what do you think of health and safety regulations concerning horses?!

[sista_act]

hi guys,
for my as level coursework i am writing an article about whether health and safety regulations have gone too far and taken the fun out of horse riding?! this issue is probably more sensitive to those who ride at riding schools more than horse ownership??
however i would appreciate all opinions concerning insurance, compensation claims, the risk in the sport etc... also if people could direct me to any articles about this topic

thankyou jen x

 

[JulieL]

Why dont you try to contact DEFRA, BHS, HAPPA. local Council, or a solicitor that specialises in PI claims for riding accidents.

I think they would be all willing to give some advice/pass info to you.

Hope this helps - good luck LB x

 

[alicedove]

Absolute nightmare, there are more health and safety issues that cannot be covered than those that have already, it is a minefield. i would not want to write a risk assessment for any horse event whatsoever.

Shame, but I guess you have got your work cut out!

 

[saskia295]

I'm with Armhole. Health and Safety regs have gone way too far, not necessarily just in equestrianism but all round. I'm a solicitor (but don't do personal injury) but I think taking a good look at the health and safety regs now vs health and saefty regs (say) 15-20 years ago and compare that with reported accidents in the sport. I think you will probably see a trend that either there has not been a signifant increase since the regs have gone crazy, or that there were lessa ccidents before!! Let me know the results, I'm very intrigued!

 

[jumpthemoon]

Here's one...

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/article.php?aid=139178&cid=397

I think it's got pros and cons tbh. In some ways, it's good that people are more aware of safety issues, such as wearing a hat when lungeing etc or RS getting people to wear hats when turning out etc. I can't abide the situations where people sue for what was blatantly an accident though. There was an incident this year (I can't find it now) where a woman was having XC lesson and she hit her head on a branch or something - she sued her instructor

If I was stupid enough to ride into a branch and not have my own insurance for accidents I wouldn't try to blame the instructor. I can see how people need to be able to get help if they are badly injured, but surely the responsibility should lie with them, to insure themselves and look out for themselves? There is a risk associated with riding, as with most sports and people should accept that if they are going to participate, IMO.

 

[Nats_uk]

It's not so much health and safety issues as this 'no win, no fee' culture we have now.

We had to have the xc jumps taken done at our livery yard as the yard owner was advised he would be liable if anyone got hurt jumping them. He has also had to stop any shows being held at the yard because of this. He was also told by his insurance advisor that he shouldn't have children under the age of 14 riding without being accompanied by an adult - we have a track that runs round the edge of our farm and the kids often ride around there.

I know of one person who was galloping with her friend when her friend's horse kicked out and smashed her knee cap. She then decided to sue her friend for compensation (regardless of the fact she was obviously riding too close!)

I think health and safety regulations will actually cause the standard of riding to fall as riding schools are scared to do things like jump without stirrups, ride bareback etc.

 

[Pedantic]

There wont be any riding schools soon because of insurance costs and stupid cliams, so there wont be any claims cause no one will be riding, this society will get what it deserves, nothing, cause no one will offer any services for fear of prosecution, oh I broke a nail sue sue sue, Oh you stressed me sue sue sue, oh you called me ranjit instead of sanjit I'm upset sue sue sue

 

[OWLIE185]

Every commercial organisation in the country should be complying with the Health and Safety Legislation as they have a duty of care for the people they employ and members of the public.

Claims relating to riding schools, stable yards and shows are relatively small and in most cases are due to the fact that the operators have chosen to ignore the legislation and failed to comply with them.

If every riding school and trecking centre ensured that each and every rider had personal accident insurance and third party/public liability insurance then everyone would be able to claim from their own insurance and any joint liability would be shared by all the insurers concerned thus reducing the increase in insurance premiums for riding schools.

 

[Enfys]

I used to be Secretary for a Pony Club and the H&S assessments were awful. We had to do one for every rally, outing, organised hack, show etc, etc.

Camp was a nightmare, down to
"were guide rope on the tents marked?"
"could someone slip in a muddy gateway?"
"Is there enough space between tie rings so that horses can't kick one another?"
"Is there someone to stop traffic when crossing the road?"

For example, it isn't enough to have rock salt, or grit, available for putting down on ice, someone has to be responsible for doing it. Those in charge, be it YO's or whoever, etc, have a H&S Officer hat to wear as well as all their other ones.

