DIY yard safety

carthorse

carthorse

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I have been asked for advice but my knowledge is more to do with riding schools so maybe others can help.
What risk assessment do you do.
I always used to have electrical equipment checked and labeled with a date is this necessary
Is it ok for a lone rider to be exercising in the school when no one on yard.
Do you insist anyone doing work at yard wears steel toe cap boots.
Do you have many notices with rules.
Do you keep an accident book
 
I am on a DIY yard on a farm. I can't imagine there are any risk assessments. We are allowed to use any electrical equipment eg clippers or kettles as long as it isn't so high voltage it makes the lights short out. You can ride when you want and don't have to wear a hat or tack but YO does remind one of the girls to wear flurorescent on the road. No one has steel toe cap boots I have probably been up in flip flops but that is very unusual. And we certainly don't have an accident book. We just look out for each other and each other's horses and we seem to be all right.
 
When I was on DIY at the farm it was pretty much please yourself :(
Good in a way when you wanted to ride out on your own or school etc but a little odd when you're on your own trying to push a large bale of hay down for yourself as there isn't anyone else to do it and the farme has forgotten! He did get a bit upset when we rolled the big straw bales around as he had forgotten to put them down when asked.

It was fun though. Pretty sure no accident book or we would have filled it in when a slate blew off the stables and hit the other livery on the head! Or when the yard was an ice rink for three weeks (literally). Or when the huge barn door was only hanging on by the bottom hinge. Ah happy times..
 
I'm on basic farm diy. Only safety rules are not to have horses out of control. Eg loose on yard is fine, or my oldie walking at my side without a lr is ok, racing around the farm loose isn't. He isn't fussed about hats, tack etc, but I know he wouldn't have kids riding without them. Not fussed what you do riding wise, I happily jump in the field, with other horses loose grazing & nobody around which he knows about. Main safety rule is always shut gates & doors properly, & don't leave unattended horses tied on the yard when the tractors going past. He mainly just expects a bit of common sense, no fixed rules really.
 
This is fine until something goes wrong. What if someone gets electricuted because there is a fault. My friend wants to do things correctly, she knows she is only liable if she is negligent but she is not sure how much she has to do. I told her to phone BHS
 
If i was running a yard, i would most definitely have risk assessments done and available. I would make sure the electrics are secure and safe, earthed and safe for outdoor use. Rules would be that if you ride, you wear a current safety hat and proper boots (not wellies), if you hack off my premises you wear a hi-viz vest as minimum.

I wouldnt mind people being on their own, its at their risk, and generally if we ride- then we know the risks.

But i would have rules regarding things that I would consider common sense - but i have seen with my own eyes, that not everyone has the same ideas of normal behaviour - : Things like - Dont feed your horse in the field (when there are 8 other horses out, and they are not gettting fed - ummm yes not the best idea). so for the sake of 2 minutes just writing out a list of common sense rule - you cover yourself , and hopefully the idiot would think twice about doing it.

As a yard owner, even if DIY, you as yo have a duty of care to those on your premises and i'd want to make sure that my clients were safe.
 
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I have my own place, so if i didnt ride in the school when nobody was about, id never ride :D
I also hack on my own quite a bit, which again i dont see as a problem tbh.
I think you risk assess as you go along, when i was riding my just backed horse who could be a bit of a lad,as he was a bit sharp and very spooky id phone my husband to say im riding, if ive not called you back in 40 mins phone me, if no answer come to the stables just in case im in a heap somewhere :eek::D
 
carthorse said:
This is fine until something goes wrong. What if someone gets electricuted because there is a fault. My friend wants to do things correctly, she knows she is only liable if she is negligent but she is not sure how much she has to do. I told her to phone BHS
Click to expand...

Does the BHS not accredit yards in the UK? Over here my farm is accredited with the country's equine governing body and when they come out they do the risk assessments.
 
All the yards I've been on have allowed people to use common sense.

One farmer did insist on a powerbreaker being used when clipping, not bringing horses in from the field without using a headcollar and leadrope and no feeding in the field. One yard insisted on hats to be worn in the school but other than that, can't think of anything else.

Usually, if someone does something risky, someone else will say something, generally in a friendly way.
 
The BHS do accredit livery yards - but it is quite rare to find a DIY yard which has bothered. The arguement over whether DIY should be more regulated or not has rumbled on for years.

The law on liability is quite complex and some very hefty 3rd party liability insurance would absolutely be in order! Assuming your friend is the land owner, or the responsible person if rented, then she is legally liable for the welfare of all the horses on the land. If DEFRA ever came out to check (ha ha)she should also be the keeper of the passport for each horse.

Assuming she takes in money for livery fees she has a further liability to ensure that the buildings, fields, fences etc are suitable, safe and fit for purpose.

If she employs staff she must have employer's liability insurance and comply with all relevant H&S provisions which will include a risk assessment and safe systems of work.

Under common law she has a duty not to act in a way which she knew or reasonably should have known would harm others - as indeed does everyone. Exactly how this general prinicple would operate in practice would depend on the circumstances. Riding is a high risk sport and the law is strating - slowly - to recognise that.

Most DIY yards are fairly easy going with a minimum of rules about dress, handling, conduct etc. Whether this is legally sensible or not is another matter!
 
Ones on my old DIY yards were (well ones I remember anyway :/ )

Hats must be worn when riding (inc bareback)
No feeding in field
Head collar and rope must be used when bringing in turning out
No smoking on premises at all (except in car park)
No tied horses to be left unattended
 
PAT testing isn't a legal requirement and a bit of a rip off if you ask me. Just keep all electrical items in good order and you'll be fine.

An accident book is a good idea. Just covers her back and her insurance will probably insist on it. Make sure she gets insured as well. If something collapses on someone I'm sure she wouldn't like to be sued and have to pay out of her own pocket.

A small notice board with basic ground rules will also stop petty arguments as well as potential accidents. Speak to the BHS or her insurance company if she is still unsure. If she follows their guidelines she will be in the right direction.
 
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I think the term DIY gives folk a hint really. I don't 'do' livery yards so I'm perfectly aware of what I'm doing, how it could/might all go wrong and I have no other choice but to ride by myself as I keep my horses on land that's not a yard.

I'm sick of all the 'whose responsible for .......' That goes on and the whole blame nonsense. Your responsible for yourself and your horses when it comes to safety on the yard. People just don't want to take responsibilty for themselves anymore.

YO's do have a duty of care TO THE HORSES as they cannot think for themselves and are just that, horses.

H+S for yourself is your own responsibility.
 
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