What do you do that isn't terribly safety-conscious?

[Natch]

Having read the heartbreaking article in the news about the showjumper who now has a broken back because his hydraulic lorry ramp failed and fell on him (it appears that someone else on the showground lifted it to get past, and in doing so broke the hydraulics), it got me wondering about how many of us if we are honest take shortcuts or do/don't do things out of laziness which create unnecessary risks of accidents.

For example, I met someone recently who saw no problem in throwing a headcollar and leadrope, and water canister in the front of her trailer and driving it with these unsecured a couple of feet away from her horses' feet. In a similar vein, and perhaps what may have contributed to the poor showjumper's accident, people lifing and lowering ramps whilst stood underneath them, not to the side (where doing so is possible). The last 3 times I have offered to help load a horse (I know, my mistake, it won't happen again!) I have twice been put needlessly in danger of trampling because the owner unbeknown to me has produced and used a crop to the horse's backside just at a critical moment, had a rope burn so severe I've still got the scar 2 years later, and seen countless other incidents which could have so easily caused an accident.

Horse riding is a risk sport, but sometimes we do seem hell bent on making it more risky than it needs to be. What do you think? Am I one of the PC brigade who is spoiling simple fun for everyone by playing spot the risk everywhere? Is it sensible precautions or unnecessary hinderance? In all fairness I didn't have this view until I attended equine college and they were so hot on safety, so is it simple lack of awareness of what could happen that makes people act as if "it couldn't happen to me"?

Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Flame_]

Its funny, I hate health and safety in day to day life. They are all about imagining accidents which are so unlikely/random that attempting to avoid them is just a massive pointless PITA.

However, with horses I see accidents waiting to happen all the time. They don't even seem unlikely to happen to me, but a lot of people can't seem to see/care about the risk of tying horses within kicking distance of one another, slippery floors, not bothering to tie up haynets properly, etc, etc, etc....

Maybe I worry more about horses because they are pretty hell bent on finding any way they can to injure themselves so its up to us to be very imaginative about preventing them succeeding, but people, for the most part, should be able to look after themselves and remove or stay away from dangers as they come across them.

ETA - I don't think the example you talked about sounds like anything more than a tragic accident. Stuff breaks, what can you do? Its just terribly bad luck for the poor show jumper.

 

[Ally_F]

I got yelled at on the weekend by a cyclist for leading my young pony down the road with no helmet or gloves on. - While we all do it, I guess he kind of has a point.

My auntie is very "Safety-caution" and she would have been horrified!

 

[Natch]

ETA - I don't think the example you talked about sounds like anything more than a tragic accident. Stuff breaks, what can you do? Its just terribly bad luck for the poor show jumper.

I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to imply it was anything other than a tragic accident. As with all accidents, you wonder what could have been done to prevent it - and sometimes there isn't anything. I don't know enough about their situation to be able to make that judgement. It just got me thinking about how many times I've seen less than ideal practice with people transporting horses, and in the horse world in general.

 

[mole]

riding bareback in a headcollar with no hat on along a road to and from the field.

using my horses back to rest the haynet on while tying it up

leave horse with no headcollar on and saddle ungirthed while i sort things out

let my 3yr old daughter cuddle my horses tail and back legs


ummm oh dear its not good to be thinking of all these things think i'll stop now!!

 

[wellsat]

I manage to maim myself in entertaining and unusual ways that you couldn't possibly imagine. I'm pretty safety conscious i.e. always wear steel toe capped boots on yard, always wear a hat and gloves to load but some things you just can't prevent.

Went to tie a haynet up last winter while G was happily eating his dinner. The string on the haynet snapped, I fell backwards under G's feet, he jumped over me but in so doing caught me on the side of the face with one of his back feet. The force of it put one of my teeth through my cheek and out the other side! Very attractive!! Bled like you would not believe and I now have a rather attractive scar.

