Lanced with pitchfork - mucking out - Emergency Services cut free boy
- Thread starter ridingsafely
- Start date
ridingsafely
Well-Known Member
Additional reporting at: http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/articles/1/8260
Flicker
Well-Known Member
That must have hurt!! Friend at our yard stabbed herself in the foot with her pitchfork and wrapped it in vet wrap and finished the stable before going to A&E. Needless to say, she had a nice infected foot...
wizzi901
Well-Known Member
From your signature below, am I to believe that you think the incident you link to was "daft" or avoidable?
The riding centre involved (the owner of who I have known since a I was a kid over 30 years ago) has an impeccable H&S record, I would send my kid there ANYDAY and the incident involved was freak and unfortunate!
Unfortunately no doubt they will get some bad press but hopefully those with common sense will actually see it was bad luck and s&*t happens sometimes! The lad was very brave but I dont think linking to something like this and having a signature pertaining to something being "daft" is likely to put "riding safely" in a positive light at all.
I for one wont be bothering even looking at your site. (edited) - I have just looked at your site!! jumping on the RA & H&S bandwaggon...ahhhhhh haaa!
I find your posting manner on this subject a bit "off" to be honest, what exactly are you trying to achieve, or does riding safely just set out to warn people not to chat when tidying the muck heap?
The riding centre involved (the owner of who I have known since a I was a kid over 30 years ago) has an impeccable H&S record, I would send my kid there ANYDAY and the incident involved was freak and unfortunate!
Unfortunately no doubt they will get some bad press but hopefully those with common sense will actually see it was bad luck and s&*t happens sometimes! The lad was very brave but I dont think linking to something like this and having a signature pertaining to something being "daft" is likely to put "riding safely" in a positive light at all.
I for one wont be bothering even looking at your site. (edited) - I have just looked at your site!! jumping on the RA & H&S bandwaggon...ahhhhhh haaa!
I find your posting manner on this subject a bit "off" to be honest, what exactly are you trying to achieve, or does riding safely just set out to warn people not to chat when tidying the muck heap?
ridingsafely
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
From your signature below, am I to believe that you think the incident you link to was "daft" or avoidable?
[/ QUOTE ]
Let me first tackle the signature issue. From the feedback it's obviously misleading and not capturing what I meant at all. I've subsequently changed it to:
"Let's make 2009 the year of sensible safety. If your hear of what appears to be a dispropionate "health & safety" reason stopping an activity then let Riding Safely know."
Let me expalin further. I set up Riding Safely in 2004 in the wake of the increasing number of stories of "health & safety" stopping what were previously quite acceptable activities. Its purpose is to promote and improve health and safety for horse and rider and to attempt to address the risk adversion that has crept into the industry. I'm sure from time to time we've all read in the forum about what appear to be "daft" disproportionate health and safety decisions stopping worthwhile and useful activities. Let me give you some examples of what I've heard.
1. A well run riding school after being found faultless following a serious accident attracted the attention of the local authority. Apparently after turning the place upside down their concerns were that the pitchforks were too sharp and that there ought to be a risk assessment for the postman delivering mail. Sensible safety?
2. It's been reported that a riding school isn't allowed to let clients remount after a fall even if in there is no obvious injury and in the client's/instructor's oppinion it is safe to do so - conditions from the insurer just in case there is a hidden injury. So if little Sophie drops off in the first five minutes of the lesson and is okay she is not allowed to remount. Good for the client? Good for the industry? Sensible safety?
3. A few years ago the London Harness Horse parade was moved out of London where it had been for over 100 years. The reason was that the previous year there had been an accident and risk assessments couldn't be agreed. Good for London? Good for the industry? Sensible safety?
I'm sure that others can name many more such cases (not that I'm suggesting they do!). There is no such thing as absolute safety. Sensible safety is about balancing the benefits and risks of the activities and offering an appropriate level of protection to those involved.
So I hope you can see that perhaps my signature was badly worded. Don't you think it's time that we tackle head on the poor decisions that lead to risk aversion and sometimes adversely affect the industry?
