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Post by ponylover on Jul 10, 2014 20:47:50 GMT
Hey guys, I haven't been on here in awhile because things have been so busy! haha I guess that's just how life is...
ANYWAYS! I was riding a horse named Charlie brown and I was working on some problems of his. (that's another story.) I was just trotting along and up to this poll. I wanted him to stop right before the poll (he gets really bold before fences so I was trying to help him figure that out.) so I whoa him, and he FREAKS! I don't know if something spooked him or he was being a punk. it was all a blur I couldn't tell! so he throws his head up and somehow his neck smacks me straight in the face!  I jump off and my nose is bleeding pretty bad, so I put him away and go to the doctor (ugh I hate the doctor!!!) they take some X-rays and turns out...... I have a broken nose!!!! :Pgood thing is, it'll heal on its own I about a month. I don't think this happens very often, but I guess I was the unlucky one!!!
this is not something I want to be lectured on, don't get me wrong I know you would be just trying to help!!! but its just something that wanted to share. let me know about similar stories!
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Post by lorddaxter on Jul 10, 2014 21:31:35 GMT
Try a martingale lol!
Yeh, I got a cracker on the nose, was riding a clients horse in a competition, it was peeing rain outside so there were a few horses lined up in the indoor arena waiting, this horse I was riding was prone to nap, so as I turned her towards the fence next to where the others were she napped towards them, me being stubborn pulled her with all my strength and booted her over the fence, well my balance was off and I was leaning, I smacked the fence post with my nose, broke it good, got the bitch round the course though lol!
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466 
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Post by Terry on Jul 12, 2014 13:42:01 GMT
Ouch... for both of you!!! I've never had a broken nose, but all I kept thinking as I read both of your stories was, "Man, that had to hurt!!"
If this horse has a tendency to throw it's head up like that, then I definitely think you might want to put some sort of tie-down on him until he figures out that he needs to stop doing that. I hope your nose heals quickly.
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mingiz
Junior Member
Los Lunas, NM
Posts: 3,320
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Post by mingiz on Jul 12, 2014 14:52:05 GMT
I don't do jumping but I had a horse that would start tossing his head up. One day I had had enough. He hit me in the face. >:(So the next time he threw his head up I cracked him between the ears with my reins. Every time he did it I cracked him. >:DOnly took about 3 or 4 times and he finally got the hint.
In your case I would put a tie down of some kind to keep him from coming up so high.. Sounds like he's being a punk...
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Post by horselover4life on Jul 12, 2014 17:49:40 GMT
Ouch...I've had that happen but didn't bust my nose, bruised it though. I had real pretty black eyes for a few days. Made quite the pictures
No bashing, but a helpful suggestion for you to think about it...this worked for me...
Might I suggest..
Use a standing martingale...the one that attaches to the noseband. Properly adjusted it won't interfere with the horse using his head, neck for bascule going over the fence..it will stop him from popping you in the face again.
When you put it on the horse...there is a neckstrap you slip around neck, girth loop and the long strap at the other end has a small loop for your noseband to slip through.
Once you pretty much have it "on"...take your hand and push the neckstrap up toward the throatlatch area...that strap should nearly touch the underside of the throat, about 2 fingers or so between the strap and hair.
I was working my new horse who had the habit of rushing and being real strong to fences...
Can I suggest you use a series of trotting poles when approaching a fence you wish to slow the horses approach to and have his attention on you. He will need to slow-down and be careful with his feet.
1 ground pole he anticipated as his take-off point in speed and strength. He then blew up and became a punk when you said "no" to him.
Make your ground poles carefully spaced cavaletti, trot your approach only...after you go over the fence the horse takes 3 strides at most, halts and backs 3 steps.
Yes, put him on his butt.
Go slow, wear a helmet always and be very careful..he is a known rusher and head-tosser. Please have someone watching in case he gets pissy and you need a hand.
You have to out-think him cause you can't out-muscle him.
Feel better and take it easy. Busted noses have been known to affect your equilibrium {balance} astride.
I will now go shut-up and sit in the corner.
