Strikes and riding at xmas

Some of the riskier things in the government statement were ‘going running if it’s icy’ and don’t drive unless you have to. So yes, I think our normal activities are beyond most people’s daily level of risk. I won’t be going hunting or xc… but will ride at home.
 
Mine has had a holiday and was coming back to work, then everything froze so he did nothing, but we still have a saddle fitting today. Luckily, he is a patient and kind horse for an immature 5yo Irish, so we will go ahead. If he were a fresh type. I may have reconsidered.

I have become a bit of a wuss since hitting 50, so generally play it safe nowadays on an everyday basis!
 
Youngsters had a few weeks off and yard move last week, so I won't be hopping on board yet. She's pretty sensible but still young and green at the end of the day. I'll probably just do some in hand walks or long reining instead.
 
J&S said:
As my partner's full time carer I have become very risk averse, but, any thing can happen at any time!
Click to expand...

In the same situation as you J&S. I do still ride but may not today, given that I haven't sat on my horse since the freeze came. I was going to last night but decided I was too cold so will wait until I can do it in the daylight I think. Although I have a friend coming to see him this morning and if she wants to ride, I will feel honour bound to get on him first.
 
I’m out of action but my recent experience has really opened my eyes to just what a dire situation the NHS is in. I’m not risk averse and I’ve always been of the ‘you have to live your life’ mentality, which I still stand by. But having been in the vulnerable position of lying alone in a field with a badly smashed ankle and lower leg, being told there was the potential for hours worth of waiting while I shivered on the floor, unable to feel my foot any longer… it really does open your eyes.
Will it change my attitude to risk? Absolutely.
 
Mines had a couple of months off doing anything so was only planning on maybe some inhand stuff whilst I’ve got time off. If I’d still been riding I would carry on.
 
I think people need to assess their own risks, bearing in mind that if they do need an ambulance for any reason they are likely to be waiting a very long time. Strikes will undoubtedly make a bad situation worse, but it’s been like this for weeks and won’t be improving any time soon. It’s dire and quite scary. I banned my elderly parents from setting foot outside their house when it was horrendously icy last week in case they slipped and fell. The thought of them lying outside in the freezing cold with a broken hip or something was terrifying.
 
It hadn’t occurred to me that horse activities would change but the yard are not exercising horses today due to the strike. Tbh I wouldn’t think twice.
 
I wouldn’t expect anyone to change their day to day activities, but it probably is worth thinking twice about something ‘extra’ risky. Eg maybe lunge the sharp horse who has had time off before getting on, avoid a particular hacking route that is extra spooky, stick to smaller/lower jumps rather than trying out a new filler etc. Most of us are pretty good at that sort of thing. I work in the NHS and even before strikes things were dire. You really don’t want to end up in hospital if you can avoid it.
 
I cancelled my lesson today because my horse is having a bit of wankitude at the moment despite being able to keep ticking over in the cold spell. He was being an absolute star up until the Saturday before last when he had a ginger tantrum and has been edgy since in the arena. The ambulance service strike today was an added consideration but not the main reason.

He seems to do this at this time of year and also I think after losing my old boy his companion he’s decided to latch onto his field neighbour. He has a temper on him if things don’t go his way and I’m pretty sure it’s nothing physical. He has physio beginning of Jan anyway. My plan is to hack a lot over Christmas and hope he gets over it.
 
I did have a pause riding my welsh Monday evening in the arena after a week off and it being windy. I would have got off had she been sharp but she wanted to work and was focused and calm. So agree it’s about minimising risk, freak accidents will occur but that’s bad luck
 
scats said:
I’m out of action but my recent experience has really opened my eyes to just what a dire situation the NHS is in. I’m not risk averse and I’ve always been of the ‘you have to live your life’ mentality, which I still stand by. But having been in the vulnerable position of lying alone in a field with a badly smashed ankle and lower leg, being told there was the potential for hours worth of waiting while I shivered on the floor, unable to feel my foot any longer… it really does open your eyes.
Will it change my attitude to risk? Absolutely.
Click to expand...

This is the terrifying thing. At a recent camp I called an ambulance for ?spinal and head injuries for one of the riders who came off XC, and was told it was 7 hours plus. Wr have not had a functioning ambulance service for months. The strike is in protest of the risk to life and safety not a cause of it.

I am continuing to live my life, including riding, but doing so on the assumption that if the worst came to the worst, I am on my own. As a former mountaineer in remote parts of the world, I am used that that mindset. (And have rescued myself from places where help was totally unavailable). But I find it unutterably depressing that this is the state of our NHS and our public services. A rich nation functioning like a developing one.
 
We are 40mins from nearest A and E - risk averse r us on a daily basis! Although I ended up in A and E a couple of weeks ago with urgent referral once seen…for an injury obtained while mucking out, so you can try to avoid things all you like but sometimes life doesn’t cooperate! Likewise, my dad walked down the road to the post box last week and dislocated his shoulder.

Wouldn’t go xc no. Wouldn’t hack past the lunatic horses we met yesterday either. Not that I plan on doing the latter of those ever again - think small herd of TB types thundering back and forth next to a narrow track with us half way down it before we encountered them. 3 ponies backed this year, one 8 year old mare, one adult and two children. Luckily all my ponies walked beautifully quietly (if a little tensely) all the way and no one lost it, even when the thundering whoosh was literally inches from us as they galloped past before wheeling and racing back the other way.
 
