Do you get back on as soon as your able?  We have only been involved with our horses a few month.  I was kicked as I got off our 4 yr old.( he is still kind of green) He just turned and kicked that back leg.  Caught my left calf.  Broke it in two spots.  required surgery for a 10 inch plate & 10 screws.  I just got my cast off 4 days ago.  I must say I'm a little nervous around both horses right now.  I need to build that calf muscle up a little.  Trying not to limp.

Is it normal to be a little nervous.  I don't want the horses to pick up on it.  Anybody else been that way at first?

 Yes I think pretty much everyone has been there.  I had a mare that was perfect for 6 months- we moved her from MD to VA and the first time I got on she went ballistic and rodeo bucked me off.  My husband was going to get my helmet while I was adjusting my stirrups and she went off...she knocked me out, dislocated my shoulder and my thumb....3 months later I was able to get back on but was super scared.  That was 1.5 years ago and I can still feel myself tense up when I am riding and the horse isnt acting right.  I have been kicked in the face, and bucked off again and sprained my neck...so it takes a while.  Seems everytime I get better something else happens and have to start rebuilding confidence again.  I would say take it slow and rebuild trust...that major and then move on from there.  dont force yourself or it wont be fun for you or your horse who will notice something is wrong.  I still take my time, and have gotten off and taken a breather to calm down if needed....it will take time and good interactions with your horse to make your feel better again.

No lasting injuries, but when I was a kid, I was run away with until I fell off and was knocked unconscious (this while WEARING a helmet) on a gravel road.  To this day, 20 years later, I still get get a tickle of nervousness when I am riding a horse who is a bolter.  So no, that is not unusual at all!  It's just a matter of giving yourself time and skills to handle similar situations better in the future and working with horses who are trustWORTHY to help you get your confidence back.

I was kicked in the jaw by a mare about 17 years ago.  Broke my lower jaw in 3 places, crushed my pallate, knocked 7 teeth out and left me with a cool (haha) scar on my chin.  I told my mom I didn't need those braces as a kid! ;)

Learned my lesson though - never doctor a foal at feeding time.

 I have never (Knock On Wood) been seriously injured while riding.  I can understand your fear though.  I am always a little nervous getting back on a horse that has bucked me off before.  Just make sure that your first time back on is on a very stable, calm horse, so you can work out your fears.  You mught even have a friend longe the horse in a round pen while you ride it until your mind is right again.  No one will think any less of you. 

If you have only been involved with horses for a few months, it might be a good idea for you to have an older, gentler, and quieter horse. A green 4 year old is not the horse for beginners. Chances are you got kicked because of your inexperience. Nothing wrong with inexperience. It's just with a green 4 year old, it is like the blind leading the blind. Eventually someone is going to get hurt. Young horses have issues that require knowledge to handle. If you don't have it you are sitting on a time bomb. At least get a trainer to help you.

My mare stepped on my foot and broke it.  I was in a cast for six weeks but rode anyway.

Another horse rammed me into a fence and nearly killed me.  He is gone, but I rode him into being a fairly good horse before I sold him (with cautions to the next owner.) 

I've had two serious accident with my horses - one from getting in the way during a food fight and one a bad fall as the result of a totally unforgiveable act by my trainer while I was riding.

The second accident made me very nervous about getting back on and the time off to heal played havoc with my conditioning and balance.  When the weather moderates I will be going back to basics on a sedate lesson horse to get back my confidence and my balance from being off for so long.  I will work my way back to my perky little mare just as fast as I can.

It is very normal to be anxious after a bad experience and very important to take the time you need to feel good about it again.  You should push a little but don't set yourself up for either another bad experience or extended anxiety.  Take some easy rides to remind yourself of the joy of just being on a horse.

