Badminton Health and Safety...

[dozzie]

Well had a fab day yesterday but there was something that happened that I thought was really a bit against health and safety guidelines!

Two huntsmen coming away from a jump at a canter. The second horse was bouncing to catch the other and then off they went at a fast canter down the track where the spectators were walking! They were extremely close to the people walking towards the fence and people were having to literally jump out of the way. If the huntsmen were walking it would have been fine but they were clearly trying to set off to canter at this point! With people all around them!

Once they got further away it wasnt so bad as the track was wide enough and they could keep well away.

It seemed to me that health and safety rules werent being applied! I know the runners have to go this way but to go at a fast canter or gallop seemed to be asking for trouble!

I think they needed ticking off!!!!

Anyone else see anything like this!

 

[Chunky_Monkey]

Yup, I saw a very close call! Two huntsmen were escorting a competitor (one on either side of her). They were riding alongside a large crowd of us who were sitting on the grass around the lake (i.e. they weren't on the fenced off horse-walk).

The rubbish collectors had their lorry parked up, and were taking the bags out of bins and throwing them into the caged area on the back of the lorry.

The three riders squeezed through a little gap between the crowd and the lorry.........just as one of the bin men threw a bin bag onto the back of the lorry.

Of course, that spooked one of the huntsman's horses, who shied out to the right - straight towards the crowd of spectators! One poor little girl nearly got trampled - her mom just grabbed her in time and pulled her out of the way. Luckily no-one was hurt, but it could have been an awful accident.

The huntsman rode round the back of the lorry, I assume to give the bin man a telling off, but he was, after all, only doing his job, and I guess he never expected three horses to be riding alongside his bin lorry! To be honest, I think the riders were at fault - what were they doing riding in a 'non-horse' area (we were right alongside the horse-walk), and why did they choose to squeeze through a narrow gap with a bin lorry on one side and a crowd of people sitting on the grass on the other side?

 

[Jiffy]

No, I'm afraid I don't think like this. I mean millions of us have managed to survive living the past 50yrs or so without the need for Health & Safety 'rules'.

You obviously had the sense to move aside, but why can't people acknowledge the need to use a bit of common sense or responsibility these days without having to have it all written down in black/white?

Maybe they had something important to do like catch a loose horse?

 

[Weezy]

100% agree with you Jif!

 

[Allykat]

Agree too. Health and safety seems to be overtaking common sense in all aspects of life these days

 

[dozzie]

I think they were in a hurry to do something but certainly not to catch a loose horse!!

I just felt they were a bit stupid to canter off in the middle of the crowd!!!!! There really were people all round them! If someone had been kicked there would have to be a long expensive investigation by health and safety and possibly could have resulted in litigation.

The riders who retire walk back. The pony club runners behaved really sensibly so why couldnt these huntsmen! Their behaviour came over as arrogant and irresponsible which doesnt do hunting any favours either.

I hate all the health and safety legislation but at an event that is open to the general public, horsey and non-horsey, experienced and novice they should have been more aware.