I think the ambulance service is in a bad way on a normal day judging by some of the waiting times.

I rode the microcob out this morning without a 2nd thought but rode babycob in the field because he was feeling a bit bouncy. Actually nothing to do with ambulance strikes and everything to do with **** drivers on the road and not wanting to meet them out on him. He was actually a superstar.

A lot of the drivers this morning didn't seem to care about the strikes judging by the way they were driving.....


ETA - what worries me more is non accidental needs. I'm a type 1 diabetic and hypos where you can't bring your sugars up are usually a priority 1 call. I don't think they would be in the current situation. I'm not a high risk patient but it is at the back of my mind.
 
The ambulance & nurses strike will make no difference with my family. You can't wrap everyone in cotton wool, life is a dangerous place, if you're going to get injured you'll get injured. I fell down stairs yesterday & landed heavily on my knees, Ooo it bloody hurt. I can hardly walk today. Ibuprofen cream & pills & icing my knees is order of the day. One knee is twice the size of the other. Wife & daughter will ride as usual, I'll be sitting at home medicating. Life's a bitch when you're almost 70years old, you no longer bounce.
 
Last edited:
The ambulance and NHS service here has been beyond useless since the spring, so the strikes won’t make any difference. I’m not currently riding but if I would, I’d carry on as normal because it won’t make any difference, there’s no support and no help available.

13 hours for an elderly man with chest pain radiating down his arm, difficulty breathing and inability to stand in August. If that doesn’t get a response, there’s no hope of them actually bothering with anything.

A case near me made national news when the poor bloke was left in his garden over night and the family put a football goal and blankets over him to keep the weather off.
 
I’ve not ridden my mare for 3 weeks, the initial 2 weeks due to straining my back (bloody yoga - who said exercise was good for you ?) and the latter week due to the weather.

She’s been out in the field as much as possible and I’ve continued to do ground work when I have been able to get across the car park to the arena.

Yesterday, I popped back on her for a quiet hack with her field buddy. Nothing more exciting than a little trot and today I have done some pole work with the
Kavalkade Ho. She has been foot perfect so I will get on in the school tomoz.

Yes, she could spook and yes I could come off but I think it’s a case of putting in a little work to set us both up to succeed and some risk assessment i.e. If it’s windy tomoz I probably won’t ride.

I am definitely more aware of how things are within the Ambulance Service & NHS having come off my mare in Oct 20 and laying on the arena floor for 5 hours with a suspected broken hip waiting for an ambulance ?
 
Snowfilly said:
The ambulance and NHS service here has been beyond useless since the spring, so the strikes won’t make any difference. I’m not currently riding but if I would, I’d carry on as normal because it won’t make any difference, there’s no support and no help available.

13 hours for an elderly man with chest pain radiating down his arm, difficulty breathing and inability to stand in August. If that doesn’t get a response, there’s no hope of them actually bothering with anything.

A case near me made national news when the poor bloke was left in his garden over night and the family put a football goal and blankets over him to keep the weather off.
Click to expand...

It's not a case of not bothering, it's a service that's been run into the ground and cannot continue to function, want to be angry about it that's fine but do so at the right people.
 
We are being told to take a taxi if possible unless in the highest category
Which might be fine for people who are mobile/ambulant, but pretty hopeless for those who aren't, and are probably in greater need of attention
And I wonder how happy taxi drivers are at being expected to drive sick or injured people about; and do they then have to queue for 10hrs outside A&E like ambulances, or maybe they just chuck the casualties out and leave them on the kerb
 
Back in July my 84yo father-in-law's neighbours woke at 6am and heard him calling for help. They couldn't get in and couldn't see him but managed to speak to him and called an ambulance. He had fallen getting out of bed during the night and had severe pain in his hip. He had been discharged from hospital a couple of days earlier with stage 4 cancer that had spread to his bones, unstable diabetes and covid. His carers arrived at 8 and found him suffering breathing difficulties and suspected he had fractured his pelvis. They chased the ambulance. It was 5 hours before the ambulance arrived and then they queued outside A&E for another 2 hours. When we got the "come now" call that afternoon there were 10 ambulances queuing. He didn't get to a ward until the following lunchtime. He died of sepsis.
That was summer, goodness knows how ambulance crews are coping now. Goodness knows how they keep going at all, their morale must be rock bottom
 
I'm laid up and off riding atm which I'm actually quite glad about because I would probably just carry on as normal.
It's driving that worries me really - in most situations I'm relatively confident I could work something out and get myself to help, but an RTA can easily be quite a different beast. And I worry even more about OH and parents when they are out driving
 
I shall carry on riding, low risk stuff
Got knocked to the ground and kicked in the leg bringing my mare in tonight, she's usually as good as gold. Things happen no matter how careful you are.
 
The saddle fitting was fine. I *could* have then ridden BH and Rigs out, but the sun was strong and low, so I did not.

I have invited a friend to ride out with me on Xmas day, so I will ride them both out separately tomorrow. But today, I did play it safe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top