I've now added to my H&S list "Don't tie up a haynet while the horse is in the stable under any circumstances"

 

[jhoward]

Wearind trainers around horses, not for riding or working the horses generally though.

I have to say im very anal about safety generally to much so.. result is i dont *touch wood * get injured but in the past 2 months both my horses have splatted other people when they were handling them resulting in a nd e visits. (not totally the horses faults and a recent splat I should of seen what the horse was about to spook at and pre warned friend.)

At the end of the day they are horses and we can not forsee there every move, as for things horse related like the lorry ramp.. all it takes is a bit of thought and some common sence. Unfortunatly in my experiance people lack the latter and just dont stop and think!

 

[much-jittering]

Its funny, I hate health and safety in day to day life. They are all about imagining accidents which are so unlikely/random that attempting to avoid them is just a massive pointless PITA.

However, with horses I see accidents waiting to happen all the time. They don't even seem unlikely to happen to me, but a lot of people can't seem to see/care about the risk of tying horses within kicking distance of one another, slippery floors, not bothering to tie up haynets properly, etc, etc, etc....

I'm exactly like this too, and I think it comes from horsey experience and being involved. As OP said, their safety conciousness came from being at a college, I think mine has come from working on yards and with different horses, in a way that maybe I wouldn't if I'd owned a couple of horses that I felt I knew inside out etc and never had to deal with unknowns.

I have a pupil who's mum is very horsey, has her own, rides and competes for others etc, but sends her child to an RS because she trusts us to keep her safe and personally just sees accidents round every corner when she's got her riding hers at home. Again I think that's from being involved for long enough to see what isn't worth the risk, she was saying the other day that she'd been walking round a showground with horses tied up long to bits of string on the side of cars etc, and she's now just having to develop tunnel vision and concentrate on herself because she can't stand seeing what other people are doing.

Also it's worth saying, lots of the things I won't do, I see people doing constantly and getting away with, so I can't really say I'm in the right. We were at a county show recently on the same days as PC team jumping, and there were lots of ponies in the lorry park during the day (jumping was all over in the morning) tied up long on the side of lorries to graze, empty dangling haynets etc, totally unattended while owners looked round the shopping, and all were fine. Meanwhile we're actually taking an Ifor trailer to bits so we can leave a youngster unattended loose in there, rather than tying her up in it with partitions, bars etc in and worrying about her getting caught up on anything - just for the length of time everybody is needed at the rings with other horses. Don't know who's right, we may just be stressing too much!

 

[Archangel]

Wearing silly shoes round horses. I was only thinking this morning (feeding in the field in my flip flop things) how stupid I was.

 

[ironhorse]

Let go of my mare's lead rope and let her graze on the pathway while I re-secure the electric fence on her paddock. Actually safer than it sounds - she's living out at the mo so pretty chilled and the pathway has lots of tasty grass!
In fact it's safer than keeping hold of her - at our last yard she managed to put her nose on the tape while I was fastening it, got zapped, reared up and pulled away from me, giving both me and her rope burns as the rope wrapped round her leg as she was galloping off! Yes, I know I should wear gloves!

 

[much-jittering]

Let go of my mare's lead rope and let her graze on the pathway while I re-secure the electric fence on her paddock. Actually safer than it sounds - she's living out at the mo so pretty chilled and the pathway has lots of tasty grass!

Lord, I do that all the time in certain fields. I think it's safer than turning 2 or 3 ponies back into a corner to shut the fence - I know them well enough to know they'll all quietly eat while I'm doing the fence unless something exceptional happens, and I also know them well enough to know that they might kick/bite each other if they're turned back on themselves to do the gate. Also if they DID get startled and run off while I was holding them and shutting it, they'd go through me and the fence, wheras when they're loose they're more likely to scatter and stop and I should still be in one piece to catch them again.

