Please please please wear a hat when loading!

Z

zoeshiloh

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 January 2006
Messages
2,771
Location
Suffolk
www.stowmarketanddistrictridingclub.com
I never do unless I know the horse is likely to be difficult but from now on I will be more careful. At the weekend I witnessed a horrific accident that could easily have been avoided on several levels. Basically a young horse that was being travelled loose in a lorry tried to jump out when the ramp was let down. Mistake one, someone should have gone through living and held onto horse. But because a sole person thought he could manage on his own he just got on with it without letting anyone else know. When the horse got his front legs over the partition another person went to help without a hat and consequently got kicked in the head. Long story short she ended up with a cracked skull a broken nose and broken eye socket. She will have to have several operations to piece her back together although there shouldn't be any permenant damage. She was lucky not to lose an eye.

This accident was caused by laziness and arogance and could easily have been avoided.

Please learn from our mistakes.
 
Can agree with this one when my horse took a dislike to loading, turned around and dragged me up the field before accidently kicking me in the temple. Very near miss and a trip up to A&E for me!

Although to be honest it was something I "just hadn't thought about..."
 
That sounds absolutely horrible! Hope she's better soon!

I have taken to wearing my hat at all times when handling (already used to wearing it when riding) after reading various stories on here and it has already saved me once from a nasty kick to the head.
 
Yes. People think the BHS and colleges ways are OTT as you should wear a hat and gloves when you do practically anything with a horse, even grooming and turning out!
 
I always wear hat and gloves when loading both of them. I wore my hat and gloves yesterday as Shiney decided he wasn't going anywhere until the lunge whip was shaken in his direction!
 
I was in A&E once on New Years' Eve (don't ask, was horse related!) and the lovely people there asked me to tell all my friends to please put a hat on when they are clipping. They said they see so many injuries in the winter through this. Not directly related but, sort of!
 
Clipping is, in my opinion, a high risk activity. The potential for a horse to be silly when you are literally right between its legs is huge and I have heard of more than one person getting kicked when clipping.
 
Seven years ago I got knocked over & knocked out by my skittish Exmoor yearling . Resulting head injury has permanently taken my sense of taste & smell . I wear hat now when handling ponies , and thank God every day that I didn't sustain worse injuries
 
I've seen someone with a broken cheek bone as a result of a loading accident.

Luckily she had a hat on or it could have been even worse.
 
Maybe you should change to title to 'Don't be such an utter plonker round horses'?

I mean seriously, travel horse loose...stupid! Open ramp with loose horse...stupid! Approach trapped horse without due care and attention (ie hat, BP if available and with as much caution as possible)...stupid!

Sorry but I'll quite happily load and unload my sane horse without a hat, if she get's loose turns round and tries to leap out I will put a hat on before trying to help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top