I swear I usually ride better than this.

[Cypress Creek Elites]

(we went to a schooling show and did the 2' class. He stopped in front of this jump so I kicked him over it and he jumped me waaaaay out of the tack. I stayed on)
**would like to add that I ended up behind the saddle and had to somehow get myself back into the saddle. Thankfully, Zippy stayed still for that whole thing xD

[islandhill]

(we went to a schooling show and did the 2' class. He stopped in front of this jump so I kicked him over it and he jumped me waaaaay out of the tack. I stayed on)

The fact that you stayed on shows that you are a good rider XD Good luck in your showing!

[BlackOak2]

...

Okay, first and foremost, Congratulations! Staying on is one of the most important things.
Second... I hope you learned something from that ... ehem... very interesting photo.

Seriously great 'oopsie-moment' image! We've all had these and coming out unharmed in the end for both of you always turn out the best... eh... photographic moments.

And lastly... can you go back and blot or crop out your face? It's not a good idea to share such a thing on the internet, even if it's posted freely visible on such sights like facebook. But I'm sure you just forgot.

...

Also, islandhill, can you edit your post and remove that photo from it?

[DoppleLover]

A lot of people are saying that it's a good thing you stayed on, it is not. Almost every rider should be taught that when you're falling, you let go of the reigns and just take the fall. It's so harmful and damaging to the horse when you pull the reigns.

[Alyssa Davis]

...

Even the best of the best do this! You know, what's funnier than the picture is how mixed the equestrian community can be.

[Cypress Creek Elites]

Okay, first and foremost, Congratulations! Staying on is one of the most important things.
Second... I hope you learned something from that ... ehem... very interesting photo.

Seriously great 'oopsie-moment' image! We've all had these and coming out unharmed in the end for both of you always turn out the best... eh... photographic moments.

And lastly... can you go back and blot or crop out your face? It's not a good idea to share such a thing on the internet, even if it's posted freely visible on such sights like facebook. But I'm sure you just forgot.

Ah, I'm sorry. I thought that the angle/blurriness would be fine. I can definitely change it though (will do in a sec)

[Cypress Creek Elites]

A lot of people are saying that it's a good thing you stayed on, it is not. Almost every rider should be taught that when you're falling, you let go of the reigns and just take the fall. It's so harmful and damaging to the horse when you pull the reigns.

Sure, on a bombproof dead broke schoolhorse. Zippy isn't any of those things. The first time I fell off him he bolted around an arena full of other horses for two full laps. Granted, that was three years ago- and I fell off because of a really dumb choice on my part- but you know, at a show with an arena that doesn't have an actual door, better safe than sorry. Also, I'll take maybe causing my horse five seconds of discomfort over a back injury any day.
Which brings me to my main point: don't judge other people's riding when they didn't ask for it. It is the SIMPLEST thing. You don't know the whole picture. Dude, I'm sure if you'd been riding or whatever you would have had the presence of mind to let go of the reins and yeet yourself gracefully into one of the three nearby jumps, but I was not expecting him to do that from a standstill. I posted what I thought was a funny "oopsie" moment.
You don't know me, and you don't know my horse.

Edit: and if you look closely there is a bit of slack in the reins, so you're getting worked up over nothing. I get jumped loose (not that badly) fairly often so I'm pretty good at compensating, which is why my arms are straight out in front of me.

[islandhill]

A lot of people are saying that it's a good thing you stayed on, it is not. Almost every rider should be taught that when you're falling, you let go of the reigns and just take the fall. It's so harmful and damaging to the horse when you pull the reigns.

^In support of what Tea said, my horse (or, the mare I am working with) is very similar to hers as if I were to fall off she would basically bolt around the arena and/or harm me or someone else. In the photo, you can see that most of Tea's weight is going into her heels which basically means that she's not holding on by the reins, but rather using her seat to stay on which is hard to do and it is a GREAT thing to have. So, in a lot of situations it is better to stay on than fall off, you just can't know the horse or the situation.

[BlackOak2]

... I've thought about this for a few minutes... Should I put my own two-cents in... should I not and just watch the topic for things to get too warm...

I've decided to add this.

'The safest place to be, when dealing with horses, is on their back.'

If you can manage to stay on the back of a horse, it's the safest place to be. Should something happen, you don't bail off unless in an emergency. This is what many of us are taught and this is taught for a reason.

From what I see in the picture, she's not falling off the horse, she's high in the air, above the back of a horse. Even if she let go of the reins, she'd land on the horse's rump. Many horses can actually be spooked by this (not saying this horse would), but if that were to happen, in this situation, such a rider can be launched upward, backward or forward from the horse's back, resulting in a much worse injury. Or the horse could just bolt forward, tumbling her off the rear of the horse and potentially landing on her neck... which I won't say the injuries that might happen then.
From what I see, correct (though far from classy and pretty) emergency action was taken.

We all make mistakes, including the horse. That ring snaffle she has on him is not a harsh bit, but rather mild, as bits go. May... Maybe against his teeth at the moment of ... ehem... 'flight', but he doesn't look to be in any disagreeable amount of pain, rather just quite a bit of surprise. And perhaps... maybe a little bit of 'don't fall off, kid!' Those ears are certainly all on her, aren't they? All of that horse's attention is squarely on his rider in this moment.

People don't get injured when they stay on a horse (with the exception of low hanging stuff-things like branches and horses that flip on us, but flipping horses is an entirely different issue), people get injured by bailing poorly and falling wrong. Plus, when you bail from a horse in an emergency, they don't say 'release the reins'. The trick is to learn to bail correctly while holding the reins so your horse doesn't run off on you. Do it right and neither you or your horse will be hurt. And you'll land right next to his or her shoulder, both of you standing (in some slightly limited, panic-y relief).
It is called an 'emergency dismount' for a reason.
We're never supposed to fall off our horses.
And we call such errors the 'ungraceful dismount'.

[DoppleLover]

There is no reason to get so defensive, the problem so many riders have today is not being able to take criticism. We always want to make an emergency discount because pulling on the horse. Horse riding is dangerous, we are aware of it as soon as we get on our animal's back. Never will I say I'll let my horse be in discomfort or pain because of my decision to ride em that day.