Let me ask you - does my revised signature wording reflect what is trying to be achieved and will now happily stand alone?
If you think that what is trying to be achieved in this respect is wrong then let me know and I won't bother and remove the signature.
So to answer your questions in your first and third paragraphs - the signature had nothing to do with this or any other incident. Hands up to the error of the signature being misleading.
This is the News section of the Forum and this is a news report. This report comes from and is in the public domain.
The Reading Chronicle report provides more detail, appears to be reasonably well balanced and does not give the establishment a bad press.
[ QUOTE ]
I for one wont be bothering even looking at your site. (edited) - I have just looked at your site!! jumping on the RA & H&S bandwaggon...ahhhhhh haaa!
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm glad you've looked and I encourage you to look further. I always welcome feedback.
Riding Safely has been going since 2004, established for the reasons already mentioned above.
I don't need to jump on the health and safety and risk assessment bandwagon. I am not a consultant and I don't offer any commercial services to the industry. I have however worked with the industry in an unpaid voluntary capacity. I'm a rider, riding club member, BHS member and a safety professional simply trying to put back someting back into the sport that I so dearly love.
There are very few things that are offered totally free to the horseworld these days. Riding Safely is exactly that. Not only is it available by free subscription, you may have noticed that it also has no advertising. It is self funded and produced on a completely voluntary basis. Very occassionally references to products, services or individuals are made and these are done so on the merit of what they can offer - no payment is ever requested or received.
I only started it as nothing similar existed - being a focal point for health, safety, welfare and legal issues.
It exists to share information and put some context around that information. It seeks to identify "hot spots" and analyse trends. I think you'd be hard pushed to find anywhere else in the industry that is able to provide such an overview. It provides essential information for businesses. There are many businesses, as you suggest, that are up to speed and manage health and safety very well. Then there are those that try but need help. There is a third category that a few fall into that pay scant regard to health & safety issues. However in today's climate they tend to go out of business.
Apart from providing information it also provides help and solutions where possible. For example in the last two months there have been reports of 102 horses losing their lives as a result of fire. Riding Safely freely offers information on fire and arson management. It's not all about bad news. For those establishments worried that they might have the backsides sued off of them one of Britain's top equine lawyers has provided synopsi of cases she has successfully defended for riding schools - and most of them she has won.
Remember that this is all done in my spare time on a voluntary basis.
[ QUOTE ]
I find your posting manner on this subject a bit "off" to be honest, what exactly are you trying to achieve, or does riding safely just set out to warn people not to chat when tidying the muck heap?
[/ QUOTE ]
This is an isolated incident. Obviously it it still potentially under further investigation by the Local Authority. Posting of this report was "for information".
The sharing of information can sometime help others. Sometimes it leads to fruitful comments. Whether it will in this case - who knows?
In some cases involving incidents I have been contacted by others who have been involved with or witnessed incidents and they actively want to share their experience and learning in the hope that they may prevent a similar occurence.
This is a very unpleasant incident for all involved. I wish them all well but particularly the boy a speedy recovery.
From your signature below, am I to believe that you think the incident you link to was "daft" or avoidable?
[/ QUOTE ]
Let me first tackle the signature issue. From the feedback it's obviously misleading and not capturing what I meant at all. I've subsequently changed it to:
"Let's make 2009 the year of sensible safety. If your hear of what appears to be a dispropionate "health & safety" reason stopping an activity then let Riding Safely know."
Let me expalin further. I set up Riding Safely in 2004 in the wake of the increasing number of stories of "health & safety" stopping what were previously quite acceptable activities. Its purpose is to promote and improve health and safety for horse and rider and to attempt to address the risk adversion that has crept into the industry. I'm sure from time to time we've all read in the forum about what appear to be "daft" disproportionate health and safety decisions stopping worthwhile and useful activities. Let me give you some examples of what I've heard.
1. A well run riding school after being found faultless following a serious accident attracted the attention of the local authority. Apparently after turning the place upside down their concerns were that the pitchforks were too sharp and that there ought to be a risk assessment for the postman delivering mail. Sensible safety?
