Safety tips - things you've learned

Don't try anything, be it ground work, lunging, long-reining, what-have-you, if any of the following have happened:

You've been given redundancy notice; its the wrong time of the month; you've had a tiff with OH; you're not feeling brilliant; or you just aren't in the mood. Or (worse case scenario) all of these apply!

I got kicked in the stomach because I went out and tried to lunge a horse when I'd just had redundancy notice; I thought it wouldn't matter, it did, the horse picked straight up on my blue mood and started playing up, ending up in him kicking out at me.

I was black and blue, and every shade of magenta/purple & green......... but no serious injuries, but that's my piece of "safety" advice.

Also........ never go for what you think is going to be a "sedate canter" around an open field when you've changed your horse's food in the last couple of days: result - quick flight through air and eating earth (and humble pie, plenty of it), (feeling very embarrassed).

Never EVER put on a headcollar with a horse in a stable with anything on the outside of the door that one of the rings could catch on: I saw a pony once who'd been put in the stable with its headcollar on. It looked over the door, and the tying-ring of the headcollar caught on the latch of the door, and lo and behold, pony was caught fast. It panicked, and ran back, and because its head was locked on to the door, slipped and fell. Luckily we were all there, and someone had a knife to hack away at the headcollar (and luckily succeeded) because the poor pony could easily have broken its neck. I never ever do it now, and cringe when I see other people doing it :(

Finally (forgot to add/edited). NEVER EVER let dogs in the horses' field. Not even dogs and horses that know each other and are OK in every other circumstance. Have had too many scarey moments both with my lot and seen it with other people's. A big no-no as far as I'm concerned.
 
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Sometimes, it's just not worth the argument! Stay safe and don't do things that you don't NEED to do. For instance, a horse was having a hissy fit and it was setting Ned off...which set the other horse off more. I didn't NEED Ned to be on the yard to do his rug, so I took him away and did it. he settled, other horse settled, perfect! :D

Hats and gloves, as others have mentioned, I wear gloves, even throughout the summer!
 
NeverSeenSanta said:
dont dress your 4 year old in antlers and bells and hack out in an open field when you haven’t sat on it for a fortnight?

*sheepish*
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:D

Moomince Pie said:
Never hold two horses/leadropes in one hand. I ended up with a snapped finger after it got stuck between the two when my horse ran back and reared.
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Oh dear, I do this when I bring the youngsters in. Sounds really painful!

NeverSeenSanta said:
seriously my biggest bugbear is people wearing chunky boots and narrow stirrups. As well as always wearing appropriate boots I have barnes buckles on my stirrups and would get swiss clips if anything happened to them.
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Good one. I personally hate riding in small stirrups. I have to change them over if riding livery horses where owner is very petite.

bakewell said:
Inspired by other thread (fortunately never happened to me)
If you get knocked out it is very serious and you should be seen by a medical professional. Symptoms may not develop until later and brains and necks are very precious.
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Good advice, though when I was knocked out a few years ago I was lucky to get away with it. Would never not go and get checked out now though.

moleskinsmum said:
When I worked with TB youngstock, we always used just a plain piece of rope looped through like this. That way there was nothing to spring back and hit either you or the horse if they got free and if they stood on the rope, it would just slide out of the headcollar. We were also instructed to let go if there was any danger of being damaged!
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Good tip for dealing with youngsters or horses prone to playing up.

EKW said:
Never get a ****land pony ...

That one doesn't really need explaining! Lol!
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:D
 
If you are only putting a daybed down in your horse's stable consider how slippery the bit without straw will get. And then don't walk behind your horse on the slippery bit, falling over with your head 6 inches from its back feet. Luckily the horse just looked a bit surprised but I was VERY lucky.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Don't try anything, be it ground work, lunging, long-reining, what-have-you, if any of the following have happened:

You've been given redundancy notice; its the wrong time of the month; you've had a tiff with OH; you're not feeling brilliant; or you just aren't in the mood. Or (worse case scenario) all of these apply!

I got kicked in the stomach because I went out and tried to lunge a horse when I'd just had redundancy notice; I thought it wouldn't matter, it did, the horse picked straight up on my blue mood and started playing up, ending up in him kicking out at me.

I was black and blue, and every shade of magenta/purple & green......... but no serious injuries, but that's my piece of "safety" advice.

Also........ never go for what you think is going to be a "sedate canter" around an open field when you've changed your horse's food in the last couple of days: result - quick flight through air and eating earth (and humble pie, plenty of it), (feeling very embarrassed).

