Horse Safety

Staying safe around horses - electric fencing safety tip

Do not climb over, through or under a multi -wire electric fence, always use the gate. (Image released into Public Domain by Pieter Kuiper)

Safety when horse riding top tip: Make sure your stirrup irons are the correct size

The stirrup irons in the above photograph are too small for the rider which could result in the rider's foot getting trapped in the stirrup and the rider being dragged in the event of a fall. Always make sure that your stirrup irons are the correct size when horse riding, you should be able to to fit a small finger (roughly 1/2") either side of your boot when positioned in the iron.

Stay safe in the stable yard - Make sure all equipment is put away after use and stored safely

To prevent injury to both horse and human make sure that all equipment is kept safely out of the way when not in use.

Image: 4028mdk09 licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Be safe around horses - Avoid barbed wire

Barbed wire and horses don't mix as Redwings say, "we strongly believe that barbed wire should never be used as a cheap fencing solution. As an active welfare organisation, we have first hand experience of the devastating results of barbed wire injury."

But it's not just horses who can and do sustain horrific injuries as a result of barbed wire sometimes human handlers get caught up in it to. Stay safe by avoiding the use of barbed wire on your equestrian property.

Image: By درفش کاویانی (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Staying safe around horses - Take a First Aid Course

Todays horse safety tip is to take a first aid course then you'll know what to do in a medical emergency, you might even save a life. In addition knowledge of human first aid will help with your horsey first aid as well!

There are lots of first aid course providers out there, here are just two well known first aid training course providers:

St John's Ambulance who believe "that it’s absolutely unacceptable that so many people die needlessly – because no one could give them first aid when they needed it." They run first aid courses for the general public as well as youth programmes. If you’re aged five to 10, you can join Badgers; 10 to 16-year-olds can become Cadets; and if you’re in higher education, you can join LINKS.

Then there's the Red Cross who delivers over 800 courses each and every month around the UK.

 You might also be interested in a  free online concussion training course for more details click here

Staying safe at the riding school ~ Remember that you reserve the right to not to ride a horse allocated to you

If you think that the horse or pony allocated to you for a lesson or a hack is going to be too much for your riding skills speak out. Remember that you reserve the right not to ride a horse allocated to you.

Image: © Copyright David Hawgood and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

To minimise the risk of equine infectious diseases keep a liquid hand sanitizer available at the yard

Keep a liquid hand sanitizer available at the yard to enable people  to disinfect their hands.

Image: By Sean Narvasa from East Bay, CA, USA (Germ-X) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Safety when riding ~ Avoid wearing loose fitting clothes that might get caught in riding equipment

Avoid wearing loose fitting clothes that could get caught in riding equipment getting dragged or trapping a limb.

Image: Riders. Portrait of E.I. Myussara and E. Myussar watercolour by Karl Briullov via Wikipedia Commons

Stay safe around horses - Take a FREE online concussion training course

Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion.

Once you complete the training and quiz, you can print out a certificate, making it easy to show your league or school you are ready for the season.

What You Will Learn

This course will help you:

• Understand a concussion and the potential consequences of this injury,
• Recognize concussion signs and symptoms and how to respond,
• Learn about steps for returning to activity (play and school) after a concussion, and
• Focus on prevention and preparedness to help keep athletes safe season-to-season.

 

Launch the Online Training Course >>

Beware of secondhand horse riding safety helmets

It might be a great Ebay bargain or the equestrian helmet you've been saving for at half the price but it's never a good idea to buy a used helmet. This is because you cannot tell if a safety helmet has been damaged in an accident. It might look as good as new but the internal protective layer might be damaged and unable to protect your head if you take a fall.

Image: Wikipedia Commons