first hack at a questionable yard

[All]

i had my first hack at a local hacking yard

i met my mount jack i noticed he had a rubber bit ( safety cage i belave there called) on the left stirrup (i will get back to this later)

the guide was happy enough for me to fix the length of my stirrup leathers my self when a young female (mustn't have been older than 14) came up to me and insisted i was struggling with my stirrup leathers i was looking at her thinking you will struggle to reach the top of them
i had the first one done when she was talking she stood there watching me do the next one ( i was taught to do them one handed )

i was waiting for the guide to get ready reins and stick in one hand and then the horse shook its head the bleeding rains came apart where the two of them join one side fell to the ground ( i am now thinking what if that happened at canter is this how the day is going to go ) some one shouted watch those rains the young lass came over very grumpy and did them up ( she only did the buckle up i was looking at them thinking that's going to happen again and i pushed the end of the rain in to the leather loop that was on the other side

back to the stirrups buy this time we were on the hacking root about to canter i Hadn't noticed there was only one of those safety cages on the left stirrup nothing on the right i coudent get my left foot far enough in to the left stirrup
it was quite hard to canter with my foot coming out of the stirrup

the rest of the day went well

i had noticed when i had finished the horses head collar was under his bridle (is this common practice ?) i have seen it on top but taken off before riding

what is you experience or thoughts

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Sounds like a place to avoid!

 

[laura_nash]

i had noticed when i had finished the horses head collar was under his bridle (is this common practice ?) i have seen it on top but taken off before riding

This is very common practice at stables that take out novice riders or those they don't know well. It makes it much easier to lead the horse if necessary.

 

[laura_nash]

Reins coming apart and a safety cage on just one stirrup isn't great though.

That said, I'm not clear on why the safety cage meant you kept losing your stirrup at canter.

 

[Surbie]

I'm not clear on why the safety cage meant you kept losing your stirrup at canter.

Ours are different widths, so a narrow fitting one would make it hard for someone with a broader foot to keep their foot in. It doesn't explain only having one though.

 

[All]

Reins coming apart and a safety cage on just one stirrup isn't great though.

That said, I'm not clear on why the safety cage meant you kept losing your stirrup at canter.

when i canter i have the stirrup at the back of the ball of my foot with the safety cage the stirrup sits in front of the ball of my foot at the bottom of my toe`s it may have worked if i had different boots on

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

Sounds an accident waiting to happen. Who knows what else is not properly checked, which at a riding school is not acceptable. However as a matter of course I would check all tack before getting and not rely on another person. Something every rider should do and something I was taught from a young age. This would include girth, girth straps, stirrup bars, leathers and correct size of stirrup as well as bridle and reins.

I’ve often found stirrups lacking. Even at fairly decent yards I’ve not seen good enough attention to stirrup sizing given. Sometimes they are child’s size or for small feet. I would insist they are equal and correctly sized to stop your foot getting stuck. If they have no grips they can be very slippery too. I actually used to take my own stirrups and leathers to ride in because I then had the right size and my leathers were in good condition with the holes equal on both sides. I’d recommend doing this.

 

[fiwen30]

I guess the safety cage just being on the left stirrup is to help people who have never ridden a horse to mount without slipping a foot through the stirrup? And the head collar was probably to quickly tie/untie the horses after each ride. Sounds like a place to avoid though.

 

[Winters100]

Doesn't sound great, I am also wondering did they see you ride before they took you to canter while on a hack? If you have a problem to keep your stirrup without a safety cage, and if losing a stirrup makes things difficult for you, then I think it might be best to stick to lessons in an arena or just walking on hacks for now. Nothing mean meant by this, with riding we are all just somewhere on a scale between beginner and top professional, and everything is relative, but safety is important, and you will also probably have a lot more fun if you can learn the basics before riding out in canter.

 

[throwawayaccount]

that's certainly disconcerting about the tack - it should be well maintained by the staff and if it needs repair or replacement, then to do so..

the pony looks very sweet!

 

[dogatemysalad]

I think that on the first lesson, before a new client ever puts their foot in a stirrup, is that riders should be taught how to tack up and how to check that it is safe.
I automatically check everything if someone else has tacked up the horse I'm riding.
Reading an article about a 100 year old cowgirl, I smiled when she said she always checked her tack because she didn't want to break her neck.

 

[Reacher]

Regarding the stirrups you could buy a pair of leathers and irons then you won’t have the issue of too short leathers / too small irons (or a (single) cage that is too small for your foot!)

