So Very Very Angry!!!!!! Or have i over reacted?? your thoughts!!!

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MissDeMeena

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I ride out for a racing yard, 1st lot exits yard at 7:00 on the dot every morning!! always in the pitch dark at this time of year.. i hate riding in the pitch dark, but it has got to be done, and we do have good reflective vests to wear...
Anyway, this morning it was very icey, yes it has been icey the last two mornings, but no way near as bad as this morning...
Am i being silly to have gotten angry about riding out in the pitch dark on sheet ice???

We did ride out, (full time girl, younger and les experienced than me, pulled rank over me cos she's full time and i'm part time, therefore she's more important than me
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We were going up a hill, ice everywhere, horses legs going all over the place (not just any horse, but smart/good racehorses) when we get to a car that has slid and crashed into the hedge...
Am i the only one that's wondering what could have happened if we'd met that car when we were on the ice??? we couldn't have moved the horses out the way quickly, as they were having enough trouble staying upright.. and the car itself wouldn't have had any control over hitting us or not, as it had proved by the fact that it had wedged itself in the hedge!!!

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After passing that car i thought, f*ck it, i don't care any more.. if i deck this horse and it can't run, it's nothing to do with me!!!
 
I would have been [****] angry too hon.
That IMO is irresponsible!
Like you say, its not only you who is in danger of being hurt, but horse and the general public.
Surely it wouldnt have hurt to have gone out a little later or popped the first lot on the walker or something?
 
I wouldnt have gone out! My poor girl didnt even leave her stable for me to muck out this morning.

Nice to see for a change that the good old, i wok here more than you pulls rank! No chance of speaking with owners and voicing concerns?
 
Sounds a needless risk and you were right to be concerned. Weather may be annoying but I can't see why an adjustment couldn't be made for something out of everyone's control. What does the boss say?

By the way, how is the 'chasing schooling going?
 
I would have been angry about it, putting fittness over welfare I think. But I would have also had your attitude of 'if something happens it isn't my fault'.
 
Trainer wasn't there, hence this girl being able to pull rank over me!! she'd been left incharge!!

Welfare?? what does that mean then??? heaven forbid a racehorse missed a day of work!!!

(Cruiser, i haven't done much over the fences since that post actually, more over the hurdles, which is going well
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I would have told her to swivel. Yes, horses have to be ridden and all the rest of it, but even I waited this morning until the sun had been on the ice, its just not worth risking me or horses for the sake of an hour saved. If its as bad tommorrow as it has been today I would stick your neck out and say no, I'm sure you will have some respect held for your opinion on a yard?
 
She needs her brains testing. the horses she is "in charge" of are worth a considerable amount, and had they got injured due to a fall on ice the yard owner would have been liable to the owners' as a result.
You do not ever ride out on ice, instead you ride round the edge of fields, you can't do them any damage when they're that hard anyway.
I would be having a word with the boss, and say you really aren't happy about risking his horses in future.. silly girl, she's got a too high idea of her own importance by the sound of things...
 
I am so surprised that the horses are exercised on the roads in those conditions, it strikes me as incredibly daft and an unnecessary risk to riders and horses. The girl in charge presumably could have used her wits and decided that it wasn't safe, some people don't seem to have an ounce of common sense.

I have worked at several yards and my trainers would never have considered going out on ice where any number of accidents could happen, what if a rider was unshipped and the horse took off? We would have been inside in the school or doing mind numbingly boring circuits on the all weather ring or gallops.
 
I would have been furious..Geez I dont think the owner/trainer would have been happy if one of the horses slipped and broke a leg let alone injured you or others
 
Well, at least you made it home in one piece - the question is really the authority and decision making chain.

Could you speak to the trainer and ask what to do should the situation arise again? Is there a number you could call him at in a similar situation? I would think that sort of concern would make you a useful, responsible employee as I suspect he'd have a hard time explaining to an owner how the horse fell on an icy road when he was not there to supervise.

Glad to hear the schooling is going well.
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We don't have chasers where I'm from but it's my ambition to find someone who will let me ride out from time to time now I'm here.
 
I think riding out in the dark alone is nuts - reflector or no reflector - but on the ice as well is just madness, there is no way a vehicle could stop in time.
 
thats disgusting. when i was in newmarket, if it was like that we went into the indoor ring or put the horses on the walker for half an hour.
dont blame you for being angry, thank god your ok!!
 
Exercising horses of any kind on such icy roads is totally and utterly irresponsible especially ones which do not belong to the person in charge. Owners expect accidents on the gallops and on the racecourse but not out exercising on icy roads. Those horses are worth a fortune.

And its not just them - the riders are also priceless.

