I fall all the time. Just not using a horse. I don't need a horse to fall. Ice, stumps, tall grass, random bricks lying around, pieces of wood, heaps of straw scattered around in no apparent order. Even the bottoms of ladders sometimes. I was thinking about getting a horse but then decided I didn't have the infrastructure for it - or the money. The saying 'eat like a horse' is true.
Especially if you get easily terrified. A bull rushing at you head on makes for a really bad day. (If you get knocked off the bull you're riding, that is)
I could fall and break something simply walking around my yard. Actually, I have stepped in a pot hole that I KNEW was there and severely sprained my ankle. The risk of falling is there. You know it before climbing into that saddle. The reward is so worth the risk. Having a 1000+ animal trust you enough to allow you to ride it, there is no other feeling. I do mean allow, if they want you off, you are coming off. If my back could take it I would ride more myself. Dad tells me daily Dirt is ready for me to ride and offers. One of these days I will throw caution to the wind and ride him. I should not have favorites, and Russ is worth his weight in gold but Dirt, Dirt is my baby. I think a large part of it is we have had him since he was practically a baby at 18 months old. I have watched him grow up. He came with a bad biting habit, that is thankfully gone. He has a white kissy spot on his nose. I never dared to try it until last weekend. Me and Dad bathed him and scrubbed every inch of him. I was leading him letting him pick while he dried off and scratching his "itchy spot" on his withers. He picked his head up, looked at me and I kissed his nose. He then put his head in my chest and sighed. I could have cried I was so happy. I love that horse, even if he has been a idiot in the past. He is my idiot and if he knows what is good for him he will still be out where I can see him whenever I want when he is in his 30s and I am in close to 70.