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Post by horselady on Jul 12, 2014 19:36:01 GMT
I was at a fancy schmancy show that is hosting shows near me and i was looking at a jumper class. just standing there watching this grey horse and teenager go around.
all of a sudden, this horse going over a double oxer just froze in time, in the air. legs in front tucked real nice and rear legs extended. i saw his back hollow and his head come up and WACK, you can almost hear the contact of his head and the girls face.
she never lost a beat. and finished the rounds with blood flying. a little while later an ambulance was taking her to the hospital.
thankfully the nose does repair itself. but with time have it checked again for septom problems and breathing issues.
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Post by ponylover on Jul 13, 2014 2:30:18 GMT
Thanks guys! my nose feels much better already, but I think ill wait till it fully heels (and when I have more confidence!!!!!!) before I ride THAT horse again!!  |
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Lipizzan
Junior Member
Europe, Croatia
Posts: 2,572
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Post by Lipizzan on Jul 13, 2014 12:01:43 GMT
I havent had broken nose but my mouth were bleading after same punch with the neck in the head. I manage to pull my head up but the horse hit me in the chin so I bite my own lips and blead.
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Post by shadowlark on Jul 14, 2014 9:41:54 GMT
Well, I didn't get it by getting whacked while IN the saddle, but I did break my nose in a fall. I was 11 and I can't really remember what happened, I just remember I fell off twice that day and the horse kicked me in the face (jaw) during one of the falls. I had a broken nose, a concussion, 2 black eyes, and the ER docs said if the force of the kick to my face had been any harder, it would have shattered my jaw. Luckily that didn't happen! But now my jaw is permanently screwed up - when I close my teeth together, there's a gap on the right side where my teeth don't touch. Pretty big gap - big enough to fit a quarter through and I can only chew food on the left side since it doesn't really get chewed enough on the right. So now I have to wear a night guard at night that helps my jaw line up so the muscles can relax in the right position overnight. If I go without wearing the night guard (like if I forget it at home while away overnight) I get killer headaches from my jaw muscles get tense.
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Post by lorddaxter on Jul 14, 2014 17:03:41 GMT
Shadowlark that sounds awful:(
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Post by shadowlark on Jul 14, 2014 20:26:07 GMT
Yeah, it was so much fun to go to school the following Monday and have to explain over and over what happened. Of course, then you get the people who had been on 1 trail ride on half dead horses saying things like "How did you fall off? I've ridden before! It was EASY!"  Ummm, yeah, why don't you try jumping a 3 foot course on a horse that suddenly went crazy, see how "easy" that is!  |
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Post by ponylover on Jul 14, 2014 21:04:30 GMT
Yeah, it was so much fun to go to school the following Monday and have to explain over and over what happened. Of course, then you get the people who had been on 1 trail ride on half dead horses saying things like "How did you fall off? I've ridden before! It was EASY!" Ummm, yeah, why don't you try jumping a 3 foot course on a horse that suddenly went crazy, see how "easy" that is! I know right!!!!!!!!! people think horse back riding is so easy just because they've been on a trail ride on a bomb proof horse!!!!!! then they start bragging to everyone saying their the best rider in the school!!!! >:(GOD! some people! |
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Post by horselover4life on Jul 15, 2014 0:27:21 GMT
Talk is cheap!!
Those that truly ride know the truth and facts... jumping-horse
Except at the price of that horse being injured I would put them up to,... "Think it so easy and you are so great and wonderful a rider...come ride the horse that just did this injury to me...!! Ready, lets go!!" 
You know differently, and so do they. wag finger
Let them make a jackass of themself... 
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Jul 29, 2014 0:27:01 GMT
First of all; healing wishes go out to all of your noses and other stickie outie face parts.
And no one asked but I gotta pipe up; martingales put pressure on the underside of the horse's head, not on top; so while it may physically restrain them it doesn't teach them. You gotta do what you can to pop 'em on the top of the head as their heads come up, they won't like that, and using your nose doesn't count.
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Post by horselover4life on Jul 29, 2014 11:20:45 GMT
You're right hugs...it is a training issue.
But I will take the cheaters way out while working that training issue to keep my face in one piece and use that martingale as a "crutch".
I wish I could figure out how to swat the top of the head when they toss it going over a fence and not crash the horse or myself.
Although my days of competitive jumping are now done, you never know when I might pop a few fences for fun.
My desire to not bash my face still exists, and I still remember that kind of pain...OUCH!
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Jul 30, 2014 12:00:37 GMT
Gerald used to use a crop, I don't know that I could handle the reins and something else, I'm a two handed rider, but you're much better than I am.
