Nikki tells a story about a horse riding incident to practice describing accidents. She establishes the context by explaining she and a friend went horseback riding. Nikki describes what happened by establishing movement between the horse and rider. When the horse's speed suddenly changed, Nikki fell from the horse. She concludes by explaining the result of the incident. The document provides guidance on using classifiers and facial expressions to successfully tell stories about accidents involving horses or other situations. It emphasizes establishing context, movement, and timing reactions to describe what occurred.

1. Telling about accidents -
Describing an Incident With
a Horse
Unit 21
ASL III

2. Telling about accidents
We all have a story to tell about our misadventures, incidents
involving a horse or a bicycle, car accidents, or even a near
miss. These tales can engage and fascinate the listener; they can
amaze or they can enlighten and guide us in making wise
decisions the next time we encounter the same situations.
Telling stories like these is a way of sharing our personal
experiences with other people. The tricky part is learning how
to describe the basic action, time reactions, and show different
perspectives.

3. Telling about accidents
This is another narrative unit designed to help you develop
essential skills for telling a story successfully. You will learn to
use more complex combinations or classifiers to tell what
happened. For instance, talking about an incident with a horse
usually requires switching between different classifiers used to
represent the horse, the rider, and maybe a barrier. The same is
true for telling about an incident with a bicycle or a car. You
will also learn to time your reactions to coincide with the
impact of a fall or an accident.

4. Horse Incidents
1. Describe the situation.
2. Tell what happened
■ Establish movement agreement
■ Same speed
■ Change in speed
■ Reestablish the rider to show change in
position
■ No barriers
■ With barriers
3. Tell the result of the incident.

5. 1.Describe the Situation
Create a context for what is about to
happen. For example, a friend who has
never ridden a horse wants to try it, so
two friends decide to go horseback riding.

6. 2. Tell What Happened
a. establish movement agreement
between the rider and the horse
same speed - If the horse’s speed
remains the same until the
incident, use this classifier
sequence:
i. show movement of
horse using (2h)SCL:V
“horse legs”
ii. show rider on horse
using SCL:V “rider” on
LCL:B “horse”
iii. show rider’s actions
using ICL “hold reins.”
*Use the same facial expression for the
speed throughout the sequence

7. 2. Tell What Happened
a. establish movement agreement between
the rider and the horse
change in speed - If the horse’s speed
changes before the incident, follow
this sequence:
i. repeat the classifier
sequence to establish
the original speed
ii. reestablish the horse’s
movement (2h)SCL:V
“legs” and show how
abruptly or gradually
the speed changed
iii. change facial
expressions to reflect
the new speed

8. 2. Tell What Happened -
“Nikki’s Horse Incident”
This video will show Nikki telling what
happened in a horse incident. Notice at the
beginning how she describes the situation
and creates a context for what is about to
happen. She explains the scene (her house,
her frend’s house next door, and the barn
area for riding). She also explains how she
noticed the saddle was loose and told her
friend to tighten her saddle.
Then, notice throughout the story how Nikki
establishes movement agreement between the
rider and horse by switching between the
horse’s legs moving, the classifier for her on
the horse, and her view as her body begins to
hang upside down on the horse. She keeps a
consistent rhythm throughout the telling of
her story.
Watch and practice signing movement
agreement along with Nikki
throughout the telling of her story.

9. 2. Tell What Happened
b. Reestablish the rider to show
change in position (this is where you
describe what happened)
no barrier:
i. Use a transition sign to
indicate that what is
about to happen next is
unexpected
ii. reestablish the person on
the horse, then describe
the person’s fall or change
in position on the horse
using SCL:V “person”
iii. time the “ahh” or “pow”
expressions with the
action
iv. use BCL or BPCL to
describe how the person
ended up

10. 2. Tell What Happened
b. Reestablish the rider to show
change in position (this is where you describe
what happened)
with barrier:
i. Use a transition sign to
indicate that what is about to
happen next is unexpected
ii. name the barrier and establish
it using DCL or LCL
iii. show the relationship of the
horse to the barrier
iv. reestablish the person on the
horse, then describe the
person’s fall or change in
position on the horse
v. time the “ahh” or “pow”
expressions with the action
vi. use BCL or BPCL to describe
how the person ended up

11. 3. Tell the result of the
incident
To conclude the story, describe reactions and
injuries, and tell what happened to the horse
and the rider after the incident. End the story
with a comment.

