Ooomph

I was trotting Allie around the racetrack warning up for some canter sets on Friday. We were just ambling along on a loose rein when

BAM!!!

I hit the dirt.

Allie had shied violently to the left all the way across the track. She shied at a bent piece of the railing that some stupid racehorse had banged into. I didn't have a chance as I was rising and had such a long rein - she just shied out from under me. Luckily I landed on my big fat bum and I've somehow bruised my knee and pulled something in my back, because (thanks to a naughty little grey pony we won't name) I have a bad habit of holding onto the reins when I fall off. Poor Allie copped it in the mouth and I had to let go because she was so scared she was dragging me.

Climbing back on was, well, HARD. I never mount from the ground because I like my horse and want to preserve her healthy back but I think I need to get into the habit every so often because I ended up having to scale her back into the saddle like she was a cliff face. Thankfully no one saw.

Once back on board we continued on and she kept shying violently in the same spot. I ended up riding her back and forth until she relaxed. It took a lot longer than it normally does when she's a bit scared of something. I think me falling off really scared her. She's never had someone fall off her before.

So, that's my first official fall off Allie. Only took 6 years.