Horses & safety - what are your pet peeves/tips?

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annret

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Reading the post in the news section about the 17yr old girl dying after taking her hat off minutes previously, it really hit home again what a dangerous sport this is.

How do you maximise safety?

I only use leather tack - including headcollars - because I don't trust webbing for safety reasons and lack of breaking point.

I have replaced my hat since falling off, but since I've cut my hair it's too large now (!) so I'm thinking of investing in an H.S.I.

However, I don't ride in a body protector as I don't have the flexibility I need to ride my horse and this really freaks her out and makes her far more dangerous to ride...

Going back to the H&H article on body protectors, I think if I were to take up eventing I might buy an Exo WW bodyprotector as it's still really the only BP on the market which offers some protection against rotational falls...

Any ideas? Worries? Advice?
 
I always wear a done up hat. I only wear a body protector for XC & for newly backed youngsters or real nutters!!

My absolute pet hate regarding safety of horses is leaving a horse tied up with the headcollar round its neck. This is SO bloody dangerous, really really annoys me
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Ok little rant over
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Yep, agree with Joss. And leaving a horse tied up with it's leadrope clipped to it's bit. And leaving it tied up unattended, within easy reach of "hazards" - like wheelbarrows, forks etc.

And haynets. I hate them with a passion ever since I found a horse with her head stuck in one - it was well and truly wrapped around and took me half an hour to free her. If she'd panicked, she would have seriously injured or killed herself. But people still use them and think that hanging them up nice and high will stop accidents. It might stop their feet getting caught in them, but what can you do to stop them getting their heads caught in them?!?!

Sorry, rant over
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I hate that too, and also I've seen people put the bridle on then clip the leadrope to the bit ring and tie them up...like what if they pull backwards or something?!
 
On the ground I do nothing, have had a few rather near misses and it hasn't taught me my lesson. I actually had a mare kick within an inch of my head a few years ago but I still don't wear a hat
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Riding I wear my hat and body protector, high viz tabard and cages on my stirrups
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ETS: Pet hate is people willy nilly walking horse's closely near youre horse when it's tied up. We're on a yard that a horse could fit round the back to exit the yard but there's not much space, I own a chestnut mare and the number of times I've had her nearly kick someone then they give you the 'I can't believe you're horse just did that' I don't apologies though I do ask in future they tell me when they want to pass with their horse and I'll move her round!
 
Ditto the haynets. We dont have them on our yard and only use them when we go to an event and only then its one with very small holes.

I hate it when people dont wear hats and I hate seeing riders out hacking whilst nattering away on their mobiles. Its illegal to drive and talk on your mobile so why is ot not illegal to ride your horse and talk on your mobile?
 
Pet peeve - definitely people riding out on the roads (whether a busy road or not) without any hi-viz on. Personally, I won't ride out from the yard without it.
 
I don't always wear my body protector (ok, ok, I hardly ever wear it), but I always wear my hat and fasten it.

Pet hates - people riding in unsuitable footwear, it's so much more dangerous than they think it is; and people who wrap leadropes/lunge lines round their hands (mine nearly took my hand off because I accidentally got the lunge line round it).

My worst one, however, is horses being tied up with their leadropes about a mile long. 2 years ago my boy was tied up - to some baling twine - at a metal pole (which was cemented into the wall). The horse beside him went to scratch its ear, but because its rope was so long it caught its back foot on it and panicked. It was jumping about and ended up pulling the pole out of the wall; Dylan totally freaked when it fell, I tried to untie him and ended up getting whacked with the pole instead ... He took of down the yard dragging 15' of steel behind him, it was dark and all I could see were the sparks from his shoes. Luckily the pole caught on a bag of builders' sand and the twine came off it, we caught him down at the arena. The pair of us were shaking, I was crying my eyes out with shock, I was convinced he'd have at least one broken leg, but all he did was cut his knee. I've never been so terrified in my life, and I know he was unbelievably lucky.

So ... baling twine and no overlong leadropes! Sorry, that ended up longer than I meant it to
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It irks me to see people ride without a hat
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I appreciate it is their decision and I would never, ever vocalise what I think to them.

My concern is that I and my fellow liveries will have to deal with the consequences if they do injure themselves. Also, my children are sometimes on the yard with me and it is something I don't think they need to see.
Having had many, many sleepless nights when involved in a fatal car accident and that was a complete stranger, I dread anything happening to any of my friends.
 
Yea I agree with princessspark1e. Someone squeezing past my horse (who was tied up outside his stable) with a wheelbarrow and leading their horse at the same time and then screaming that my horse has kicked out and broken her horses leg! She then went on to tell everyone this excluding the bit where she had squeezed past with wheelbarrow and horse. I was fuming!

