Audrey, I'm sorry that you fell off but I'm glad you're OK and you seem so willing to get back on after this fall!! I think falling definitely helps you on the learning curve....If you never fall, it will always be a fear when you ride. Now that you've fallen a few times and know what it's like, you know it's not that bad and you will be more able and willing to try new things...I've fallen off at least 10 times that I can remember. I developed this new thing that we called the "Rapid Dismount". When Grover and I were practicing going from a stand still directly into a canter in the center of the ring, we often got our signals mixed! (You know, the outside rein, inside leg to canter thing...(Is that right? BOY, I haven't ridden in a while!!)) Anyway, when you're in the center like that, Grover never knew what direction I wanted him to go and he would just go straight to the wall and stop when he was about 2 inches from it!!!! I would go forward onto his neck, circle my arms around it and swing off! Really I was falling, but it looked good!!! My aunt always said that if I did that in a show I could still win just for the ingenuity of the whole thing!!!!! Sometimes, I missed his neck and would have to grab the beams onthe wall and climb down!! Boy if we only had videotape of that!!!!!!!! Oh well!

I'm glad you're back up and going and that you weren't hurt! I rode long before Christopher Reeves was hurt and although I know falls can be dangerous, I never knew anyone who was so badly hurt by a fall from a horse so I was pretty fearless back then! Just sit back on your fanny and try not to tense up when they bolt or jump or spook. Expect the unexpected! And have fun!!! You're a lucky girl!!

By the way, was the horse you were riding the other night a quarter horse!?