Never EVER put on a headcollar with a horse in a stable with anything on the outside of the door that one of the rings could catch on: I saw a pony once who'd been put in the stable with its headcollar on. It looked over the door, and the tying-ring of the headcollar caught on the latch of the door, and lo and behold, pony was caught fast. It panicked, and ran back, and because its head was locked on to the door, slipped and fell. Luckily we were all there, and someone had a knife to hack away at the headcollar (and luckily succeeded) because the poor pony could easily have broken its neck. I never ever do it now, and cringe when I see other people doing it :(

Finally (forgot to add/edited). NEVER EVER let dogs in the horses' field. Not even dogs and horses that know each other and are OK in every other circumstance. Have had too many scarey moments both with my lot and seen it with other people's. A big no-no as far as I'm concerned.
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All excellent points! I have seen the headcollar over the door thing happen, and agree about the dogs too. Sounds awful what happened to you after being made redundant. Horses really are good readers of our mood. There's a mare at our yard who refuses to do anything when her owner is feeling under the weather. She just naps constantly.
 
Never leave a horse tacked up but loose in his stable. I came back from a hack on a very hot day, put horse into the stable and walked a couple of feet to take my hat off before untacking him. He scratched an itch on his side and managed to get the snaffle ring caught on the girth buckle so his head was pinned to his side, complete panic ensued with him staggering out of the stable collapsing on the floor, , struggling back up and managing to get into the stable with my daughter's horse, who she was untacking. It was a miracle that he was unhurt and both my daughter and I narrowly missed being crushed. A rather unlucky accident but I now never risk it.
 
Chan said:
Sometimes, it's just not worth the argument! Stay safe and don't do things that you don't NEED to do. For instance, a horse was having a hissy fit and it was setting Ned off...which set the other horse off more. I didn't NEED Ned to be on the yard to do his rug, so I took him away and did it. he settled, other horse settled, perfect! :D

Hats and gloves, as others have mentioned, I wear gloves, even throughout the summer!
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All good points.

ihatework said:
Never take for granted / get blasé around a horse under sedation
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Very true. I've seen a sedated horse suddenly kick out.

Cowpony said:
If you are only putting a daybed down in your horse's stable consider how slippery the bit without straw will get. And then don't walk behind your horse on the slippery bit, falling over with your head 6 inches from its back feet. Luckily the horse just looked a bit surprised but I was VERY lucky.
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Phew! You certainly were. Doesn't bear thinking about.
 
A bit (well a lot) unseasonal but always ride in long sleeves, coming off can give you gravel rash, which is very unpleasant.

The first RS I went to, as a child, insisted that even in the hottest weather arms were covered up. I still cringe now, if I see someone riding in a vest.
 
oldie48 said:
Never leave a horse tacked up but loose in his stable. I came back from a hack on a very hot day, put horse into the stable and walked a couple of feet to take my hat off before untacking him. He scratched an itch on his side and managed to get the snaffle ring caught on the girth buckle so his head was pinned to his side, complete panic ensued with him staggering out of the stable collapsing on the floor, , struggling back up and managing to get into the stable with my daughter's horse, who she was untacking. It was a miracle that he was unhurt and both my daughter and I narrowly missed being crushed. A rather unlucky accident but I now never risk it.
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Blimey! Horses really get themselves into the most unbelievable scrapes.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
A bit (well a lot) unseasonal but always ride in long sleeves, coming off can give you gravel rash, which is very unpleasant.

The first RS I went to, as a child, insisted that even in the hottest weather arms were covered up. I still cringe now, if I see someone riding in a vest.
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It is mostly the same in the showing world - from old school judges anyway! You are allowed to compete minus your show jacket provided that you have long sleeves on your shirt. I always wear long sleeves so I don't get sunburnt.
 
If your yard has a gate - shut it.

If leading a horse through several fields in a row shut each gate as you go through.

Always bolt the stable door properly (across and down) even if leaving the horse for a few seconds.

Never wind the lunge rope around your hand…or let it get wound around your leg.
 
Don't go hacking single with a horse you've never ridden before. Try riding at least a few times in the school prior to that.

While hacking, never canter/gallop over unknown terrain you haven't checked at the walk at first. If it has been snowing, avoid it even over well known terrains, as snow will cover any holes and other hazards.

NEVER leave your horse tied in a rope halter, not even for a minute. If they get tangled up and scared, the halter won't break.
 
ALWAYS use a leadrope, don't just grab hold of the headcollar - seen some nasty broken fingers!