Then again I was thinking, maybe there's another option? Maybe there is a head down cue we could work on and use right before. I know that's asking a lot but I know how perceptive you guys are, heck, even I can sometimes see what happens before what happens happens, so I know you guys do that too. I've just noticed and am trying to think differently because of it, that nonhorse thinking is very straight line and reactionary, so when I can I try to do the before kind of thinking. What do you think about that?
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Post by horselover4life on Jul 30, 2014 13:39:16 GMT
It sure is a idea....
Pre-planning and knowing you have rehearsed something so many times in your head it is a natural reflex action when it occurs. Catching you so off-guard and just handling it as it comes...perfect.
Then though you can have..
In my case it was so unexpected and sudden there was no time to react, to swat or vocalize anything but "Oh ****" and WHACK!!
Actually, I think that was simultaneous.
I didn't know the horse was a head tosser when I purchased him, and he was not always doing that so to swat him and he not be doing anything wrong would be wrong on my behalf.
I don't penalize nor punish unless warranted.
We worked with a martingale afterwards till my confidence was somewhat back and I stopped shaking on a fence approach.
I learned to ride in draw reins which I could give as needed and hold tight as needed, replacing that martingale.
I crashed him once, intentionally...
He went to throw his head and I hauled off on him, put him right into the fence. I stayed on, no idea how..it was not pretty.
It though was the last time he pulled his "trick" on me. After that "crash" he never threw his head again.
I was very lucky I was not seriously injured but was so mad, yes my temper got the best of me, I lost it.
He got banged up and then I rode the crap out of him..hard and unrelenting. He was dripping sweat and lather and still I rode him...think he never forgot what happened.
I am not proud of what I did. It was years ago when I was young and hadn't good control of my temper.
The things I now look back upon doing...being young and carefree and of the attitude "Nope, not going to happen to me, I am invincible"...age has wizened me along with some falls that hurt although didn't break anything but my pride.
Today, I chose not to put myself in a position where I must fight my way out of. I am trying hard to teach my son the same thing...look ahead at the situation evolving and find another way if possible.
If I must fight, the animal will pay for it as I am smart and very fast thinking and reactive...but have no illusions that I will probably get hurt in the process too. I will out-think not out-muscle that animal.
So, I avoid those situations best I can.
Age, can be a wonderful thing to let you see situations ahead. Youth and being invincible was great too...the fun I had not knowing the dangers and risks we faced, only the good times we encountered together. Priceless on both accounts.....
What I have learned over the years of owning, working with and sometimes taking the lumps of bruises and injuries because I allowed a situation to occur and unravel...
Wisdom, experience.. and just plain hands-on time around so many animals... sometimes the best teacher is the school of hard knocks.
You don't repeat that which is not-enjoyable if possible...have I learned from my mistakes, YES!!
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Aug 8, 2014 12:16:01 GMT
I'm coming back to this because I just finished a Mark Rashid book who had an entire chapter on head tossing. He said that a head tosser is a training issue as it almost always, barring pain, is a horse who hasn't learned to give to pressure. So he of course starts from the ground showing the horse how to do that before he gets in the saddle again. And he too had a horse head in the face and said one of his front teeth is still loose and kind of off kilter.
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Post by horselover4life on Aug 8, 2014 15:00:18 GMT
Boy  ...Is this ever a direct hit in the case of "my" horse. He had holes the size of a crater in his training. He could jump a 4' high and 4' wide oxer, but put him to cavaletti or a cross-rail and he was terrified and would be the nastiest horse astride... Once we went back and taught him how to do those things, to yield to a soft hand and to "rate"... he was a joy to ride over anything. Holes in schooling...sure is a bummer and my case a very sore nose!! jumping-horse |
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Aug 8, 2014 17:11:36 GMT
Isn't that just the thing. I hate the idea of finding out about the holes in training by accident. It sure is complicated
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I jump off and my nose is bleeding pretty bad, so I put him away and go to the doctor (ugh I hate the doctor!!!) they take some X-rays and turns out...... I have a broken nose!!!! :Pgood thing is, it'll heal on its own I about a month. I don't think this happens very often, but I guess I was the unlucky one!!!
Ummm, yeah, why don't you try jumping a 3 foot course on a horse that suddenly went crazy, see how "easy" that is! 
...Is this ever a direct hit in the case of "my" horse.