2. It's been reported that a riding school isn't allowed to let clients remount after a fall even if in there is no obvious injury and in the client's/instructor's oppinion it is safe to do so - conditions from the insurer just in case there is a hidden injury. So if little Sophie drops off in the first five minutes of the lesson and is okay she is not allowed to remount. Good for the client? Good for the industry? Sensible safety?
3. A few years ago the London Harness Horse parade was moved out of London where it had been for over 100 years. The reason was that the previous year there had been an accident and risk assessments couldn't be agreed. Good for London? Good for the industry? Sensible safety?
I'm sure that others can name many more such cases (not that I'm suggesting they do!). There is no such thing as absolute safety. Sensible safety is about balancing the benefits and risks of the activities and offering an appropriate level of protection to those involved.
So I hope you can see that perhaps my signature was badly worded. Don't you think it's time that we tackle head on the poor decisions that lead to risk aversion and sometimes adversely affect the industry?
Let me ask you - does my revised signature wording reflect what is trying to be achieved and will now happily stand alone?
If you think that what is trying to be achieved in this respect is wrong then let me know and I won't bother and remove the signature.
So to answer your questions in your first and third paragraphs - the signature had nothing to do with this or any other incident. Hands up to the error of the signature being misleading.
This is the News section of the Forum and this is a news report. This report comes from and is in the public domain.
The Reading Chronicle report provides more detail, appears to be reasonably well balanced and does not give the establishment a bad press.
[ QUOTE ]
I for one wont be bothering even looking at your site. (edited) - I have just looked at your site!! jumping on the RA & H&S bandwaggon...ahhhhhh haaa!
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm glad you've looked and I encourage you to look further. I always welcome feedback.
Riding Safely has been going since 2004, established for the reasons already mentioned above.
I don't need to jump on the health and safety and risk assessment bandwagon. I am not a consultant and I don't offer any commercial services to the industry. I have however worked with the industry in an unpaid voluntary capacity. I'm a rider, riding club member, BHS member and a safety professional simply trying to put back someting back into the sport that I so dearly love.
There are very few things that are offered totally free to the horseworld these days. Riding Safely is exactly that. Not only is it available by free subscription, you may have noticed that it also has no advertising. It is self funded and produced on a completely voluntary basis. Very occassionally references to products, services or individuals are made and these are done so on the merit of what they can offer - no payment is ever requested or received.
I only started it as nothing similar existed - being a focal point for health, safety, welfare and legal issues.
It exists to share information and put some context around that information. It seeks to identify "hot spots" and analyse trends. I think you'd be hard pushed to find anywhere else in the industry that is able to provide such an overview. It provides essential information for businesses. There are many businesses, as you suggest, that are up to speed and manage health and safety very well. Then there are those that try but need help. There is a third category that a few fall into that pay scant regard to health & safety issues. However in today's climate they tend to go out of business.
Apart from providing information it also provides help and solutions where possible. For example in the last two months there have been reports of 102 horses losing their lives as a result of fire. Riding Safely freely offers information on fire and arson management. It's not all about bad news. For those establishments worried that they might have the backsides sued off of them one of Britain's top equine lawyers has provided synopsi of cases she has successfully defended for riding schools - and most of them she has won.
Remember that this is all done in my spare time on a voluntary basis.
[ QUOTE ]
I find your posting manner on this subject a bit "off" to be honest, what exactly are you trying to achieve, or does riding safely just set out to warn people not to chat when tidying the muck heap?
[/ QUOTE ]
This is an isolated incident. Obviously it it still potentially under further investigation by the Local Authority. Posting of this report was "for information".
The sharing of information can sometime help others. Sometimes it leads to fruitful comments. Whether it will in this case - who knows?
In some cases involving incidents I have been contacted by others who have been involved with or witnessed incidents and they actively want to share their experience and learning in the hope that they may prevent a similar occurence.