I rode and led my two this morning in the pitch black but knowing it was so icy on the roads went out across the fields at the back where I knew it was much safer. I did come across some poachers at the time which was quite scary and hard to be inconspicious when you are riding and leading a coloured pony looking remarkably like a cow!!
 
No over-reaction at all!

The girl is charge sounds down right dangerous
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So much risk doing something like that, not only to employees but to 3rd parties.

Terrible.

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I ride in pitch dark and go out if slippy, however, it's my kneck and my horse and I reveiw each situation as it comes, nothing is written in stone, I would NEVER expect anyone else to to do anything they weren't happy with regarding riding, wet dry slippy dark light or whatever, you should have told her to get stuffed, she sounds like an arsehole, dont think the HSE would veiw this very favouribly, full or part time.
I definately wouldn't ride on the road in the dark and icy, hi viz and light attire or not.
 
I don't think you are overreacting at all! Stupid stupid irresponsible girl who decided that it was OK to overrule you and go out.

Would love to know what the trainer's/owners insurance companies would have to say with the risk to horses, staff and the general public - some HUGE claims there I would imagine if anything happened!
 
I don' t think you are overreacting in the slightest. Quite honestly that was an accident waiting to happen and I am just glad that on this occasion nothing went wrong. Cannot believe the mentality of some people. I know racehorses have to earn their keep - but they would have a change of getting a return for their owners if they were kept alive and safe and sound. The girl who pulled rank over you needs her backside kicking if you ask me.

If it happens again I would refuse to ride on the grounds of health and safety if I were you. Cars in ditches and the like should give that daft bint a clue that conditions are less than perfect!
 
I reported a local trainer for exactly the same thing a couple of years ago - along the lines of 'reckless endangerment of the horses in his care and of his staff' to the Jockey Club

within a week that trainer hasn't ever done the same thing ever again

if you don't want the job then chuck it and report the trainer - or get a local driver to do the reporting for you if you want to keep the job

it's totally irresponsible and you could easily end up dead, leat alone the horses.

The Jockey club will take this sort of thing seriously.

so would, tbh, the Health and Safety Exective who have more teeth atm it seems than the Police if you think about the brazilian who got shot dead in London - it was H&SE that brought a case.
 
You are right to be angry....

Are you affiliated to the Stable Lads Assoc? (or whatever its called this week!)

Newmarket gallops have just banned all riding on their premises before daylight - which sounds like common sense to me, but various trainers are furious at this disruption to their routine....IMO, for what it's worth, riding (someone else's incidentally!) racehorse in the dark/icey etc is un-necessary - where would the insurance co stand, and many racehorses aren't insured at all....

where does your personal insurance stand if accident before daybreak on obviously unsafe going?

Speak to the stables lads assoc, even if you are not a member, as they may be able to advise you and ask head girl to sign something saying that she accepts full liabliity in the event of an accident - might rock her on her heels a bit?

Outrageous.....!
 
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Diabolical!!
Is this the same yard that likes to wash their horses daily in Fairy liquid?

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No, different yard.. the clue being that these are actually good horses!!!!
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Having worked in 6 different racing yards, i've come to the conculsion that 'most' racing people know only about racing and nothing about horses (i highlight the word most, so as not to be jumped on by all the lovely racing people on here
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It is however a job i want to keep.. first and formost because they pay so much better than anyone else round here!!!
 
Rather than get angry you should have played on the trouble she would have got into if anything had happened. If the job is better than most she would want to keep it. Sometimes with people like that you have to make it seem like its their idea in order to get the result you want.

I thought racehorses did not hack that much anymore!! Surely a good trainer either gallops them or sticks them on the horsewalker!!
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Am sure I am just being pig ignorant about racing yards routines etc, but why does she insist you ride at 7 on the dot? Can't you all do something else until the suns out and the roads aren't icey?
 
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Am sure I am just being pig ignorant about racing yards routines etc, but why does she insist you ride at 7 on the dot? Can't you all do something else until the suns out and the roads aren't icey?

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Yes, I thought that, unless it's because they're on a busy road and don't want to get caught up in traffic?


Years ago, when school etc dictated when we rode my friend and I would hack out after 5pm in the winter. Thinking back, it was utterly stupid, but it seemed okay at the time.
Now I would never hack out in the dark. I don't even turn out if the roads are icy because the field is at the end of a road, and I'd deem it too dangerous to even lead a horse up there.

I pity the poor git that ends up with a racehorse on his bonnet one icy dark morning
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It is irresponsible all round.
It put the horses at risk, the riders at risk and other road users at risk.
Blooming ridiculous.
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Turds!
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