If you have stirrups already attached and leathers set to the right length you can just slip the leathers on the stirrup bars without undoing them.

(my mum takes her own stirrup leathers and irons when she goes to the local RS)

As for the 14 year old you might have to develop an intimidating stare.

(Is this the same yard as in the riding tights thread?)

PS being able to do a quick safety check of tack is a very good point - I suspect a lot of RS tack isn’t that well maintained or checked

 

[Skib]

(my mum takes her own stirrup leathers and irons when she goes to the local RS)

Hiow nice to know I am not the only one. I too take my own stirrups and leathers for hacking, though not for school lessons.
In my first few years of riding I hacked at a number of yards, hacking once a week both locally and on holiday. It was not uncommon to see unsafe tack. Including safety bowed stirrups hung on the wrong side. Especially on yards catering for tourists.

I learned it was unwise to complain to a school or to report to the BHS. One gets labelled a difficult client. Just avoid that school in future.

 

[MuddyMonster]

It doesn't sound like it was quite what you were looking for and arguably maybe not ideal. But in regards to the headcollar query, I often use a headcollar underneath a bridle ? I don't use a noseband (no need) but pony sometimes needs a nose net in the summer depending on where we are riding. I also find it so much easier if you need to get off out hacking for any reason and makes tea/coffee & biscuit, picnic or pub stops so much easier as you can take bridle off and tie up to give the horse's a break on long rides. It's compulsory at competitive Trec for the orienteering section unless you use a combination bridle - I keep meaning to buy one but not got around to it yet as my bridle is perfectly functional!

 

[criso]

Doesn't sound great, I am also wondering did they see you ride before they took you to canter while on a hack? If you have a problem to keep your stirrup without a safety cage, and if losing a stirrup makes things difficult for you, then I think it might be best to stick to lessons in an arena or just walking on hacks for now. Nothing mean meant by this, with riding we are all just somewhere on a scale between beginner and top professional, and everything is relative, but safety is important, and you will also probably have a lot more fun if you can learn the basics before riding out in canter.

I read it differently. Not that they couldn't keep their stirrup without a cage but that the cage was too small for their foot and meant they could only only get the tip of their foot in making it more likely their foot would slip out.

As for whether losing a stirrup makes things difficult, yes we should all be able to cope if we lose a stirrup but if riding an unknown horse out in the country, I think most of us would prefer stirrups.

 

[Wishfilly]

Obviously this all sounds pretty poor, but as a client should you not take some responsibility?

I would always check tack before mounting and would have queried the non-matching stirrups. And when the reins came undone I would have checked them myself, and asked for a new pair if I felt there was an issue.

That said, you are probably best avoiding them going forwards.

 

[Surbie]

I read it differently. Not that they couldn't keep their stirrup without a cage but that the cage was too small for their foot and meant they could only only get the tip of their foot in making it more likely their foot would slip out.

As for whether losing a stirrup makes things difficult, yes we should all be able to cope if we lose a stirrup but if riding an unknown horse out in the country, I think most of us would prefer stirrups.

Same here.

 

[Michen]

Obviously this all sounds pretty poor, but as a client should you not take some responsibility?

I would always check tack before mounting and would have queried the non-matching stirrups. And when the reins came undone I would have checked them myself, and asked for a new pair if I felt there was an issue.

That said, you are probably best avoiding them going forwards.

Whilst it's important to be taught, I really cannot understand why anyone should have to take responsibility other than the business providing the service.

When you rent a car on holiday you aren't responsible for making sure it's been serviced, the tyre pressures are correct etc surely?

Why should a paying customer HAVE to check that things are safe, it's a business providing a service. Basic safety should be part of that.

However Op, it's often not, so definitely in your interest to learn what to check.

 

[Wishfilly]

Whilst it's important to be taught, I really cannot understand why anyone should have to take responsibility other than the business providing the service.

When you rent a car on holiday you aren't responsible for making sure it's been serviced, the tyre pressures are correct etc surely?

Why should a paying customer HAVE to check that things are safe, it's a business providing a service. Basic safety should be part of that.

However Op, it's often not, so definitely in your interest to learn what to check.

On the other hand, if you rented a car on holiday, and noticed the seatbelt was fraying, would you drive away in it?

I think I phrased my post badly, but point is basically- if I felt the service being provided was unsafe, I would refuse the service and ask to be refunded. And that would apply to anything!

 

[Skib]

I think there is a dilemma here. I was bucked off as a very newbie rider when the RI's horse started bucking. My boot caught in the stirrup. Luckilly the poy did not move. I was an adult in winter boots riding a child size pony. I learned my lesson to take responsibility for my own safety. I sought and was given permission to hack with my own stirrups.