 
I agree with PrincessSpark1e - I HATE it when people on my yard walk their horses right behind mine when he's tied up. He doesn't like other horses right behind him and always threatens to kick, and I've told them SO many times, but do they listen? Nope
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'Leading' the horse around the yard by the mane (!) or just a leadrope around its neck....does my head in....lasses on our yard do it....one day someones gonna drive onto the yard to be confronted by a pony careering around loose.

One dim bloke tied his horse to a fence and fed it its breakfast....on the other side of said fence were 6 horses who suddenly became very interested in the bucket....when we made him move his horse and tie it up elsewhere (Hmmm...what about its stable!!?) he couldnt quite grasp why we were so peed off....
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I always wear a hat - dont have a BP but am considering it....as I have a horse with a penchant for sudden sideways movements....daughter has one and I make sure she always wears it, plus hat.
 
People who tie horses to doors and gates on hinges. They lift off and get dragged round the yard, bashing into the terrified horse's legs. Bl00dy stupid that they can't see what will happen.
 
Always ride with a hat, hi -viz if out hacking, body protector when out hacking too, gloves and proper footwear.

Pet Peeves - Using mobiles whilst riding - especially on roads, no hi -viz and hats.

By and large I don't really care what other people do or don't wear - I work in hospitals and see the damage that can be done and what could be prevented by using the proper kit - their desicion and their body/health.
 
I cant stand it when people rideo n the roads with no high-viz, and no hat!!!!

I watch out for rugs hanging in the stable, particulary the straps as they are a loop - I always hook them up so there is less chance of them getting their legs hooked up! paranoid or what!?
 
I always wear a hat whilst riding having suffered bad concusion and fits shortly following the bang to my head which had actually had quite an affect on me following the accident - I ended up in intensive care! My friend and fellow livery actually died after falling and hittting her head on a pavement when her sons horse bolted with her. She hadn't got her own hat on, and borrowed someones else's that didn't fit very well, this alone could have saved her. I always wear a body protector when jumping competetively and when I ride round the grounds at the riding club or do XC and I make sure I have my skull cap on as it offers me more protection than a 'normal' riding hat. I also make sure I have my mobile on me whenever I ride/hack alone, and if there is no one around at the yard I try to keep it with me when I ride, just in case there is no one to call for help should I need it. I started leaving a note at the last yard when I hacked out telling people where I was hacking out and how long I would be, but no one ever bothered dooing the same. On pleasure rides (having lost a horse as a result of an accident on one when the organisers had no first aid kit, or mobile phone and I was stuck with a horse on three legs with an open fetlock joint, two severed tendons and a bad veinous bleed on a bank holiday monday) I always carry my mobile, a tourniquet, a pen knife, a whistle (to call for help if no mobile reception) and a bandage in a bum bag with me, much to the amusement of other liveries. I also have sports medicine type boots that cover the fetlock as the last boots were quarter of an inch to high and couldn't save my horse from his horrific open fetlock joint injury. When I hack out on the roads I look like a christmas tree I am so lit up (more amusement from fellow liveries). I don't care, I am me, and my experiences will stay with me for the rest of my life. I intended to learn from the death of my horse which I have and think it is important to safeguard both you and your horse when you ride. Well done annret for an excellent thougth provoking post x
 
Oh yes - loopy surcingles & leg straps.

I turned my horse out last summer in a well-fitting, well-adjusted rug & a bit of drizzle was enough to allow the webbing to stretch enough that when she'd gone down to roll, her upper leg (above the hock) had become trapped in a leg strap. I didn't see it happen, but 5 minutes later, I turned around and saw a totally still horse - it looked like rigor mortis had set in. She was calm as anything for me to undo the strap, but needed serious encouragement to get up. No damage done, but absolutely bloody terrifying.

Irony is, there's tons of horses down on the yard in rugs missing surcingles that flap all over the place and they never seem to get in trouble.
 

Loading/lungeing or leading strong horses without wearing gloves-

Dressage riders not wearing hats for vanity reasons- you wouldn't look so good when you've banged your head on the floor and have a head injury.

And thinking ahead to avoid accidents where possible.

I think one of the best things to have with horses- which doesn't cost a penny- is plenty of common sense!
 
GLOVES..... having very nearly had a finger ripped off by a horse who bolted whilst attached to a lungeline, which tied itself round my finger, gloves are a must for me.... had I of not been wearing them, I would now have 9 fingers.

Hats/hi viz- nuff said

People who smoke on their horses drive me fractionately mental.... and Im a smoker!
 
