Riding schools

Puppy

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2006
Messages
31,648
Visit site
[ QUOTE ]
Its so sad, why do people never consider the fact its a risk sport and that all animals are unpredictable

[/ QUOTE ]

Erm, well the courts do
tongue.gif


Honestly,
crazy.gif
everyone is talking like there's been some progression in the law, whereby there is strict liability attached to riding schools now
confused.gif
That's totally inaccurate - there is strict liability with horses in other respects - i.e if your horse gets loose, or when you take them out in public. However, there is none of that with teaching; liability in such a scenario is NOT strict - all the courts ask is that the school/instuctor take responable steps to prevent foreseeable harm. I see that as a good thing
crazy.gif
That these days we do have standards to try and prevent any more accidents in an already dangerous sport. It is however recognised that it is not possible to prevent ALL accidents, due to the nature of horses.


Like Emma says, I would hate it if there was no standard expected when teaching a dangerous sport like riding.
crazy.gif
 

weevil

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 March 2005
Messages
7,827
Location
Light Blue Land
Visit site
[ QUOTE ]
Like Emma says, I would hate it if there was no standard expected when teaching a dangerous sport like riding.
crazy.gif


[/ QUOTE ]
Absolutely!
 

conniegirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 November 2004
Messages
9,135
Visit site
disclaimers have no legal strength at all. You cannot sign your rights away therefore a disclaimer isnt worth the paper it is written on and will not stand up in court.
 

alfirules

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 January 2006
Messages
1,181
Visit site
it is sad, i rode and helped at a riding school when for 7 years until i got my own. i learnt so much while i was there, i would have never have learnt some of the things i know now if it wasnt for going there. a year later after i had brought my own this riding school shut due to insurance costs, i was quite upset. there used to be about 10 riding schools around my area, now there is only 1, the others all shut down due to insurance costs!! the one thats left is doing very well s they have clients from all over the place coming there. i now work there and i must say, they do still take the risks and do alot of work w/o stirrups, jumping, xc, fast hacking, etc!

but how are people going to learn how to care for horses? i wouldnt have known how to do simple things like tacking up if it wasnt for the riding school!!
 

summertoots

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 February 2007
Messages
598
Visit site
What you are saying is right, however nowadays there is a higher risk that a client taking a fall is more likely to try and sue you than there was say ten years ago.
But as I have said in an earlier post I have one regular who would sue should she take a fall that may cause a broken bone, and I know she would as she is a lawyer. She scares me if I am honest. I have her on our safest horse all the time, never ever take her off him "just in case" I don't jump her "just in case" and have taken months to be brave enough to take her stirups away "just in case". It is only ever myself or the YM who teaches her "just in case" as we are the oldest and have the most experience teaching. We know we follow sll H&S rules to the letter with this woman and should she have an unlucky fall we would not be to blaime, but even then the proccess of investigations interviews would be highly stressfull. And lets face it the horse world is small, and mud sticks, even if it is flung unfairly at you!!!
 

eahotson

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 June 2003
Messages
4,499
Location
merseyside
Visit site
I hate it when people sue when it is a genuine accident and at the end of the day riding is a risk sport. However I am older than a lot and in the past there were some riding schools/trecking yards etc. that were neglectful of both clients and horses. Far too many in fact and nothing was done about it.
 

dieseldog

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 July 2005
Messages
14,332
Visit site
Never mind Riding Schools watchout for the demise fo the Livery Yard. We closed ours as the insurance went to £2k per year with a £1k excess on any claim.
 

lizzieshimmer

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 November 2006
Messages
95
Visit site
unfortunatly disclaimers dont count in the cases! we were given one by our insurares and even they said it wont stand up in court! all the cases we have are pathetic.
before we used to ride bareback all the time. now thats a no. we have to wear hats for getting horses in and out (fair enough) people cant just come and touch the horses. and we have to be careful in lessons. its just stupid now!
 

Puppy

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2006
Messages
31,648
Visit site
[ QUOTE ]
unfortunatly disclaimers dont count in the cases! we were given one by our insurares and even they said it wont stand up in court!