Surprised no one has mentioned hi viz for hacking - even off road it's worth while so that both you and horse are easily visible should you part company.

Make sure leg/belly straps on rugs arent loose, seen horses get tied in knots after rolling with loose leg straps :(
 
Chan said:
I've had to save 10 horses from leg straps so far. Thankfully, they've all been ok and none have panicked, but at least one must have been stuck for hours :(
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I hate them now! Took them off Dollys turnout rug and made a fillet string out of bailing twine. The elasticated ones seem to be even worse!
 
bakewell said:
You can't lump highlands in with those horrors!
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You never end up with one... I have 4... Hate when people think I'm novice get a native who will look them up and down sum them up... Planting, pulling away, stepping on them. Ruin a good pony and send it away or sell it... They are as clever as TBs can be sharp
 
I hate to see people letting their horse loose in the yard to go back to it's stable or letting it loose outside the field gate. Not only is it dangerous if they decide not to do what you want but also every horse I've ever seen treated like this has pulled back when tied or started bolting through gates. Then their owners wonder why they bolt the second you get the gate unlatched. Aaahhhh!!!

Also wrapping lead reins round hands, so stupid.
 
If someone says 'oh yes, my horse is fine to walk behind' for God's sake, DO NOT BELIEVE THEM!
(Lady feeding her horse in the walkway from the field didn't seem to feel it necessary to move his bum round to give me + pony more room... And also stood the other side of the walkway forcing me to walk right behind said horse. I foolishly thought her confidence in him was well founded!)
This is a week later

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I'm glad he got me and not my 25 yr old pony that I was leading though!
 
stormox said:
don't use rugs with clips on the front in fields with wire fences- they can lean over or rub and clips get clipped to fence
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Still probably just about possible for them to get attached, but this is why the open side of all clips should be inwards facing, towards the horse.
 
Polo bear- my horse is actually the opposite of what you describe. For years would run through the gate when turned out, would rear, fi you took too long to open the gate, tried to undo rope, headcollar etc - hence safety lead rope technique! Occasioanlly she would stand for a carrot (she loves carrots) but you could always tell by her face whether she would or not.
On yard would occasionally pull back until string, headcollar, rope broke (but only on odd occasions and once she started would panic and keep going until something broke, then just stand there).
Now at home I lead her, by the head collar out of the stable, then let her go - she follows me and the pony up to the paddock or goes first- just as she pleases. Once in the paddock I take her headcollar off - for years on full livery she was turned out with one on.
When I bring in, I lead pony and she brings herself in. She always used to rush through the stable but now goes easy.
Works well for me, although I would add I would never do this on a yard.
 
Set yourself and your horse up for success not failure,

if you haven't had the chance to ride for a couple of weeks not harm (or shame) in a little lung first, if you plan to do something new and it's windy/ cold/ you aren't in the mood for any of a million reasons - DON'T there is no rush and better to have success tomorrow than failure today.
If you feel like you have to do a 60cm class again even though your mates are racing through the grades - Who cares !
Hack on roads on a SUnday when lorries aren't out as much, ask people to catch their dogs if they are bouncing around etc etc.

Just think ahead and avoid the 'oh why did I do that stupid thing' feeling when things go wrong.
 
Even when in the stable or with your horse when tied up with a haynet, be aware that if your horse rubs on the haynet, the clips on the headcollar may catch on the haynet and cause them to panic. Do not leave a horse unattended with a haynet when tied up, if they paw at the ground they can get their shoes caught in the haynet and fall over.

If a horse rears up in hand, do not try and pull them down... you end up pulling them towards you, step to the side and hold the rope high so they don't catch their legs.

Always keep an eye on your horse when in the field with them.

Don't allow a stallion to walk directly behind you...

Do not over horse yourself. Do not say you will turn someone's horse out that you are nervous of or are unsure of their behaviour.

Do not let your horse ahead of you when leading or directly behind, if they spook they may run you over or kick out.

Don't ride when there is no one around at all, and if you do, make sure someone knows where you are, how long you will be and what you are doing.
 
Use leather headcollars
Do not turn out a horse with loose hinds in the field with a headcollar on
Do not have any pig wire within a mile of a horse
Board your gates
Do not hack a horse that has not been schooled to move laterally
Get off to open small gates alongside cattle grids
cross tie in the horsebox
decent boots at all times
 
If you have to turn horse out from yard and have a couple of gates to open on the way to field, ensure you close each behind you just in case. .

Also never hack out without a mobile phone or letting someone know where you are going and approx what time.you will be back,
 
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