 

[Damnation]

I used to turn out the stallion (who reared most of the way) with just a leadrope and short whip. No hat, gloves, lungeline etc
When mucking out my horse I will stand with my back to my horses bum and sometimes lean on her..
Untacking her outside her stable, I leave her stood there with no headcollar on until I have put the tack away..
I rarely actually tie her up, just throw the rope over my door
Wearing heels/trainers to go up and turn my horse out, or even lunge her first...
I always crosspick her feet (Do both front feet from the same side, and then ber back feet).
I am insane

 

[Natch]

Lord, I do that all the time in certain fields. I think it's safer than turning 2 or 3 ponies back into a corner to shut the fence

So in effect, you've opted for the "less safe" option because you actually feel it is safer - I'd say there have been times when I have done that too. Sometimes I have stood back when I had the option of going in to pre-empt a dangerous situation developing, because I judged that the interfering option would be more likely to end in more serious disaster - e.g. loose horse with headcollar and rope stops to drink at water trough.. head is screaming "argh, hope he doesn't get caught on it and panic!" but horse was still sufficiently wound up that any attempt to reach him could have resulted in panicking him and actually made the worst case scenario more likely to happen.

So for those of us (yes, I too am guilty of having been on the yard in trainers and flip flops. Yesterday I rode in boots that weren't riding boots simply because I couldn't find my riding boots easily) who aren't in the situation where the "less safe" option is judged safer, why do we do that? Convenience? Thoughtlessness? Making a judgement call that the likelihood and severity of an accident is low enough to not worry about taking preventative action? And what makes a person's safety threshold different to other people's? The college YO had an interesting point one day when she said "I've been there and done all the stupid things that cause accidents, and suffered the consequences, so I'm trying to convince you lot to do it the safe way so that you don't have to learn from your foolish mistakes like I did".

 

[Wolfie]

I shuffle under my horse's belly quite a lot to get from one side to the other, especially when tacking up in the horsebox. I also just let him stand munching at the haylage in the yard whilst I untack and find a headcollar!

 

[tazzle]

And what makes a person's safety threshold different to other people's?

I think that is a very important point because what is important imo that everyone should risk assess their own circumstances and horses rather than say a blanket one must always / never.

eg we have a stable herd of four horses, been together five years or more and have had all sorts of habituation to many situations like kids / dogs playing on the yard, vehicles, hoses, sprinklers. etc etc etc


so we do things with them and around them I would not dream of doing on a normal livery yard.

eg they are all loose when on the yard , not very often tied up and we do their feet, groom them and often even saddle up that way.

we can stand right behind them with confidence.... I often rest my head on Taz's rump as I scratch / rub her back legs

We move them around the yard / field without headcollars on usually.

the children play in the yard and groom the horses without hats / gloves on etc .


the dogs are also loose around the yard.

I go in the field and lie down with the horses.

actually there are so many things that we do that I dare not list them all


Of course we are well aware that they are horses and that they can spook and that there is a risk ..... but with ours its very low. We have taken all the precautions ( habituation / training) we can and then we accept the remaining risk because for us the benefits outweigh the risks .




YET ....... I am actually VERY strict on aspects of safety like ...

always wear a hat when riding
always wear hi vis when riding out
alway have quick release systems on harness / vehicle when driving
loads strict rules when training to harness with regard to being safe
make sure horse is "with " you before hacking / training
let folk know where you are going and how long
carry mobile phone
mechanical safety on trailer
first aid kit on yard as well as small ones in saddlebags
tags on horse and rider with contact / medical info
fire precautions
children obeying adults instructions immediately


I have been in my professional life a health and safety manager .... and one thing is for sure , you cannot take all risk out it anything..... everything carries a risk and its up to individuals to assess their own risk, minimmise it and then take responsibility for that decision. At some point our ideals of fun / comfort and the intimacy / trust we have with our horses balanaces out risks of certain activities.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I'd probably give some of you heart failure if I listed all the stuff I do! One of which is riding without a hat and wearing trainers.

