Q. I’ve never fallen off before, and the thought of falling in the ring scares me a bit.
A. Ask your instructor to teach you how to fall off correctly. There is a technique known as the flying or emergency dismount that I firmly believe all students should learn. It will teach you how to land on your feet (most of the time 😉 ) and help to prevent some of the more injurious types of falls. Falling is a part of riding. It will most likely happen more than once or twice in your riding career, and it’s important you learn to do it correctly so you aren’t so fearful of the possibility. Most falls injure little more than the rider’s pride.