Think of an accident, even a simple trip, and if the cause and action taken to prevent it isn't on your RA sheet then basically your insurance isn't worth the paper it is printed on.

Having to carry out these assessments has made me very aware of H&S and accident prevention.

I believe it does affect riders etc, a friend of my daughters wanted to learn to ride, fine, totally normal isn't it? No harm to be done. Hah. You think?

I wasn't allowed to use the yard arena for insurance purposes, even though I was a designated instructor. I felt obliged to provide a hat, insist on sensible footwear (normal stuff) and then one day, the pony shied, the child almost fell off and I thought "Why am I doing this?" if she fell and broke something I could be sued however friendly our families were. Sod that. I suggested she went to a Riding School, funnily enough I think her riding stopped there when it involved money being spent.

 

[Cop-Pop]

I've just done a Health and SAftey with horses course and it's hard to believe how far H&S has gone. Parts of it make sense and can help avoid accidents etc, but it's sad to think that a lot of it has been implemented because people don't think about their actions then sue when something goes wrong. It means that the cost of riding is putting people off, meaning more and more schools are closing. My sister can't afford to send her 3 girls to lessons - it was cheaper for her to go halves on a pony with me and I teach them either on the yard as YO doesn't mind or walk up the hill with them.

 

[Nats_uk]

Also on another angle - I have spoken to AIs who have said that teaching kids is very difficult as they have to be careful if they give them a leg up and if they fall off they cannot pick them up and dust them for fear of being accused of inappropriate behaviour!!!

 

[Enfys]

[ QUOTE ]
Also on another angle - I have spoken to AIs who have said that teaching kids is very difficult as they have to be careful if they give them a leg up and if they fall off they cannot pick them up and dust them for fear of being accused of inappropriate behaviour!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. Instructors cannot touch legs to position them, or backs etc. OK, decency has to be observed, but for Heavens Sakes!

On a par with my daughter coming home from school aged 5 with a graze on her knee, SHE had to hold the damp tissue on it herself, and the Dinner lady wasn't allowed to cuddle her to comfort her. (Officially that is, I am told she gave lovely cuddles by the way. Good for her.)

 

[Leg_end]

I did my dissertation on this subject and found it extremely interesting. I focussed more on the whole 'compensation culture' that appears to be growing but in fact it actually isnt!! Unfortunately insurance companies have bought in to the hype (no win no fee etc) and so premiums are rising despite the fact that claims aren't. I did oodles of research but completed my dissertation in 2006 (with a 1st) so if you want anymore info then let me know

 

[zigzag]

[ QUOTE ]
I did my dissertation on this subject and found it extremely interesting. I focussed more on the whole 'compensation culture' that appears to be growing but in fact it actually isnt!! Unfortunately insurance companies have bought in to the hype (no win no fee etc) and so premiums are rising despite the fact that claims aren't. I did oodles of research but completed my dissertation in 2006 (with a 1st) so if you want anymore info then let me know

[/ QUOTE ]

Could you let me have a copy of your dissertation please?

 

[Pedantic]

Quote
"If every riding school and trecking centre ensured that each and every rider had personal accident insurance and third party/public liability insurance then everyone would be able to claim from their own insurance and any joint liability would be shared by all the insurers concerned thus reducing the increase in insurance premiums for riding schools. "

It doesnt matter who claims from which whose insurance, it puts it up across the board, were all paying for the flooding of other peoples houses even if we didn't claim ourselves.

 

[ladyt25]

Just a quick add, the lady who tried to sue the yard owner/instructor when she fell off after hitting a tree branch on a cross country lesson was not successful - the judge threw it out of court and told the woman concerned that riding was a risky sport and that she should have been fully aware of that (especially if she was at a stage in her riding ability of doing cross country schooling!).

See, there is some sense in the world still - thank the lord!

 

[Donkeymad]

It is good that everybody is made safety aware, but HSE regs go way too far, it can be ridiculous at times.

 

[sista_act]

thankyou for all your replies, and the offer of a dissertation, thankfully my article is only 1500 words im sure yours was a lot longer!
you have all confirmed my ideas and its great to have a different angle keep them coming ....

xxx