Article in The Times today - Is riding too risky?

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teapot

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Thoughts and feelings?

Personally, I've seen the rising costs of insurance premiums and heard the details when I was working at the yard. One of the main reasons why the prices have nearly tripled in the 6yrs I've been there (and they are due to increase again this weekend
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) is because of the premiums.

Remember when I first started riding back in 2000/2001 and there was just so much more freedom as such. Riding schools were able to get on and teach people, not have to worry about whether they fall whilst doing no stirrups. Was quite surprised to see that even Talland wont do no stirrups.

Having been primarily a RS client, other people's rides as a minority, I've only learnt how to balance, sit a bucking 13.2 etc by being allowed to take those risks. How on earth can a rider progress and for example deepen their seat and their ability of "feel" when you can't even take away their stirrups for an hour's lesson just incase they fall off??

Loads of my flatwork lessons have involved no stirrups from the moment I went into the arena, on horses that weren't the usual RS horses and just told to get on with it, and learn to adjust thus effectively learning how to ride and not just be a passenger.

Your thoughts/feelings/experiences?
 
This annoys me so much - why can't people realise riding is a high-risk sport! By getting on a horse you are showing you understand that, so why try and claim when you fall off! I did all sorts of stupid things when I was a kid! Even when I fell off the YO's horse last year and broke my leg, it would never of crossed my mind to sue them, even though it was partly their fault! Accidents happen.
 
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This annoys me so much - why can't people realise riding is a high-risk sport! By getting on a horse you are showing you understand that, so why try and claim when you fall off! I did all sorts of stupid things when I was a kid! Even when I fell off the YO's horse last year and broke my leg, it would never of crossed my mind to sue them, even though it was partly their fault! Accidents happen.

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exactly !!
 
Wonder if the case of trying to claim is a bigger figure from parents of children who have fallen off or adult riders, or could it be the same?

Most of the parents that I dealt with knew the risks but we always had the odd one who would moan/threaten at any given opportunity
 
It is sad, and I really hope it isn't the beginning of the end for riding schools as, like you, I rely on them for 90% of my riding and will do for the forseeable future until I can afford and am in the position to buy a horse. I have also seen the cost of lessons rocket due mainly to the increase in insurance that riding schools have to pay.
I'm lucky that the last two riding schools I have been to have both been very good and very sensible. I love working wihout stirrups and do regularly in my lessons unless the horse really isn't suitable (one I ride can be 'interesting' when he knows you don't have stirrups).
Thinking about it, I have never fallen off while doing work without stirrups - possibly because my seat is more secure without. I also accept that riding is a risk sport and tend to blame any falls on myself or just put them down to 'one of those thigns'.
 
What worries me is that parents with a patch of land will decide to teach the next riding generation purely because there aren't enough teaching places and/or the cost of a lesson is too high. The result will be poor horse practiuce which, in turn will result in charity organisations being full to the brim.

The horse never asks us to get on its back, why should we blame it when we're bucked off - very sad state of affairs
 
Absolutely agree with the risk of the next generation of riders not being taught at RS. I learnt to ride many years ago with a teacher who taught you to ride without stirrups at sitting and rising trot, canter, jumping, the lot. Then about 10 years ago we had some refresher lessons and were again taught without stirrups and reins on occasions. I firmly believe that without that I would have hit the deck many more times than I have. It is reacing a stage where every profession/job is ruled by defensive practice rather than the most effective.
 
It isn't all doom and gloom at all.

I noticed a couple of Schools in that article have "bent" with the times and have updated. Good for them!!
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In our business we are forever having claims made against us, the thing is they are never successful as we have done all we can do to create a safe environment.

Some of the attempted claims are hilarious and we must write a book sometime. Some of them are truly unbelievable.

The problem with us in the UK is we are always running scared when we have nothing to worry about. If you have done your job properly and you fight you have to be blooming unlucky to lose.

The equine industry needs to pull together and fight against the ridiculous claim culture. Horses ARE dangerous. YES!

Bloody newspapers get right up my nose. They dramatise everything, get everyone wound up and don't come up with anything positive. Better if they used their column inches whipping up some positive information to help people rather than get everyone down.
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In America, a lot of the riding schools are now forcing anyone who enters their property to sign a disclaimer,so that the customer knows that they are entering a high risk area, so that if there is an accident the person involved, cannot sue the establishment.
 
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In America, a lot of the riding schools are now forcing anyone who enters their property to sign a disclaimer,so that the customer knows that they are entering a high risk area, so that if there is an accident the person involved, cannot sue the establishment.

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About time this happened over here.I was talking to someone yesterday about cover in Holland and they said everyone over there is insured as to opposed the riding establishments.
 
I feel very sorry for the horses! Kids today arent taught to ride properly due to lack of riding schools and fear of personal injury claims so when they get thier own ponies they dont know what they are doing, horses aren't treated/ridden properly due to lack of knowledge - thats why, in my opinion, there are so many ponies/horses with quirks, bad manners, and general vices - POOR HORSES!!!!!
 
Obviously you cannot remove all risk from riding ! I do however think that people signing a disclaimer when they enter a yard is a good idea. They can hardly complain if something happens to them and it would stop the insurance claims. They have effectively accepted and signed up to the risks.
 
Hmm, am sort of in two minds about this.
Like you I have primarily been a riding school client and have ridden at several different riding schools. I accept that riding is a risk sport and have always put down any falls to my bad riding/just one of those things that happen when you are riding a living creature with a mind of its own.
However I have ridden at a couple of places that were accidents waiting to happen, with bored staff who would rather chat to the ther instructors then actually teach. Horses and ponies being used who were totally unsuitable for the level of the riders and far too many horses crowded into one school.
If a RS has taken sensible precautions to ensure safety then I will happily chalk up any falls to experience etc but just because riding is a risk sport that does not absolve riding schools of all responsibility concerning health and safety.
 
Completely and utterly agree with you Weevil.

RS I started out at - well, they just weren't a suitable place for a novice to start riding at. Attitude towards beginners was that they sooner they got on and rode the more advanced horses the better - I had a couple of falls there because I was riding something completely unsuitable for my level of experience - looking back on it.

Current RS is very H&S conscious, follows every ideal going really. But their attitude in general is just that much better.

My biggest bug bear is that the premiums RSs are having to pay are reflected by increases year on year in the lesson prices. And sadly it is causing numbers of clients to decrease quite quickly and this is when you get the parents going out and buying their child a pony with limited experience as it's a damn sight cheaper than forking out for lessons every week.
 
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