[/ QUOTE ]

GOOD!! Consider the following scenario:

Imagine if you were a novice rider, you wanted to learn to ride and so attended a local riding school. You are aware that riding is quite a dangerous sport and so sign the disclaimer prior to your lesson. However, the riding school is negligent and puts you on a totally unsuitable horse. In your first lesson they take your stirrups away and expect you to canter and jump. As a novice who knows no better you trust the instructor, the professional, and attempt to do as is taught. You inevitably fall off and break your back and are crippled for life. There is no come back in the criminal court for such events. If the disclaimer were legally binding then you would have absolutely no come back at all. A tortious claim is the only option here. Yes, it's not ideal, it's not going to change the outcome, but it's the only way of holding those responsible accountable. If not, then the establishment that did this to you, due to their complete negligence, would be allowed to continue with their businesss, in the same reckless manner, and put others in the same situation.


If you'd read some of the tort cases that I have then I think some of you may feel differently and stop blaming the vicitims in all of this. Surely it's a good thing if we set a standard of safety expected - have we not had enough deaths in equestrianism lately?!
crazy.gif



I shall repeat myself and stress once more - there is no strict liability, the courts recognise that horse riding is dangerous, they just expect a reasonable degree of care to be taken.


Oh, and yes insurance has gone up - FOR EVERYTHING!! That is the nature of insurance. Trust me, my uncle made his millions through it
smirk.gif
 

sunflower

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 June 2005
Messages
12,501
Visit site
Exactly. It's not just riding schools that now have all these 'stupid' health and safety policies. You might not agree with them but they are there for a reason and that reason is that the riding school is liable for anything that goes wrong and the only thing they can do is take all possible precautions to reduce the risks. Some people seem to feel that this has taken all the fun out of learning to ride but I really don't see that. I ride regularly at a riding school and my lessons are fun, I also see the kids having fun in their lessons on ponies but the instructors are perhaps more aware now of the limitations of the clients and tailor the 'fun' accordingly.
I have also ridden at one riding school in particular that was an accident waiting to happen and think it is a good thing that should anyone have a serious accident there they would be able to do something about it. I'm not saying we should be trying to sue riding schools and I don't agree with this new culture that seems to be creeping in but do think that there has to be some way for the victims of genuine negligence to claim compensation etc for serious injuries or at the very least for the riding schools to be held responsible to ensure that it does not happen to others.
 

Tia

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 January 2004
Messages
26,098
Visit site
I'm sorry, but I really have to suggest that people take a bit more care of themselves here?? Jeez if I went, as a beginner, to attempt to learn how to be a pilot and an instructor gave me instruction on the ground as to how to use the gear levers etc and then he said "I'll shout up to you and tell you what to do - right off you go".....come on. An ounce of common sense tells anyone that something which may be dangerous, should be done with caution.

Where children are concerned, you certainly have a very valid point - where adults are concerned; jeez get the brain engaged, LOL!!

Having said that, I know exactly how stupid some people are, which is why when I take a horse riding booking, I basically do not believe a single word they tell me and put every single paying person on a beginner horse. Works well for me and no accidents to date....certainly not with my trail riding customers.

People need to be honest with themselves - there are lots of people out there who appear to have some bizarre belief they are good riders when it is quite apparent they aren't. I actually like people who tell me on the phone they can't ride - makes my life so much easier.

I have a Waiver which has to be signed - my insurance company gave them to me. Their claim is that IF anyone wished to sue me, because it is their own waiver, then they would take over the case.
 

JessPickle

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 October 2005
Messages
13,049
Visit site
[ QUOTE ]

Having said that, I know exactly how stupid some people are, which is why when I take a horse riding booking, I basically do not believe a single word they tell me and put every single paying person on a beginner horse. Works well for me and no accidents to date....certainly not with my trail riding customers.


[/ QUOTE ]

exactly the same as my yard, they never just take peoples word you have to have an assessment lesson on a beginner horse before you do anything.

They also normally have a pony and a horse tacked up as so many people seem to lie about there weight!
 

CheekyCob

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 March 2007
Messages
225
Location
Gloucestershire
Visit site
Oh I know it's awful - understandable but awful. When I used to ride and help out at the riding stables it was great fun. Now I look back I wouldn't know half the stuff I do now. It's a real shame
frown.gif
 
Top