12. “A Horse Incident” by John
Video Notes:
This incident involves no change in the
horse’s speed and no barriers. Given this,
notice how the information is organized
and how the classifiers are sequenced and
reactions timed. Pay attention to how John
establishes movement agreement between
him and the bucking horse by using
(2h)SCL:V to describe the horse’s bucking.
His mouth movements rhythmically
correspond with the action described and
he maintains the expression throughout
the sequence. When he’s about to describe
the fall, he reestablishes himself on the
horse before telling us he went flying
through the air using the “ahh” expression.
This video segment is about John and his friend, who
had never ridden a horse, going to a riding stable. John,
being a bit of a show-off, told his friend to watch and
learn. John’s off-hand manner sets him up for an
embarrassing moment.
Practice signing John’s description of the
horse incident. Be sure to use facial
expressions with the sequence of classifiers
and to time the “ahh” and “pow”
expressions with the fall.

13. Horse Incidents - Essential
Classifiers
Classifiers Used to Represent a Horse:
■ (2h)SCL:V “horse movement” - This
semantic classifier is used to show the
horse’s position, such as standing and laying, or
the horse’s movement, such as trotting, bucking,
running, and jumping.
■ (wh)LCL:B “horse”/SCL:V “rider on horse” -
This is a combination of two classifiers -
semantic (“V” representing a person) and locative
(“B” on the weak hand representing the horse).
This combination is used when describing a person
straddling something, in this case a horse. The
combination is used to show the interaction
between the rider (SCL:V) and the horse (LCL:B),
e.g., the rider bouncing on the horse and the speed
at which both the rider and the horse are moving.
The only time the horse is represented by the “B”
handshape is when you talk about the rider on the
horse.
■LCL:1 “horse running in circle” - This locative classifier
is used to describe the direction or route the horse takes,
e.g., the horse is running down the road or around the
arena.

14. Horse Incidents - Essential
Classifiers
Classifiers Used to Show How a Rider
Manipulates a Horse:
■(2h)ICL “pull reins” - This instrument classifier
is used to show a person holding or handling
something, in this case holding the reins, pulling
back on the reins, slapping the horse with the
reins, or holding the horse’s mane.
■(2h)BPCL:X “kick horse with both legs” - This
bodypart classifier is used to represent legs. It
can be used to describe the rider kicking the
horse with both legs.
BCL “slap horse’s rear” - This body classifier is
used to “enact” the actions of a person, in this
case, slapping the horse’s rear end. This is
distinguished from the other hand “holding” the
reins, which indicates an instrument classifier.

15. Facial Expressions and Head
Movements
■ “mmm” + bobbing
head: indicates a
leisurely ride on a
trotting horse
■ “mahmah” + bouncing
head: indicates a
rough ride on a bucking
horse
■ “eee” + head forward:
indicates a fast ride

16. Classifiers used to describe incidents
involving barriers
Descriptive classifiers (DCL) are primarily used to
describe the size and shape of barriers. A locative
classifier (LCL) is used to represent the barrier when
describing what happened.
Follow this structure to describe incidents involving
barriers:
1. Name the barrier
2. Describe the barrier
3. Describe the accident

17. Barriers
Tree
■ TREE (2h)LCL:C “tree
branch” LCL:1 “tree hits
forehead”
Fence
■ FENCE HORSE (2h)SCL:V
“jump over fence”
Pond
■ WATER (2h)LCL:C “pond”
HORSE (2h)SCL:V “stops
immediately”

18. Facial Expressions for Falls/Impact
■ “ahh”: indicates that an
object or a person is airborne.
You could have the horse stop
suddenly in front of a pond
and have the rider flying
through the air (“ahh”) then
landing on the ground
(“pow”).
■ “pow”: used for both objects
and people, whenever you
have impact. For example, a
person falls and lands on the
ground - describing the
moment of impact requires
the “pow” expression.

19. Other Useful Signs
■ Transition Sign - WRONG:
This transition sign indicates
that what is about to happen
is unexpected.
■ REFUSE: This sign is
used when a person or
an animal, with a mind of
its own, refuses to do
something. In John’s story,
John states that his friend
would not get on a horse
even after John’s
reassurances that everything
would be fine.

20. You try it! Horse Situations
1. Horse starts bucking up.
2. Horse rears up on hind legs.
3. Horse suddenly sits down on all
four legs.
4. Horse is trotting along.
5. Horse moves at a slow speed to
a very fast speed.
6. Horse runs from very fast to slow.
7. Horse slows down to a stop.
8. Running horse comes to a dead
stop.
9. Horse moves slowly to fast, then
back to slowly.
10. Running horse stumbles and
falls.
11. Galloping horse steps into a hole
and falls.
Try practicing along with the horse
situations in the video.

21. Review
Throughout this presentation, you have learned the following:
■ Horse Incidents Structure:
a. Describe the situation.
b. Tell what happened
■ Establish movement agreement
▪ Same speed
▪ Change in speed
■ Reestablish the rider to show change in position
▪ No barriers
▪ With barriers
c. Tell the result of the incident.
■ Essential Classifiers related to horse accidents
■ Barriers and related classifiers
■ Associated facial expressions and head movements