Later after a very scarey hack and fall when out with an ex army instructor he insisted on taking the tarmac road to the yard (not the sand track) and would not allow me to dismount and walk. When I got home, I phoned the BHS legal team and was advised that if an adult rider is told by an RI to do something the adult considers risky, that adult is entitled to refuse.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I have been taking my own stirrup leathers and stirrups for the past few years for lessons, hacking and longer distance rides. For lessons, it definitely saves time adjusting from the previous rider's leg to my leg, and ensures that I always have matching leathers...

When we go on a full-day ride with a midday picnic we always put the bridle over the top of the headcollar. During the midday break we take off the horse's bridle and tie it up to a high line then water and feed it before we have our own lunch.

Being able to tighten the girth after mounting is absolutely necessary, in my experience. The horse seems to puff out its chest when the girth is first buckled. I can take up another hole just before mounting, and often take up another after warming up in walk and trot before we do any cantering.

 

[Widgeon]

Obviously this all sounds pretty poor, but as a client should you not take some responsibility?

I would always check tack before mounting and would have queried the non-matching stirrups. And when the reins came undone I would have checked them myself, and asked for a new pair if I felt there was an issue.

This is all very well but I think lots of us know what it feels like when you turn up at a riding school or trekking centre (for whatever reason) and are made to feel incredibly small and stupid for daring to check your own girth or try to adjust your stirrups without being told off. I think in a lot of these places there is an attutude of "the client is always stupid and can't be trusted to touch anything". But obviously you don't know that until you've tried the place out. I have a lot of sympathy OP, I would not go back to this place. A decent riding centre will give you correct and safe tack to start with, and won't mind if you want to double check it yourself. And as others have said, a decent riding centre will also do a one to one assessment in an arena before letting you loose on a hack, so they should have satisfied themslves that you are competent to adjust your own tack.

 

[Keith_Beef]

This thread has reminded me of an incident a few years ago.

I was out on a three day ride, and on the morning of day two I had a fall... The buckles on the girth were rusty and didn't have that little roller like most girth buckles have (see the image below).



We'd walked for a while, and trotted a little bit, and so it was time to check the girth before doing any cantering. I put my finger under the girth, it felt like it had a bit more give than it needed, so I tried to take up another hole, but couldn't pull the billet through to the next hole. I thought that the give I had felt must have been the elastic between the leather of the girth and the buckles.

After trotting for about another half mile, I must have had a bit too much weight in the right stirrup, because I felt the saddle slip round. I tried putting more weight on the left, but it was too late and I fell.

The horse really panicked as the saddle went under his belly. Both stirrup leathers came off, and I went off on foot to try to follow, while the other two people in the group went after him. He was whinnying as loudly as he could, and the horses at the yard where we had stopped overnight answered him, and he followed the sound back there. He was uninjured but quite shaken, luckily the organiser was able to get a friend of hers to bring out another horse in a trailer, and take the other one back home. We ate, get the new horse tacked up and took a shortcut to the next stage.

We had a long talk about the proximal cause and the root cause of the fall, and decided that the root cause was the rust and lack of roller that had stopped me from being able to pull the billet through and get to the next hole. If I had noticed this myself, I might have insisted on dismounting to take up the slack, rather than trying to do it whilst still in the saddle.

 

[All]

Doesn't sound great, I am also wondering did they see you ride before they took you to canter while on a hack?

no it was here is you horse jack come round here and get on
if a had a copple of mints before hand i would have

the pony looks very sweet!

i cant complain about the pony all he wanted to do was trot

I automatically check everything if someone else has tacked up the horse I'm riding.

when i was on i did check the girth
i did nottice the guides saddle sliding over to one side during the ride

As for the 14 year old you might have to develop an intimidating stare.
(Is this the same yard as in the riding tights thread?)

this stare may have been caused by my shirt ! i was wearing the rugby shirt of my country ( which could be described by wearing a rangers shirt to a Celtic bar !!)
no this was a different yard

"the client is always stupid and can't be trusted to touch anything".
a decent riding centre will also do a one to one assessment in an arena before letting you loose on a hack, so they should have satisfied themslves that you are competent to adjust your own tack.

there is a trial ride coming up a a local center and we were talking a bout taking a lesson before hand


i coped this of there web site

The B.H.S Inspector recommended various riding centres to visit (name of center) as an example of how riding establishments should be run.

and in 2/3 years of riding i have seen one tack malfunction the girth broke