My horses and ponies rarely get tied up as I am fed up of them breaking headcollars and lead ropes if I turn my back on them for the whole 5seconds it takes to grab another brush out of the grooming bag next to me.

I only wear gloves to show and gallop in otherwise I just don't wear them. I rarely wear chaps when riding - again only when doing a lot of work on the gallops.

Having shetlands and small natives that aren't always the best at loading I am quite often found with my should up ones bum shunting it into the trailer.

I too go underneath some of my bigger horses bellies - can't fit under the shetlands

This afternoon at work I sat down in the open doorway of a horses stable holding onto the lead rope that he was chewing whilst waiting for the vet to finish gossiping. This was a fully fit racehorse.

Ok, I'm gonna stop now 'cos that's not even 1/4 of the list lol!

At the end of the day, if something goes wrong then you only have yourself to blame and you then have to suffer the consequences whatever they may be.

 

[cbmcts]

Because my Welsh Cob is very silly and prone to losing the plot I have always been very safety concious - well, you only get knocked out by a thick welshie head the once, don't you - more because he could do serious damage to bystanders rather than me if that makes sense?But I'm still guilty of putting myself at risk - wearing crocs or trainers, trying to lift/carry too much rather than get help because I'm impatient. Leading 3 or 4 horses in at once rather than make two trips, I also cross pick feet. I've also been known to use all sorts of unsuitable things as a mounting block in emergencies

The one H&S thing that drives me insane is people leaving gates open - field, yard, car park whatever. So dangerous and the excuses are pitiful IMO.

 

[Boulty]

Ah so many stupid things! Admittedly aren't doing them right now as don't have access to a horse (at uni thus mine's out on loan!) but here are a few of the ones I remember. 1st not so bright idea was that I used to lay out on my belly directly behind my horse whilst trimming his back feathers (I did stop doing this after I was kicked in the eye whilst cleaning up some mud fever scabs, wasn't laid down whilst doing them, just kneeling but I became a bit more safety conscious about doing anything with his back legs after that!). I only ever wear gloves when riding / leading in winter to keep my hands warm (oh and at shows to look posh!), I also don't lunge in gloves (yet I wear a hat...). Used to lead up to 3/4 horses at a time in from the field when bringing in the RS lot and sometimes if I only had 1 headcollar & leadrope on me I'd be leading one horse with just the headcollar (I did try to hold it in such a way as to lessen the chances of broken fingers though to my credit) and the other with a leadrope round their neck. I also used to lead my boy back to the field either by the neck of his rug or in some instances his mane (would only do this with him!). Another naughty thing I did if I was catching multiple horses was to leave the horse I'd just got with the leadrope slung around its neck whilst I grabbed the other one, was a bit more careful about doing this after one horses took off round the field like this and took me half an hour to re-catch (very scary half an hour, my heart was in my mouth everytime this horse broke out of walk!) I also used to use my horse's bum to lean against and on occasion hug (oh & I used to walk behind horses on a regular basis). I would also muck out with the horse in the stable and wheelbarrow in the doorway (had a few horses jump the wheelbarrow and I still did it, just erm not with the ones who were smart enough to figure a way out!). Also used to lift things / push wheelbarrows that were far too heavy (inc haynets that you had to swing off and have your foot braced against the wall to hang). Our muckheap was designed in such a way that it had "steps" and we used to somersault & jump off of these. Also used to take my feet out of my stirrups when back on the yard after a hack and very nearly hit the deck once when the yard terriers started off barking suddenly as we walked past their pen and my horse shot forwards in surprise! I'm sure there's more but those are all I can think of for now... I am big on SOME elements of safety for example always riding in a hat, always jumping in a body protector, always having my phone when hacking and letting someone know where I'm going and a yard rule was that we must always mount and dismount in the school.

 

[spotty_pony]

Sit down next to my horse while he is grazing in hand
Put his bridle/headcollar on over the stable door
Get on with my girth really loose



However, I will say that I only do these things with my boy who I know really well and don't do them with just any horse.

