These days safety is a great deal more important in horse riding than it used to be. The general media has heightened our awareness and need for riding safety, irrespective of age. We all see the TV news or read a paper or listen to the radio and all too often there are stories of riding accidents appearing, but could they be avoided?

We will look at these in turn…

Wearing a hard hat

The more obvious safety precautions are a good quality riding hat, physical fitness of both horse and rider and a well matched pairing as well as excessive speed and caution on roads. You should always wear a good quality riding hat that fits. Head injury is usually far worse than other injuries and a riding hat is not too expensive these days – so every rider should wear one. A quality well fitted riding hat can save lives. A correctly attired rider may be seen at distance avoiding last minute vehicle maneuvers.

Matching horse and rider

I think well matched horse and rider is the most important factor in avoiding accidents. When buying a young horse, it may be lively, naughty or on a steep learning curve, just like the rider. Therefore when matching a young horse with a young rider it is so important to find a horse with both good temperament and intelligence.  This is never easy when you only have a limited time viewing it before buying; however this is where it can pay to see the horse several times on different days.

A spirited or competitive horse can scare the novice and experienced rider alike and a tired old hack can be boring to the more experienced rider. A qualified instructor from a place like The British Horse Society Register of Instructors (http://www.bhs.org.uk/) provide registered instructors who will observe a  rider in order to spot and help correct problems and go on to teach particular disciplines as the rider becomes more experienced.  He or she will evaluate a person’s riding skills and judge their experience level. As many people do not really know how well they ride, a qualified instructor can usually see loose legs, incorrect posture or other problem areas for young riders quite quickly and begin to correct them.

A qualified ride leader should always accompany groups of riders. A qualified ride leader will have experience of groups and be aware of stragglers trying to catch up and other dangers.

Riding at a pace that is in keeping with experience is always wise. A novice may find they want to gallop as soon as possible but a gentle progression of horse and rider may mean they grow together and make a better match before taking on higher speeds.

Too fast on uneven ground

When a horse falls there is a double danger, especially if you are under him, you may have reached the ground without being hurt but the weight of a horse can cause injury.

What was that?

Something dropping from a leading horse can make a following one take evasive action leaving the rider who was unaware of a falling whip or something similar, having to gather the ride up quickly to stay on.

Kicking

Another regular injury to riders is when they are not on the horse. Sometimes when they have dismounted or are about to mount the horse can get spooked by something so small that the rider doesn’t even notice. However the horse may react in a natural way by kicking out to ward off the offender but it is completely unaware that a rider or stable hand has just walked behind it and they receive an unexpected kick.

Road Sense

Many horses seem to have more sense than the driver in a vehicle, I have seen drivers do some of the most appalling things over the years, however I believe that traffic calming and driver awareness has improved significantly with the passage of time.

Carrying a mobile phone can be a great thing to summon help in case of an accident but it has been the cause of some, a new ringtone the horse has not heard before can startle it – how does the horse react when the phone rings in the yard?

Incidents still happen of course and therefore riders should always take the utmost care when traveling on roads – regardless of how quiet they may be as it only takes one vehicle, one spooked horse or one rider whose attention has momentarily strayed to be a part of a riding accident. And remember your horse maybe ‘very intelligent’, it may display a great temperament and show good horse sense but it is no match for a sixteen ton lorry or a speeding car, so always ride aware and stay safe!

Uneven Ground

Sometimes riders are less aware of the dangers because they are not near a road but on private land. Uneven, uphill or downhill terrain can cause a horse or pony to lose its footing very easily and inexperienced horses or riders may react inappropriately due to the suddenness of a stumble.

Rider Fitness

The rider has to be fit to keep good control of a horse. A rider that is unfit may find it difficult to keep the right posture over longer periods. Their muscles should also be in keeping with the kind of horse they are riding. An athletic horse may constantly be pulling at the bit and may need strong lower body and limb muscles to keep the horse under control. Even a strong horse feels the extra weight and it may make it much more difficult to perform particular actions which can also be a danger for a rider asking too much of a horse in these circumstances. If the rider does fall off they are likely to suffer greater injury due to being overweight.

Inevitable Fall

If the inevitable happens and a fall occurs some riders choose to jump clear of the horse to avoid getting entangled or trapped under him. There is usually very little time in which to make a decision when this happens, however one of the important things to try to bear in mind is – be careful where you are jumping to. Sometimes riders aim for mud or a soft clump of grass but sometimes there is a steep bank to either side or worse. It is always difficult to try to second guess best course of action in these circumstances but it would be wise to stick to less hazardous ground with the availability of a soft landing throughout the ride and always have a way to get medical help quickly if it should be required.

As I have already said accidents can occur in any sport and horse riding is no exception. It is therefore important to have plans in place to get help. The more remote a place is the more you should have a way of contacting help if you need it. A mobile phone can save time or a first aid person riding with you can be really useful.

This being said, accidents do not happen all the time.  A well equipped rider who has taken the right precautions can happily enjoy their best friends company whenever they feel like riding safely.