This is a very unpleasant incident for all involved. I wish them all well but particularly the boy a speedy recovery.
maggiehorse
Well-Known Member
well put RS , i,ll have a peek at your site when i,m not knackered after riding and full of toast and comment further if i have anything sensible to say
Jiggy
Well-Known Member
Im all for trying to avid accidents.....when i think back to some of the things we did on our ponies as youngsters,riding without hats bareback up the lane, or in trainers,jumping inapropriate obsticles ,and some down right dangerous stuff like racing each other on verges next to very busy roads.....But hey ho im here today to tell the tale.....Yet if my girls do anything half as stoopid il have their guts fer garters....
MizElz
Well-Known Member
I was stabbed in the back when I was 7...my friend and I were mucking out together with no tops on (yes, weird image I know, but kids do that sort of thing, dont they
The worst thing about it all was that I had to have a tetanus jab! hah!
JanetGeorge
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
From your signature below, am I to believe that you think the incident you link to was "daft" or avoidable?
The riding centre involved (the owner of who I have known since a I was a kid over 30 years ago) has an impeccable H&S record, I would send my kid there ANYDAY and the incident involved was freak and unfortunate!
[/ QUOTE ]
Personally, I KNOW the accident was 'daft' (most accidents are!) and almost certainly 'avoidable'. AND I know the RS concerned is an excellent one and if the owner or yard manager had been in the IMMEDIATE vicinity at the time, it almost certainly WOULDN'T have happened.
But you can't be everywhere at once! Nor can you keep teenagers on a leash (wouldn't be a bad idea though!
The kids MUST either have been fooling around OR working carelessly - you DON'T wave pitchforks around with the force necessary to stab into someone's arm when someone is close to you! The ONLY way this accident could have happened is either tomfoolery or carelessness on the part of the teenagers concerned.
I've run riding schools - and it is a CONSTANT battle to keep a sensible line between over-protectiveness and safety. A yard is FULL of potential dangers and kids tend NOT to listen until an accident happens. One of the things that caused me considerable angst at one school was kids climbing on the haystack - despite LARGE 'Keep out' and other safety warnings. In the end I put one lass over my knee and smacked her backside hard! These days, I'd be prosecuted for that! (Her Mum was fine about it and told me to feel free to repeat if I thought it necessary!
)
But what the hell can a Yard Owner do these days to give kids protection against their own stupidity!
From your signature below, am I to believe that you think the incident you link to was "daft" or avoidable?
The riding centre involved (the owner of who I have known since a I was a kid over 30 years ago) has an impeccable H&S record, I would send my kid there ANYDAY and the incident involved was freak and unfortunate!
[/ QUOTE ]
Personally, I KNOW the accident was 'daft' (most accidents are!) and almost certainly 'avoidable'. AND I know the RS concerned is an excellent one and if the owner or yard manager had been in the IMMEDIATE vicinity at the time, it almost certainly WOULDN'T have happened.
But you can't be everywhere at once! Nor can you keep teenagers on a leash (wouldn't be a bad idea though!
I've run riding schools - and it is a CONSTANT battle to keep a sensible line between over-protectiveness and safety. A yard is FULL of potential dangers and kids tend NOT to listen until an accident happens. One of the things that caused me considerable angst at one school was kids climbing on the haystack - despite LARGE 'Keep out' and other safety warnings. In the end I put one lass over my knee and smacked her backside hard! These days, I'd be prosecuted for that! (Her Mum was fine about it and told me to feel free to repeat if I thought it necessary!
But what the hell can a Yard Owner do these days to give kids protection against their own stupidity!
Darkly_Dreaming_Dex
Well-Known Member
Put a fork through my foot when i was tidying the muck heap
Tetanus jab was more scarey
No matter what you do, kids do stupid things
Tetanus jab was more scarey
No matter what you do, kids do stupid things
Christmas Crumpet
Well-Known Member
I stabbed my dad straight through the hand with a pitch fork when we were forking up old hay in the field. He wasn't best pleased esp. as he had to have an injection in his thigh because of it. It was a total accident (and I was only about 7). Accidents do happen.