Yes we were unlucky. He fell down a ditch that was a hunt fence that had fallen into disrepair on a pleasure ride. He caught his fetlock on a brick sticking out from the soil trying to extracate himself. Good thing is though that the clinic (excellent Bourton Vale Equine Clinic) tried for 3 weeks to save my boy, he had three major ops to flush out the joint under GA (he was 12 at the time). They did every thing they could to save him but in the end the injury was too severe and they had to let him go. They did say that if they ever had a horse with a similiar injury they would know that they couldn't save it but that was ten years ago this August so I expect with modern medicine and technology having progressed they possibly could now, he was just ten years to early. Poor Biggles. He a was lovely, kind horse and he is much missed.

Thing is accidents happen all the time to horses, ridden or when in the field, but it does make you more aware, and wehn I ride across country I am always on the lookout for wire, rabbit holes, marshy ground and about another 100 things too!
 
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People who smoke on their horses drive me fractionately mental.... and Im a smoker!

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That's a good one, I forgot that one!- people smoking on their horse is just so chavvy and disgusting!.....
 
Leaving the horse tacked up (tied up or in the stable) with the rug over the top to keep them warm, with the surcingles hanging down. I always have to tie them up out of the way, having seen a horse stand on one, the rug got caught on the saddle and the poor thing had a total panic attack.

One of my fellow liveries has a real thing about the tie string on haynets being neatly looped out of the way whilst they're soaking, rather than just hanging out of the tub. She caught her foot in one once and nearly broken her jaw.

Had a potential nasty situation with my boy when tied up near a stable door that wasn't closed properly, the door swung open and he managed to catch the lead rope around the kick bolt 'holder' on the door. Luckily once we realised what was going on and came running he stood still and let us unclip the headcollar (and luckily our yard is designed with layers of encolsed areas so a loose horse never gets far).

Really short lead ropes. Better too long than too short! I take my boy to / from the field with a canal tow rope (lighter than it sounds) as he used to be bargy.

I wear a Forcefield back protector (really designed for adventure sports / mountain biking etc) when I'm just doing general riding / hacking. It's not restricting like a proper one, doesn't make me too hot, and fits under clothing without being noticeable, but much better protection than nothing at all. Still have a proper one for jumping etc - obviously the Forcefield one would be no good for XC or anything like that.
 
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- I think one of the best things to have with horses- which doesn't cost a penny- is plenty of common sense!

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Agree....but sadly, it seems to be in short supply!

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So true. My mum, who is an excellent horse woman, always says that there are horsemen/women and then there are people with horses!

Not really a safety thing but my number one things.........loud people with horses. You know the sort, high pitched squeeky voices that always have to be heard! Usually when you are trying to do something quiet with a nervous or excitable horse.
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I always ride in a hat (done up obviously) although I really need to update mine as its a bit old. Always wear BP for XC and backing youngsters. Always wear gloves for loading, rope burn hurts like hell.

Hate - Horses tied up too long at horse events (or anywhere really) so they can get their hoof over. Haynets tied up far too low so again, horse can get stuck in it. People not wearing hats to ride, utterly ridiculous IMO. People who smoke while riding, not only does it look disrespectful but its so dangerous, if you drop it and it rolled under the saddles gullet... well that'd be interesting!
 
Hate people riding without hats, people who put there kickers right next to other horses then go mad when there horse kicks a horse and said horse kicks back!!! Also hate people that smoke when riding, riding with flash nosebands which are so loose there falling off the horses nose! Oh people that don't shoe there horse often enough so they end up with 1mm thin shoes and then trip over and owner blames horse for not looking where it was going! I also hate trainers when riding, so dangerous. OH and idiot parents that come up and dump there child onto the back of a shetland pony with no hat on , insisting there only small what could happen!!

I have a lot of inner rage looking at what I just wrote!
 
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- I think one of the best things to have with horses- which doesn't cost a penny- is plenty of common sense!

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Agree....but sadly, it seems to be in short supply!

[/ QUOTE ]

So true. My mum, who is an excellent horse woman, always says that there are horsemen/women and then there are people with horses!

Not really a safety thing but my number one things.........loud people with horses. You know the sort, high pitched squeeky voices that always have to be heard! Usually when you are trying to do something quiet with a nervous or excitable horse.
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It really is a safety thing - my family do the horses while I'm away, and my father speaks in a very high pitched, excited/nervous voice when commanding e.g. 'CANTer!!! CANTer!!!' which sends her absolutely mad on the lunge or going 'STOP!' like a seargent major in discomfort when leader her out to the field.

It does really worry me because my mare does take advantage if she can get away with it but is an angel at heart, and didn't put a foot out of line while I was back as opposed to hearing what a snorting bouncy tense maniac she was to lead in and out.
 
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