     I havent been seriously injured by a horse yet. i have taken alot of nasty falls but who hasnt. i have only had some beautiful cuts and bruises but after i fall off i get the scared feeling alittle bit. but after i fall off (when i get the wind back in me) i always get back on. because i know if i wait i will be even more scared to get back on. you say the one horse is pretty green what about the other horse what is its temperment and how well does he ride. if it is a real laid back horse and easy going. if so start on that horse and build your confidence up.

Knock wood, no serious injuries yet!

FWIW, I agree that an older, mellower horse might be better for you.  That, and for sure to be working with a trainer.  They're a font of knowledge, and when you're just starting out it's amazing to find out how much there is to learn!

Good luck,

Mary 

I had a horse going at speed get his front foot caught in a rut in the pasture.  His front legs buckled, I flew off, and he somersaulted and landed on top of me.  It crushed my leg and the trauma also caused damage to my eyes.  I didn't get back on a horse for a couple of years (I do extensive ground training and show at halter).  For a long time I had no desire to ride, but then I bought myself a special horse that I trust.  You will know when you are ready; the desire will come back when the time is right.  I don't believe in pushing yourself because if you are continually nervous, the horse will become nervous. 

It is very normal to be nervous.  If you are a little nervous but have the desire to ride, then ride.  If you get really nervous where you feel panicky, get off the horse or skip that riding session.  It takes time.  But you can rebuild your confidence; the best way to do it is in your own timing, when your gut tells you that you are ready.  When I first started back, I had someone "lead line" me, until I got the rhythm back and felt comfortable.

I've fallen off more than my fair share of times, but no really serious injuries, so far.

I don't allow any of my horses to act up if I am out with them.  I have trained my horses that if they get crazy while I am in their midst, they can expect an immediate and thorough workout session!  I have 7 horses that all get turned out together most of the time, so if I didn't do this, I surely would have gotten hurt by now.  Usually anything that get's started is instigated by the lead mare, so I am extra strict with her. 

I practice natural horsemanship with all my horses and respect for my space is the very first thing I teach them.  When it comes to my safety, there is no grey area.  Just like another horse in thier herd, any uninvited intrusions on my space that are not submissive in nature are met with a firm reprimand.  I am very gentle with my horses, but I draw a definite line when it comes to my safety. 

Before I started with natural horsemanship, I had my lead mare knock my camera into my face, driving my bottom teeth almost through my lower lip.  I had to have stiches and that taught me a huge lesson.  The only close calls since I started practicing natural horsemanship have been when a new horse has accidentally gotten too close and knocked me over.  After a few training sessions, they learn to respect my space and it doesn't happen after that.

Since you are new to horses, I HIGHLY recommend learning natural horsemanship, it will keep you SAFE.  Clinton Anderson is a great clinician to start with.  You can watch him for free on RFD-TV on DirectTV or Disk Network, or his website is www.downunderhorsemanship.com

We are all nervous when we first start with horses.  It's normal.  I was so scared and had so many bad experiences when I first started, that I almost quit.  Finding natural horsemanship is what kept me from quitting.  It's is good to be a little on guard though, because even the most broke horse in the world will still spook sometimes.  But I would recommend you learn to work with your horse yourself, it's the only way to stay safe in my opinion, and that safety greatly increases your confidence when you are riding.

Good luck to you!

quarterhorsetimestwo:

Do you get back on as soon as your able?  We have only been involved with our horses a few month.  I was kicked as I got off our 4 yr old.( he is still kind of green) He just turned and kicked that back leg.  Caught my left calf.  Broke it in two spots.  required surgery for a 10 inch plate & 10 screws.  I just got my cast off 4 days ago.  I must say I'm a little nervous around both horses right now.  I need to build that calf muscle up a little.  Trying not to limp.

Is it normal to be a little nervous.  I don't want the horses to pick up on it.  Anybody else been that way at first?

