It was a beautiful day, and the rider was feeling confident as he took his horse around the course. Little did he know that one small misstep would lead to a life-changing moment. Suddenly, a freak accident occurred, causing the horse and rider to fall on the flat. The rider’s foot got caught in the stirrup, and the horse bolted down the course at full speed. The rider was dragged for what felt like an eternity, and it took more than four months for him to recover.
Despite using safety stirrups, this horrific moment still occurred. However, because the rider was wearing a correctly fitting hat and body protector, the only injuries he sustained were to his limbs. It’s truly a miracle that he survived. The rider shared his experience, saying, “I’m glad to say that after that accident, I am now fully on the road to recovery, driving and walking again normally. I have a long road of physio and gym work ahead, but I will get back to normal.”
It’s hard to imagine the shock and horror the rider felt during those few seconds of being dragged by the horse. One can only hope that he can regain his confidence and continue riding. Some speculate that the way the horse fell and slid may have caused the rider’s foot to be pushed too far into the stirrup, leading to the prolonged dragging. It’s a sobering reminder of the importance of training horses to stand still when something is attached to their stirrups.
If you fear this happening to you, it’s crucial to desensitize your horse to dragging objects and to sit and lie down next to, in front, and behind your horse. This way, if you fall, your horse won’t be freaked out, and by not being afraid of things being dragged around them, they are less likely to bolt when you get stuck in the stirrup.
This is a horrifying incident that shows just how important it is to take all necessary precautions when riding horses. As the rider said, “Even though I was using safety stirrups, accidents still occur.” It’s up to us as riders to do everything in our power to prevent them.