Tuesday's Fall

This is the last week before daylight saving time ends to ride after work with some light. I didn't want to ride, but I forced myself to the barn because I know it always is fine when I get there. I tacked up after getting Spyder fed, and was ready for an adventure since it was cool out and I gave him off a few days after the hunter pace. He is always good with time off, and he seemed to be happy to move. We worked on the bit and pushing him into it and off my leg which was easy at the trot. I thought, great, let's move to canter!

To the left, he kept breaking gait. He was being lazy and didn't want to keep going so he kept stopping himself and trotting. The first few times I asked him to get back up to canter, he was fine. Kissing sounds weren't making him happy and my leg wasn't either. I gave him his head instead of trying to canter in a frame just to get him moving, and he kicked out! He startled me a little, but he kept moving. We moved on to the right lead to see if that way was any better. He was fine! Back around the circle to the left, he did the same thing in the same place and came down to trot. I asked him to move back up, and he didn't listen. I TOLD him to move back up, and he had a big buck waiting for me. I lost my balance because he decided to STOP immediately after. Had he been moving forward, I would have been fine as I almost always catch my balance. I'm quite good at staying on in times that I should bail!

I went over his neck, and I think it was almost a front flip. For whatever reason I ALWAYS hold my reins when I fall, and I remember looking up thinking, "I hope I don't pull you on me." I hit my left elbow first as I tried to catch myself, and then my head (with helmet) hit soon after. Spyder decided it was a great time to eat some grass since he had his head. I got back up and got right back on, but I did feel dizzy for a moment. I continued the canter to the left with two circles and no bucking. He rode off like nothing happened! I believe this is fall number four from Spyder in the 2+ years I've had him. This was probably the worst fall I've had from him, and I'm not too happy about his new buck that I've never seen/felt before. Hopefully this can be put behind us, and we can keep moving forward. I'm glad I already had a chiropractor appointment scheduled for Wednesday. It's like Spyder knew I could get fixed the following day. I feel a bit sore still!