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Safety
Do you know what you are doing around horses to be safe? Horses are big, heavy, strong, fast animals who don't have a good grasp of our language. Horse sports are dangerous, however most accidents don't happen at competitions, they happen at home , at the riding stables or in a casual setting. Accidents can and do happen and many can be avoided. To help prevent and reduce accidents try to follow these rules:-
- Know horse nature. Learn as much as you can about how horses live and interact. In short you need to know what makes a horse a horse! There are many good books to read and many "natural horsemanship" programmes you can study. Please check out the training methods section of this page for more information click here to visit this section. Time is well spent watching and learning from your observations of groups of horses interacting in the field.
- Know your horse. Each horse is an individual and getting to know your horse is essential in understanding and then predicting how he may react in different situations. What one horse is worried about another will not be bothered.
- Learn to spot illness or injury in a horse. A sick or injured horse can be dangerous. If they are suffering discomfort or pain they can be unpredicable, agressive or violent. Click here to find out more about what to look for in a healthy horse.
- The environment that you handle, stable and ride needs to be well maintained and free from hazards. So don't put off repairs or ignore them. If you ride at a riding school or keep your horse at a livery yard and you notice a hazard please point it out to the manager as we all have a duty of care in regard to safety. All yards should be equipped with fire fighting equipment including fire extinguishers. If you are a yard manager please check out the latest news on fire safety for stables by clicking here to visit the Useful Links section of the website.
- Staying relaxed and alert around horses. The one thing that is predictable about horses is that they are unpredictable, so it pays to keep your wits about you. Be aware of what is happening around and don't get distracted.
- Use well designed and well maintained study tack. Always invest in good quality tack that fits the horse. Tack that is ill fitting will causes discomfort or pain to the horse and he could react violently. Saddles should be fitted by a qualified saddler and checked yearly for adjustments. Maintaining the tack is very important. Clean well maintained tack will last longer. When cleaning tack check it over very carefully for wear. Before you tack up and mount a horse make sure the tack is safe, fitting correctly and the horse is comfortable. You can find out more about tack in the Tack Room section of the website, click here to visit this section. If you ride at a riding school ask if you can help tack clean in return for learning about tack.
- Kit yourself out in the correct gear. When you handle horses and when you ride it is important to wear the correct clothing. Baggy loose clothing can catch on things and so can jewellery. Your clothing needs to be practical for outdoor use and for handling horses. Today we can choose from a wonderful selection of well designed clothing developed with equestrianism in mind and to suit a wide range of budgets. Check out the section on Rider Clothing by clicking here. There are items of safety equipment that are a must have these include a riding hat, body protector, riding boots and hi viz gear. When making major purchases of a hat and body protector is advised not to buy second hand as a hat can be damaged and you would never be able to tell . It is advised you visit a local tack shop and get fitted by a professional fitter.
- Get good instruction from a well qualified experienced teacher. Education in all aspects of horses is key to preventing many accidents. Just learning to ride will not equip you with all the information, knowledge and understanding to be safe. Try to attend clinics, workshops, training events. Read books and articles. Ask your local riding school to put on classes. Or get professional help from a freelance instructor. I am a freelance instructor I cover the Coventry, Warwickshire and surrounding areas. Click here to find out more.
- The weather. Horses react very differently in certain weather conditions. E.g. A windy day can make a normally sensible horse jumpy. Other weather conditions such as mist and fog can cut down on visibility. Very wet weather can make the footing very difficult. So think about how the weather you have each day can impact on safety.
- Avoid rush hour traffic and busy roads. Know the route you plan to ride and try to avoid busy times of the day. Don't ride on the roads until you are an experienced confident rider. Try to ride with other people, if you have to ride alone tell someone your route and when you expect to be back. Never leave the yard to ride on the road without wearing hi viz clothing. If you hack on the roads - do your road safety test!
- There are many other safety factors to consider so the advice is if you are not sure how to do something safely around horses make sure you get expert advice and supervision.
Don't let this become overwhelming. People and horses have been living and working together for thousands of years. Horse sports can never be as safe as knitting, but you can make being around horses and riding safer by using your common sense and never be ashamed to ask for help or advice.
Click here to return to the Rider section of the website
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