I'm along with everybody else - it is perfectly normal to be nervous around horses after an injury. Just take your time with it, do things like grooming to build your confidence back up.  The sorrel and white paint in my sig image is a rescue and was fearful of ropes to the point of absolute panic at the mere sight of one.  When she was a yearling, we were trying to trim her feet and she wasn't cooperating. My best friend who has many years of training experience thought we could put a rope around one of Sunny's legs - NOT a good idea.  Sunny bolted, knocking me underneath her and she stepped on my right foot and ankle. I had boots on, so "just" a bone bruise in my heel. Caught her, and when putting her back into the pasture I got stuck between her and Vannah at the gate. My friend's TWH mare came up behind Sunny and nipped her in the bum. Sunny was still worked up, so she jumped forward and then kicked with both hind feet.  She caught Lady in the jaw with one, and me in the guts with the other. I had a huge, ugly hematoma for a long time.  This one day caused me to be nervous and afraid of Sunny for many many months afterwards. I had to work to get beyond it, and learn to trust Sunny again. Now she's 3, and is my girl. I hope to send her out for saddle training this summer :)

I was a the Vet's about 6 years ago with the QH gelding I had at the time; I was getting x-rays done on his front feet, because he was chronically lame, so I was ruling out Navicular; it unfortunately wound up being navicular.

 Anyway, while I was waiting for the Vet to come back out I took my boy across the parking lot to graze; something caught his attention on the opposite end of the parking lot, and he turned his head right into the side of mine; he had not done that sort of thing since he was a baby and didn't know any better, so I was surprised to say the least. Anyway, I wound up with a concussion over that one...I think that is the worst injury I have sustained by any of the horses I have owned, trained, or just handled and ridden. 

 I did have a really close encounter with my mom's Arab kicking me in the chest many years ago...if he had been a few inches closer, or I hadn't suspected the horse's sudden turn 'to run' for a kick instead, I may have wound up with more than just a hoof grazing on my sternum!!! I have had lots of close encounters...but have been very fortunately blessed to never have been seriously injured by any horse yet!

 As far as getting back on...well; if I have been bucked off, or otherwise have fallen off, I do try to get right back on, if not for the horse's sake (to not engrain a habit) but for my confidence...I may be shakey for a few moments, and I will 'walk that off', before getting back on; and will usually work the horse from the ground, instead of just literally walking...especially if the hrose has been a naughty critter and that is why I am on the ground! I can't honestly say that I have ever truly been afraid to get back on...again, probably another 'fortunate blessing'...

I have never been seriously injured but I have been hurt. This was during the first week of when I had Sadie. I was cleaining out one of her back hooves and all of a sudden she pulls her hoof right out of my hands. The next thing I know that hoof comes right back hard against my thigh and sent me sprawling ten feet away from where I was just a second ago cleaning out her hoof. I didn't break anything but I had a pretty big bruise there on my thigh for about a month. It hurt like hell.

In all my years of riding, I got dumped one way or the other so many times, I couldn't count it if I wanted to. I even had a horse rear up and fall over on top of me once but except for bruising, nothing happened. Was never scared to get back on. My now 25-yr old and retired Barrel mare caused the worst injury I've had as of yet with a horse. It was my fault as I was riding her back from the hotwalker to the stall in just a halter. She decided she wanted to charge the stall as if running to the first Barrel and I decided to jump before she smashed my knee in the barn door. I broke my right ankle.

I still had issues with the ankle for another 5 years including surgery which just made the limp worse, until I went through intensive physical therapy which finally healed it.

After I had initially taken off the cast, I got me another horse for barrels and retired her. More because I was mad than scared, she also had other 'in-the-arena' issues. I have been riding her since out in the pasture but only with a good bit and I check her immediately when he 'tries' things.

I have another issue now where I am coming back from a broken collarbone unrelated to horses. I have to get back on my 6 year old who had an 18 mo break after only having had 2 - 3 months under saddle. He bucked me off twice then due to spooking. I am not really scared to get back on but want to be cautious as I don't want to reinjure my shoulder. It took me 6 mo to heal it up to now 75%.