt
I’m not exactly sure how breakaway stirrups work, but I don’t think that the leather is supposed to snap… mine did though. At least they work
I got back on and walked and trotted around with normal stirrup and a stirrup that is missing a side…
My shoulder and arm hurt like &$&@ but other than that I’m fine. Of course, Dad was there to watch me ride.
Once I got back in he started yelling at me and was telling me that I look tense.
Like, you haven’t ridden a horse since you were my age, so please hush!

Good job. Falls will happen at some point. It is not IF I fall, but, WHEN you fall. You did the right thing. If nothing is broken or you did not knock yourself out get back on that horse and finish your ride. Rosie has fallen off 4 times to my knowledge. The first was when she was 8 I think. There was a pony she was riding that had a ancient pony saddle on. I was not there to see this one but was told about it after it happened. Riding him around the ring, she claims either a bee stung him or a horse fly bit him. Either way it set him off and turned him into a bucking bronco. I was told she was doing wonderful and riding it out until the girth broke and she and the saddle went flying. She got up, dusted herself off, called peanut all the appropriate names a 8 year old is allowed to use and climbed back on bareback. The rest of the falls came on Russ. First one she was riding bareback and had him in the yard. Russ simply stood there and shook, and off she went. She landed flat of her back and had the wind knocked out of her. I am standing on the porch and saw it happen. My instinct was to run to her but I did not, I waited a minute. I did the right thing. When she could breathe again she just laid there and started laughing while Russ is looking down at her wondering why she was on the ground. She was right back on in a few minutes. Then she got the bareback saddle pad. She begged for this thing and we caved and bought one. First time, first time she put it on him she is riding him up and down the road in front of the house to test it out. The pad slips and off she goes on blacktop. Her glasses went flying but she bounced right back up to get them before Russ could step on them. She had a nice road rash spot on her hip but she did not cry. She got rid of the pad and hopped back on bareback. I need to sell that saddle pad, it has not been used since. The last time, oh that one took the cake and the worst one yet. Was at a show, riding Russ walking around with her best friend on behind her. It has been a wonderful night for both of them and Doubles was their last class and it was the next one to go in the ring. Russ tripped over a rock and went down to his knees. Rosie went flying over his neck and tried to catch herself with her arm. I did not see that fall, and in a way I am thankful for it. Her buddy managed to grab ahold of the reins and pull him up before he accidently stepped on her. They were literally out of my sight for 3 minutes, 3 minutes. Next thing I know here comes Rosie leading Russ, covered in dirt crying. She was not crying because she was hurt, Russ had scraped his knee's and had a small cut under his chin. She is hyperventilating saying she hurt her horse, yet she cannot move her right arm at all. We finally get her to calm down enough to talk to me which leads to both girls trying to tell me at once what happened. Me and mom finally sort of get a idea of what happened. Rosie still does not realize she is hurt, she is too worried about Russ. She takes the girls up to the house and I go withdraw them from the class and convince my good friend Betty who runs the show that a ambulance did not need to be called, we was going to take her to the ER ourselves. You have to know Rosie, a ambulance would have sent her anxiety through the roof. I get home, help her shower thinking dislocated shoulder. While I was helping her dry off I was feeling around and I knew deep down there was a break. You could feel it under the skin but I kept that thought to myself. That night proved useful having a sister who is a x-ray technician working at the hospital. After taking them she pulled me aside and whispered there was a break and it was bad and let me see it before the doctor even had a chance to look at them. We spent 2 hours waiting on him to come in. The whole time Rosie is messaging her friend and they are complaining amongst themselves. They just knew they had that doubles class won, they had been practicing so hard for it. They were plotting their revenge and redemption for the following weekend if Russ was ok. I'm sitting there having to keep a straight face letting them plot knowing it was not going to happen. Dr comes in, informs Rosie her collar bone is broken. This is Sunday morning. He tells us we have to see the orthopedic surgeon the following morning for a follow up. I knew what that meant, Rosie was oblivious, she still thinks she is hopping back on Russ in a few days and will ride him with one good arm. The next morning her world came crashing down and frankly it shocked me a bit as well. I knew she would probably need surgery, but, I expected it to be a few days out. I did not think when we got to the appointment that he would take one look at the x-ray and ask if she had ate anything. She had not so within 2 hours she is down in pre-op in full panic mode. Rosie does not do needles, blood, or anything like that so her world is coming to a end. In the end I felt like I needed a Valium while trying to keep her calm before the surgery. This was the beginning of July, she was not allowed back on Russ until December. The break was bad, and he had difficulty positioning it in place. He was not able to get the ends back together so it took longer to properly heal. After the first 2 weeks she nagged and pleaded with the dr for permission to just sit on Russ. He denied it so she started nagging me for permission. I stood firm and did not allow it while deep down knowing the longer she went the more scared she was going to be when she finally did get back on. When she finally got the all clear it was under 1 condition, walking only for a month. She would not admit it out loud but she was terrified. When she climbed back into the saddle she was shaking like a leaf. She had me walking beside her so I could catch him if she needed me to. We walked up and down the road a few times and she was not relaxing at all. Her papaw and Dirt come riding up and he tells me to go home and for Rosie to come take a trail ride with him. I remind them both, walking only. They do not get out of my sight when to my dismay her papaw has her gaiting Russ. Why did I even bother. They were gone for a hour and when she came back home going much faster then a walk she was all smiles. Dad just looked at me and told me if I needed to yell at someone yell at him. If she just walked for a month she would quit riding from fear.

 

[notabitail]

you can kiss your arse goodbye