After 5 or so years, give or take, of riding, i had my first ever fall yesterday. Reminder to wear your helmets, and especially vests/back protectors if you're jumping.

Generic-approaching a jump, horse refuses and swerves to the side. i've never EVER fallen off before and i already have so so many hours of riding. going from being on the back of a living animal, to being on the ground with a seething pain in my back and gasping for air wasn't what i was expecting to get out of that lesson and left me shaking badly

I think i'm lucky to say i have my first ever fall off of a horse on video, as it seems most people don't get their riding recorded at all, let alone falls, let alone their first. it was very helpful in ensuring i didn't hit my head, in regards to whether or not my helmet needs replacing

Please wear your helmets, protect your head, and protect your ribs and spine if you're jumping, at any height

I'm so grateful for my barn, and my instructor, she came right over to help me up and make sure i hadn't severely hurt anything, and encouraged me to get back on just to finish up properly with a few trot poles instead

We had some really good jumps, i was unfortunately just starting to get really weak and was struggling to keep my balance and give her(horse) enough go and proper directions. i was frustrated with her at the time, but i never displayed any anger, she still got pets for doing things right, she still got treats, and all the scratches after untacking

Remember to keep yourself in check too, even in shitty moments. usually things are your fault, not theirs. they do their best, for us

I'm not looking for advice or tips on anything, just sharing my first ever fall and reminding my beloved fellow equestrians that safety is important.<3