12 riders after their unscheduled mud baths

Gemma Redrup's avatar
By
Published In Features
Jason-Wood.jpeg
(Image credit: credits-unknown)

Sometimes things don’t quite go according to plan when there’s a horse involved. Here’s 12 riders who were left needing a hot bath after they hit the deck landing in less than pleasant conditions…

“This is me after a fall while out hunting with the Heythrop. My horse tripped on the flat while in full flow!” — Jason Wood
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“This is me after a fall while out hunting with the Heythrop. My horse tripped on the flat while in full flow!” — Jason Wood

“This is me following a spill in the warm-up arena at a team chase from my pony ‘Shades’. There was even mud in my teeth!” — Abi Stanley
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“This is me following a spill in the warm-up arena at a team chase from my pony ‘Shades’. There was even mud in my teeth!” — Abi Stanley

“My lovely horse spooked above the only muddy puddle in the field. The worst bit was getting back into my clean saddle and covering it in mud. It was a very long ride home with plenty of stares from passing cars at my clean horse and muddy rider combo!” — Charlotte Woolerton
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“My lovely horse spooked above the only muddy puddle in the field. The worst bit was getting back into my clean saddle and covering it in mud. It was a very long ride home with plenty of stares from passing cars at my clean horse and muddy rider combo!” — Charlotte Woolerton

“This is me (right) with fellow Pony Clubber, Annie. I was competing at a Pony Club one-day event. It was a very, very wet day. My cross-country-hungry pony began galloping down a hill towards a fence and I ended up landing face first into the mud. We were both fine and shamefully waddled back to the horsebox!” — Cleo Murphy
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“This is me (right) with fellow Pony Clubber, Annie. I was competing at a Pony Club one-day event. It was a very, very wet day. My cross-country-hungry pony began galloping down a hill towards a fence and I ended up landing face first into the mud. We were both fine and shamefully waddled back to the horsebox!” — Cleo Murphy

“Graham the ex-racehorse and I had a little tumble in the school after his clumsy self decided to face plant the sand!” — Lucy Evans
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“Graham the ex-racehorse and I had a little tumble in the school after his clumsy self decided to face plant the sand!” — Lucy Evans

“My friend Jessica Le-Moine had an unexpected dismount in the water jump in Cyprus many moons ago!” — Lisa Potterton
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“My friend Jessica Le-Moine had an unexpected dismount in the water jump in Cyprus many moons ago!” — Lisa Potterton

“This is my horse Buffy and I out hunting on Boxing Day in 2015. I sort of bailed out as she was jumping so big. It was a great day and I had to wash my face in the pub afterwards!” — Lyndsay Martin
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“This is my horse Buffy and I out hunting on Boxing Day in 2015. I sort of bailed out as she was jumping so big. It was a great day and I had to wash my face in the pub afterwards!” — Lyndsay Martin

“My daughter Lauren Stead recently ended up in the dirt while hunting with the Four Burrow. She didn’t check her girth!” — Marilyn Stead Dodds
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“My daughter Lauren Stead recently ended up in the dirt while hunting with the Four Burrow. She didn’t check her girth!” — Marilyn Stead Dodds

“Whoops!” — Vicky Towers
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“Whoops!” — Vicky Towers

“This is me after my lovely chestnut mare dumped me in a pond one day. My husband had this photo enlarged, framed and it sat on his desk at work. I was not impressed when he came out with his camera and came close to assaulting him with a dandy brush!” — Perry Coleman
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“This is me after my lovely chestnut mare dumped me in a pond one day. My husband had this photo enlarged, framed and it sat on his desk at work. I was not impressed when he came out with his camera and came close to assaulting him with a dandy brush!” — Perry Coleman

“This is me and my horse, Tufty. It’s not quite a muddy photo, but we fell over in the sea at Studland beach a few years ago. It was rather cold!” — Annabelle Mackendrick
(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“This is me and my horse, Tufty. It’s not quite a muddy photo, but we fell over in the sea at Studland beach a few years ago. It was rather cold!” — Annabelle Mackendrick

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

TOPICS
Gemma Redrup
Gemma Redrup
Former web features editor, point-to-point editor and digital racing editor

Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.