 

[unbalanced]

I think the only thing that I DO that is safety conscious is that I hack in high-viz!
The other day I rode in from the field bareback, bridleless and without even a neck string (or hat, whoops) but I figure as long as the horse is with you, it's ok. I could stop and turn and back up and if her ears had left me I would have slid straight off. I'm not very brave.
I crawl under her belly all the time rather than going round her. She has learnt to be handled from behind as well as from in front - if I pull her tail (gently) or put my hand on the front of her hock it means back up - very useful for grooming or bandaging!
I tie ropes round her legs and lead her by them in case I ever get her tangled up in one so she knows what to do. Actually, that is pretty likely.
I ride in jeans and trainers and have been know to show up in flip flops. However, I am getting better at fastening my hat strap. It is still as loose as I can make it though.
I tend not to handle other horses than my own much so I have a skewed idea of what is normal. When I do have to e.g. bring someone else's horse in I am much more careful about doing it properly and actually using a headcollar and looking where I am going and so on. I don't wear gloves though unless I am in a dressage competition and being made to or it is the middle of winter and freezing cold. I hate the things.
The other day I had my pony circling me online and I had the tail end of the rope end on the floor. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing and accidently stepped in a coil of the rope which got pulled tight around my leg. Thankfully I looked at my horse's hindquarters which she knows is pressure to turn them away, bring her head towards me and she came cantering towards me straightaway taking all the tension out of the rope. So I completely agree with Tazzle that the most important thing is making sure your horse is with you mentally. If mine hadn't been I would probably be in hospital right now. Also I should be, you know, slightly more awake about where I put my clumsy feet.

 

[JFTDWS]

the most important thing is making sure your horse is with you mentally.

It would be quicker for me to tell you what I do that is H&S conscious. Which is pretty much anything that is likely to affect my horse - i.e. hi vis for hacking because I don't want the horses hit by cars.

I agree with the poster above. Have ridden my youngster in the field tackless, without boots, gloves, hat etc - just jump on him and play. I wouldn't dream of taking him on a hack like that as he's too spooky, but in his field he's a dream to play on and I have a great deal of control in all gaits without tack on him. It's about risk management, knowing what your horse will let you away with and what is likely to cause a problem. I'd never handle someone else's horse the way I handle mine. I'd never get on someone else's horse without all the gear, either.

 

[rockysmum]

One part of my job at work is managing H&S and my staff work in a pretty risky environment. I makes me a bit OTT and overcareful with the horses. However we all takes chances.

Probably the worse thing I have done is let my daughter compete our cob at evening performance in a top hat, I suppose as she is 18 I didn't have much choice but then again I could refuse to drive to the competition.

Last week I got on my daughters nutty warmblood for the first time ever. As I struggle to get on and off my cobs due to a bad back I was so concerned over whether I could actually get on. I forgot to think whether I should have even tried. So I got on said nutty beast on a concrete yard in a gale. No-one including my daughter would have even considered it. Still I now know I can dismount in a hurry.

 

[Rudey]

My pet hate is when I see people tack their horses up, and tie the horse up by attaching a leadrope to the bit! Big no no!

Years ago, I was at a yard and a lady did exactly this. The horse pulled back, the pressure went through the bit and bridle and the horse panicked. The lady was a novice, and didn't handle the situation great - she panicked, and tried to pull the horse back to unclip the rope - adding to the pressure. I quickly intervened and untied the leadrope directly from the walls ring tie. Luckily the horse did not seriously damage his jaw. xx

 

[tinap]

Oh there's tons I can mention that the girl & me do!! Never ties up to groom, sits on a box while bathing legs/tail, sits on a box under his belly while cleaning his misters bits, plays chase with him in the field while wearing pumps, girl NEVER wears gloves other than for dressage, I never wear gloves when loading him even though he can be a sod, daughter lays on his back with her head on his bum to sunbath while he munches - she always wears a hat & hi-viz though!!!